Alpine will launch a more focused version of the A110 next month…
…as well as a more luxurious version
The lighter car will be called the Pure (and is painted white here)…
…while the more luxurious car is the Légende (painted grey here)
The two models will bookend the current A110 line-up
Alpine will launch the lightest version of its A110 sports car at the Geneva motor show alongside a more luxurious, higher-specced variant to create two new bookends for the current line-up.
The new A110 Pure (pictured white here), as the lighter version is called, is expected to weigh just 1080kg thanks to a pared-back specifications list that does away with unnecessary luxuries. While not confirming exact details yet, Alpine said the Pure retains the “minimalist approach” of the Premiere Edition - the trim offered with the car at launch - but that it is more “driver focused”.
Alpine A110: full specifications
This suggests it could ditch heavier cabin materials and use the lightest wheel option to minimise its unsprung mass. The car could also sacrifice some soundproofing as part of its diet and will become the new entry-level version of the A110.
Drive will come from the same turbocharged 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine producing 249bhp and 236lb ft of torque as the Premiere Edition, so power-to-weight will be the car's headline 231bhp/tonne – 9bhp more than arch-rival Porsche 718 Cayman.
Alpine may also adjust the car’s double wishbone suspension for sharper handling. Although unconfirmed, this is the strategy offered by parent company Renault with its performance models, such as the new Renault Sport Mégane RS, which comes with an optional Cup chassis.
Alongside the Pure will be a new range-topping model called the Légende (painted grey here), which will be a more refined A110 better suited to everyday driving. Expect this variant to receive leather seats, as well as a more forgiving chassis set-up than the Pure. Like the Pure, the Légende will retain the launch A110’s 249bhp engine.
The two new variants signal the start of a line-up expansion for the A110. A probable next addition will come with more power because while the A110's engine is shared with the Mégane RS, it falls short of the hot hatch’s power output by 33bhp. This emphasises how understressed the A110's current motor is and suggests a more potent version of the Alpine is in the pipeline.
Further evidence for this comes with the Mégane RS, which will almost certainly be launched with more power to create a closer rival to the Honda Civic Type R, which has 316bhp. If this RS powerplant were to be offered in the future A110 variant with around 300bhp, the sports car could produce in excess of 277bhp/tonne.
Following the Geneva motor show, Alpine, which is owned by Renault and based in Dieppe, will open its first UK dealers in the middle of this year.
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scrap
Want one so badly. Such a
Want one so badly. Such a great car, although Premiere spec seems pretty much perfect.
beechie
'paired-back'
stanleyipkiss
It will never sell.
It will never sell.
The original isn't selling. It's priced like a Cayman. Way way too expensive. Should have been in the MX-5 territory.
gagaga
stanleyipkiss wrote:
Not sure they could hit that level, but would have though mid £30ks rather than mid £40ks seems a better place for this to sit. I've money waiting at that level.
Having said that, audi are pricing a 1.5l A3 at £32k now...
yvesferrer
agree!
At mid-30s price, I would buy one in a flash and then die in another flash as soon as the present Mrs. F finds out...
Where would she put the shopping and the bags she 'needs' when we drive off for a few days?
I'll have to stop drooling; the kids are muttering things about Care Homes...
Marc
stanleyipkiss wrote:
What, never... at all. Not even a single one!
Rick Maverick
Sellers market
Opinion or fact?
First 18 months of Alpine production is SOLD-OUT.
TStag
This is a really hard market
This is a really hard market to enter. Porsche make great sportscars and have the brand, Jaguar provide a really good alternative in the F type and have plenty of history to play on. BMW can play on their strengths as a big premium brand. So you have 3 big players already fighting over a very small number of customers. Then you have niche players like Lotus.
Alpine should have gone much further upmarket into Mclaren territory. Even Mazda struggle to sell the MX5 in the volumes you really need to be sucessfull as these days the traditional sportscar market is tiny. It's a real shame and sadly will put companies like Jaguar off doing much more in this space.
scrap
But this is much closer to
But this is much closer to Alpine’s ethos - a small, light car, with enough power to be fun. It’s a brave and relevant car, will prove much more enjoyable on most roads than any supercar. Given the investment and dedication involved, it is not expensive. Mind you, if even Autocar readers (supposed enthusiasts) cannot see the value, it might struggle to make a wider impact.
xxxx
Lotus, elephant in the room
Elise Cup owners will want to know why it's so heavy! Joking aside and I'm sure it'll be a great sportscar but why are there never any references to the British made Lotus, it’s more of a direct competitor than the Cayman.
typos1 - Just can’t respect opinion
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