BELIEVE THE HYPE
Alpine’s reborn classic, the A110, more than lives up to the legend
It is always good when car companies recognise just how iconic certain models from their past have become. What’s better is when they attempt to replicate that iconic model and actually make something that is as good as, or even better than the original. And not just a half- arsed knock- off. Think Ford GT as opposed to Ford Thunderbird.
And that is exactly what Renault did, when the company decided to revive the legendary Alpine A110.
While the original car is undeniably iconic, it was also fragile, unreliable and extraordinarily temperamental, so when the new A110 was born back in 2017, Renault took the rather wise step of using proven technology underneath a slinky, modern ( yet undeniably recognisable) skin — namely the excellent 1.8- litre fourcylinder turbo engine from the Megane RS280.
The revived car collected rave reviews from the overseas press. But sadly, the A110 was never sold here. So I thought it would remain one of those elusive distant dreams that I would never get a chance to drive, much like the Bugatti Veyron and the Tata Nano ( don’t judge me!).
At least that was until I got a text from Todd Pearce, co- founder and director of the Pearce Brothers chain of car dealerships and distributor of the Morgan marque in New Zealand. I met Todd when he offered us a drive in the awesome Morgan Plus Four a while back and we got chatting about some of the other “interesting” cars he dealt with.
The text was simple: a picture of a striking blue A110S on New Zealand plates and the words “want to drive this?”.
The A110 is a deceptively simple car, with a stripped back interior and only basic functions. Yes, it has a touchscreen infotainment system, but it is a hauntingly familiar one that has done duty in other cars of much lesser standing, such as the Suzuki Swift.
There is a smattering of buttons on the steering wheel and centre console, with three on the latter being for the transmission — one for drive, one for neutral and one for reverse — with a big red starter button below them.
HVAC dials, a button for Sport mode and that weird little paddle arrangement for audio controls behind the steering wheel that all Renaults share, and that’s about your lot. It also features a spectacularly useless cupholder ( which is actually rather typical for a French car) and a surprisingly good audio system, which is a pleasant surprise.
None of that matters, because firing up the A110 presents you with an even burble that has a slightly threatening edge to it, which instantly gets you interested.
The S part of the model name refers to the upgraded lightweight version of the car that was introduced in 2019. Featuring stiffer revised suspension and brakes, as well as a lower ride height, it also got more power: 215kW versus the original’s 185kW.
The acceleration is never brutal or intimidating, but rather constant and thoroughly thrilling. The engine’s burble rises in pitch to become a throaty roar that resonates throughout the cabin, with its obvious focal point being right behind your left shoulder.
Flick the paddle on the steering wheel ( the reincarnated A110 has only ever been available with a Getrag 7- speed DCT) and the car snaps up a gear with the belligerent roar beginning its rise in pitch and volume all over again in an absolute instant.
The A110 is one of those very rare cars that just makes you want to go harder and harder after every corner. You immediately just know that you could have braked later, carried more speed through the apex and got back on the throttle even earlier than you just did. And it does this at every corner. Every. Single. Corner.
The steering is delightfully sharp and perfectly weighted, as well as being incredibly chatty. It becomes immediately clear that the A110 is aimed squarely at the Porsche 718 Cayman, not only in its general size and shape, but also its brutal precision and exhilarating “oneness” that the driver feels with it on a good road.
While the Porsche may be slightly more polished, the Alpine is actually sharper and more responsive, thanks to its massive 200kg weight advantage.
Like the Porsche, the Alpine is also ridiculously easy to live with as a daily driver, and if you can deal with the low ride- height that almost has you crawling in and out, it is an absolute doddle to pop down to the shops in, with a remarkably civilised low speed ride.
While the cabin is surprisingly roomy, it doesn’t have much in the way of storage space. However, it makes up for that with a boot at either end, the front being 100 litres and the rear just over 90.
The impressive docility and flexibility of the engine at low speeds, and the equally impressive ride comfort belies the fact that the A110 is a thoroughly remarkable sports car that offers real thrills.
It combines the best parts of its legendary predecessor with modern reliability and convenience to become a true modern classic.