Alpine A110 vs Porsche 718 Cayman Driving pleasure gets ramped up even higher with the A110 S and Cayman T, more focused versions of two already outstanding sports cars
The Alpine A110 S and Porsche 718 Cayman T promise to be even sharper to drive than their regular siblings. Let’s see which one has the ner edge
IF YOU GRIND your teeth in annoyance whenever you hear a footballer talk about giving 110%, the arrival of the new Alpine A110 S may well have your dentist on alert. After all, exceeding 100% isn’t possible, so how can the S be worth 10% more than the regular A110 when that’s already our Sports Car of the Year and therefore as close to perfect as such cars get?
It’s not even as if Alpine has addressed the few flaws the A110 does have: the fact that it allows you to bring less luggage than a budget airline and comes with an infotainment system that makes a ZX Spectrum feel sophisticated. Instead, its engineers focused on changing the driving experience, which was already sensational. However, according to Alpine, the S’s firmer suspension and extra 39bhp weren’t necessarily to make it a better car, but one that appeals to a different buyer: someone who enjoys track days or just wants something a little more focused.
Something like the new Porsche 718 Cayman T, in fact. While the T uses the same 2.0-litre engine as the entry-level Cayman, it has active engine mounts to enhance stability, a 20mm lower ride height and torque vectoring to improve agility, and a limited-slip diff for better traction out of corners.
DRIVING Performance, ride, handling, re nement
In addition to producing slightly more power than the Cayman, the A110 is 236kg lighter. That’s the equivalent of unloading a baby elephant, so it’s hardly surprising that the A110 accelerates faster; 0-60mph takes 4.7sec, compared with 5.4sec in the Cayman.
It’s not just at traffic lights that the A110 has the advantage, either; put your foot down on the move and it will also pull away from its German rival. However, it’s worth noting that if you specify your Cayman with the optional seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox instead of the six-speed manual that our car came with, the difference in performance shrinks.
The manual has different strengths, most notably one of the sweetest shift actions in any car. And this is enhanced by the T’s stubby, shortened gearlever.
As for the A110, it has a sevenspeed dual-clutch auto ’box as standard, with no manual available. But while some might bemoan this, there’s a lot to like; it’s as smooth as a conventional auto in its most relaxed setting, holds on to lower gears for longer if you switch to Sport mode, and defaults to manual mode (you pull paddles behind the steering wheel) to deliver properly quick shifts when it’s in its Track setting.
As good as the A110 is in a straight line, though, it’s even better through corners. This S version grips a little harder than the regular A110 and leans less,
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yet it still feels playful, allowing you to adjust your line with the accelerator. The only slight disappointment is that Alpine has made the steering heavier than the regular car’s when you’re in Sport or Track, but in a way that robs you of a little feedback.
This isn’t a problem in the Cayman; its steering is wonderfully precise, plus the car’s body movements are tightly controlled and there’s incredible grip. As hugely capable as the Cayman is, though, it just isn’t as much fun as its rival, feeling less eager to change direction initially and making you feel like you’re not really pushing it until you’re travelling at silly speeds.
INFOTAINMENT
Like lesser A110s, the S comes with a 7.0in touchscreen incorporating a DAB radio and sat-nav. Unfortunately, the system is slow to respond and many of its icons are too small.to make matters worse, you can’t bypass Alpine’s own software by using Apple Carplay or Android Auto; instead, you have to download a ddly app if you want to control certain phone functions through your car.you do get a punchy Focal sound system as standard, though.
INFOTAINMENT
The T saves weight by having a large storage compartment in the centre of its dash instead of an infotainment system. However, you can opt to have the 7.0in touchscreen from other Caymans included as a no-cost option. We would, because it’s much quicker than the A110’s system, with more user-friendly menus, while sat-nav, a DAB radio and Apple Carplay are included.there’s no Android Auto, however, and a premium stereo will cost you £834.