Move mountains to snap up last few modern-day Alpines
A LEGENDARY RALLY-WINNER
THERE’S a lot going on at Renault, with a new lineup of models which range from one of the fastest cars on the road from its sister brand Alpine to a host of hybrid family cars guaranteed to give you bumper miles per gallon.
If performance is your thing you will go a long way to find a car guaranteed to offer as much exhilaration as the new Alpine A110 Legende GT 21.
But if you want one you will have to move quickly. Just 330 are being made for delivery worldwide and when they’re gone they’re gone.
Only 26 are destined for the UK and all but a handful have already been snapped up despite a price tag of £61,655.
Hardly surprising when you realise that this 1.8-litre powerhouse develops some 292bhp, has a limited top speed of 155 miles per hour and sprints from zero to 62 mph in just 4.4 seconds.
That’s faster than a lot of 5.0-litre V8 cars which tend to be very thirsty while the Legende GT will average more than 40 miles per gallon.
And that is part of its attraction as it gives supercar performance while still being a car you can sensibly use every day both in terms of its running costs and comfort.
Unlike a lot of big engined, high performance models this car is easy to drive, light to handle and easy to manoeuvre and yet it will still satisfy the needs of the most demanding performance car seeker.
The secret is the car’s power to weight ratio. Thanks to its lightweight aluminium construction it tips the scales at just 1,100 kilograms.
With a weight like that you would expect a stripped out shell but on the contrary the Legende is very
well equipped and boasts a host of creature comforts.
There’s a smart, black leather interior, heated seats, a multimedia system with seven-inch touchscreen, a lightweight Focal audio system and satellite navigation is standard.
This limited edition Alpine has been built because of public demand. Drivers loved the A110 but many wanted a model that was that little bit “softer” for everyday use so the Legende GT 21 was born.
Like all A110 models it’s mid-engined and rearwheel drive but the softer touch means the suspension is now that little bit more comfortable when it comes to handling Britain‘s potholeadorned roads.
At the same time it still boasts superb handling and tenacious grip.
Mated to the 1.8-litre engine is a seven-speed automatic gearbox. There’s no gear shift as such just buttons for Drive, Neutral and Reverse.
There are paddles behind the steering wheel for changing gear manually, which definitely adds to the fun in this car. In fact I guarantee anyone who gets behind the wheel of a Legende GT 21 will find themselves regularly overruling the auto box just for the fun of it.
On the open road the performance is blistering and is matched by a superbly sporty roar from the exhausts.
But despite its scintillating acceleration this is a car which you always feel comfortable with and in complete control.
And when you are not using it to its full capacity it’s quite happy to burble along on the school run or to the supermarket.
The Alpine A110 Legende GT 21 is styled as a modern day take on the original rallywinning Alpines of the Sixties and Seventies, well before the company became part of Renault.
Today the models are still manufactured in the same factory as their predecessors in Dieppe – and are still thrilling drivers in the same way they did when the brand was founded in 1955.
And when you are not using it to its full capacity it’s quite happy to burble along on the school run