ALPINE REACHES NEW HEIGHTS
A from-scratch, completely new car is an increasing rarity these days, particularly when it is such a thrilling proposition as the reborn Alpine A110. Roy Woodcock takes one for a spin
Here’s a real blast from the past, a name that will really excite motoring enthusiasts of a certain age. And, yes, that includes me. We’re talking about the Alpine A110; very much a car for today but evoking memories of one of the most iconic sports cars of the 1960s.
You haven’t even been able to buy a car with this name since 1995 but, even then, people still hankered after what they saw as the true spirit of the Alpine marque, the original A110 model produced between 1962 and 1971, which was full of Gallic French flair.
There’s more than a whiff of that car in this new Alpine, which gloriously flaunts the original name like a badge of honour.
Alpine was founded by Jean Rédélé in 1955. He’d raced a Renault 4 CV and scored class wins on the Mille Miglia and Coupe des Alpes.
It’s the latter that inspired the company name, and the philosophy behind his cars: Cars that weren’t necessarily the most powerful, but punched above their weight because they were so light and agile.
Monsieur Rédélé even built a number of special versions with lightweight aluminium bodies, which he drove with some success at Le Mans and Sebring in the early 1950s, but I digress a little because, I should stress, these cars should not be confused with the English sports coupe, the Sunbeam Alpine, produced around the same time.
Alpine had always been strongly linked with Renault and largely used their engines. And it was Renault who saved the company with a takeover in the mid-1970s.
Things continued with successive new cars until April 1995, when Renault abandoned the name.
In terms of the UK, at any rate, there had always been a problem, because the cars could not be sold here under the Alpine name because Sunbeam (at the time) held the trademark.
Here endeth the history lesson and, in the here and now, all you need to know is that this 2018 Alpine A110 is a truly stunning car that ushers in a new stand-alone brand under the Renault umbrella.
It’s an all-new bespoke sports car that’s based on a brand-new all-aluminium architecture, and powered by a 252 horsepower, mid-mounted, four-cylinder turbocharged engine driving the rear wheels.
Alpine launched its new model with the Première Edition. Limited to 1,955 examples – a nod to the year Alpine was founded – the A110 Première Edition was fully reserved within five days of going on sale.
The production series A110, in Pure and Légende trims, followed in June of this year.
The first and most notable stat to quote is that the car, which is made almost exclusively from aluminium, weighs just 1,081kg.
In short, it’s lighter than all of its rivals, and is blessed with an impressive power-to weight ratio. The turbocharged 1.8-litre direct injection four-cylinder engine – customised by Alpine with specific intake, exhaust, and turbo systems plus bespoke calibration – develops its maximum power at 6000rpm, with 320Nm of torque from just 2000rpm.
That excellent power-to-weight ratio, plus a launch control function, enables the A110 to do the sprint to 62mph in just 4.5 seconds, while the top speed is electronically limited to 155mph.
The two models cost £46,905 (Pure trim) and £50,805 (Légende) on the road, which puts them in the same ball park as the Porsche 718 Cayman (£42,897 – £61,727), Alfa Romeo 4C (£52,835 – £59,835) and Audi TT RS (£52,480 – £54,230) but for me this car has a real edge.
Fire it up and the noise it makes gets the adrenaline flowing instantly. The sound, particularly when Sport mode is selected, is pure 1960s performance car, with a hard-edged growl that rises to a pleasing crescendo towards the redline.
Joining other motoring journalists at the invitation of Renault to experience the thrill of the new Alpine, I was able to test the car on a beautiful sunny autumn day with a backdrop of the very best chocolate-box Cotswolds villages.
Country lanes and tight B roads means it was a joy to drive and had me slavering for more. The handling is precise and the seven-speed gearbox offers fast shift speeds and combines a manual function – in which the driver can change gears using the aluminium paddles – with an effortless automatic mode.
To lock the A110 into manual mode, the driver simply presses the D button on the centre console twice. The brake-based electronic differential function, often referred to as “brake vectoring”, delivers superb traction even in slippery conditions.
The stability control system, meanwhile, features an intermediate Sport mode, as well as a Track setting that allows a little more wheel slip before intervening, giving a more engaging yet secure drive.
For track use, the ESP system can be disabled fully regardless of the selected driving mode.
The three driving modes are Normal, Sport and Track. As the driver switches up through the modes such parameters as throttle response, steering assistance, gearshift speeds, exhaust sound and stability control intervention are all adapted to deliver a sharper, more thrilling and more emotional driving experience.
The 10in digital TFT display within the instrument binnacle also changes with each driving mode, favouring the rev counter, gear display and gear shift lights in Sport and Track.
Like the A110 Pure, the A110 Légende has three driving modes, air-conditioning, a satellite navigation system, the Alpine smartphone replication MYSPIN and front and rear LED lighting.
The A110 Légende standard features can be upgraded with a Focal Premium audio system complementing the two speakers and two subwoofer tweeters, an active sport exhaust system and heated seats.
One of the most exciting car launches of 2018, Alpine has taken driving pleasure to new heights.
■ Visit www.alpinecars.com/en/ for more information.