Alpine A110 Légende GT 2021

Why it doesn’t miss a manual

AN ALPINE WITH A MANUAL GEARBOX would be about as ‘evo’ as a car can get. Or so it was suggested during a meeting at Evo Towers recently, Jethro clearly having momentarily forgotten about the existence of the 997.2 GT3 RS 3.8.

Could the A110 be improved by the fitment of a third pedal and a gearlever? Quite possibly. But here’s the thing: their omission is nowhere near as conspicuous as you might expect it to be.

Normally I hanker after a manual in pretty much anything you wouldn’t class as a supercoupe, supersaloon or full-on supercar. For me, a paddleshift only starts to hold appeal when a car is so rapid that a manual gearchange would be something you squeezed in rather than savoured. The A110 isn’t that fast, yet somehow, in all the miles I’ve covered in ours, its lack of a manual gearbox has barely crossed my mind.

Perhaps it’s because its DCT responds so reliably to manual shift requests, although that’s nothing unusual these days. Perhaps it’s because its column-mounted paddles offer a more satisfying, more substantial action than the more switch-like wheel-mounted type typically do. Then again, the A110’s paddles are not setting any benchmarks in that regard either. Nor are they tactile delights to feel on your fingertips; they’re just… fine.

Which leaves what, exactly? I can only assume it’s simply that the rest of the car is delivering in so many other respects, providing all those other sensations that we crave when behind the wheel, that I’m not yearning for the additional interaction of a manual ’box to top up the experience. And that’s a rare thing at this level of performance.

So yes, a manual gearshift might be nice, but is its absence here a big deal? Absolutely not.

Date acquired February 2022 Total mileage 8381 Mileage this month 1074 Costs this month £0 mpg this month 34.7