Living with the Alpine A110.
review by Jacob Lerklint
1700km and 4 days of continuous driving in the Alpine, testing all of its abilities.
What have I learned?
The new reborn Alpine A110 is a step in the right direction in a world full of massive horsepower cars that weigh much more than necessarily needed. The A110 consists of an all aluminum body, mid engined and rear wheel drive setup, weighing 1100kg, which makes it a rare breed these days. Just after a few minutes of driving you notice the lightness and how easy it is to maneuver. It’s such an effortless car to drive. The bucket seats looks firm but they are super comfortable even though there isn’t much adjustability in them. Rumbling away behind your back is a 1.8 litre turbocharged 4 cyl engine which produces 252hp and 320nm. With the weight being so low the power to weight ratio is obviously great. The sound may not be the most intoxicating but for a 4cyl turbocharged car it sounds good. The seven speed EDC dual clutch gearbox works well both in traffic and when going fast. It shifts quick and smoothly. Put the car in Track mode and the shifts get a bit savage but pleasing.
“Driving the Alpine in wet was such a pleasant surprise, it felt so stable and never a hint of wheel spin."'
The soft suspension makes the Alpine much more usable day to day. It’s not too soft and not too harsh, just perfect. Driving the Alpine in wet was such a pleasant surprise, it felt so stable and never a hint of wheel spin. Of course you can get it sliding if you wanted to and even then it felt easy to control. Driving some of the best roads outside Stockholm you immediately notice how usable the power is and it is so enjoyable flooring it in places where a car with 100-200hp more would be too fast and unpleasant.
There isn’t much negative to say about the Alpine A110 but a bit more in-car storage would have been great and the infotainment isn’t the best.
Summary
The Alpine A110 (pure) is in my opinion one of the greatest and most usable mid engined sports car on sale right now. Yes it’s expensive fully optioned out but most options are cosmetic and not necessary. It doesn’t compromise comfort and handling which makes you rethink what you want in a car.
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