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Pros: Brilliant to drive, comfort, running costs.
Cons: Cabin quality is average, poor infotainment set-up
The Alpine A110 is one of the rarest cars on Irish roads but it's likely that the brand will start to build a presence here over the next few years with more electric models planned. But for now the lightweight, mid-engined, rear wheel drive Alpine A110 might be all your dreams come true in a sports car. Caroline took Renault Ireland's A110 for a drive to find out.
Alpine A110 Design
The Alpine A110 has tasteful retro-inspired styling that harks back to the original A110 from the 60s and 70s. Finished in signature Alpine Blue, the A110 is gorgeous from every angle and stands out as something a little more original than most. The twin front headlights, distinctive bonnet spine, wraparound rear screen and mid-mounted exhaust make this car unmistakable as anything other than an Alpine. The A110 Légende GT sits on 18-inch alloys with blue brake callipers, along with patriotic French tricolour flag badges on each side.
Alpine A110 Interior
The two-seat A110 feels instantly sporty and driver-focused once you slip behind the wheel. The Alpine branded steering wheel feels great in your hands and there are also aluminium pedals and a bespoke digital instrument cluster. The Légende GT gets a fabulous set of lightweight leather sports seats. The cabin doesn’t feel too cramped for a sports car and there are plenty of comfort features like heated seats, reversing camera and climate control.
There is some questionable build quality in places but enough soft panelling and Alcantara to distract. The 7-inch touchscreen looks less impressive for a car with a price tag like this one, but newer versions at least come with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Practicality is not a strong point for the A110. There is a shallow 96 litre ‘boot’ and about 100 litres of extra space under the bonnet. Best advice is to just travel light with your Alpine!
Alpine A110 Performance & Drive
The A110’s 1.8-litre turbocharged petrol engine comes from the Mégane RS and has been tweaked for its Alpine debut for 252hp and 320Nm of torque. Power goes to the rear wheels via a seven speed dual clutch transmission, with paddles so you can shift gears as you please. The Alpine is made from aluminium and has been designed to be lightweight, coming in at just 1,100kg. That’s 300kg lighter than the Porsche Cayman so it feels far simpler and more engaging to drive as a result with a pure sense of driving joy to be extracted from every kilometre. The steering has a lovely lightness to it with no artificial heaviness getting in the way of feedback reaching the rim.
The A110 will sprint to 100km/h in just 4.5 seconds and is responsive and eager for action. The engine is delightfully vocal, but it’s in the Sport model where you truly can tap into the Alpine driving character, with even more pops and bangs coming from behind your ears and a more aggressive throttle. Slip the Alpine into Normal mode and it becomes a bit more suburban, happy to nudge through traffic quietly. It’s a bit firm around town but the ride gets better as you gather more speed out on bigger roads thanks to a sophisticated double wishbone suspension all round. It’s reasonably affordable to run for a sports car too, with annual motor tax of €600 per year and over 40 mpg possible once the Alpine settles down for a cruise.
Alpine A110 Pricing
The Alpine A110 is not yet officially on sale in Ireland but if it was, this model would retail from about €85,000.
Carzone Verdict
The Alpine A110 is an exceptional sports car. It looks great but it’s the way it feels on the road that makes it so unique and desirable. It’s only the cabin quality and in-car technology that really holds it back. This car is very niche in today’s market, which is already moving towards hybrid and electric sports cars. The A110 is likely the last combustion engined Alpine we’re going to see as the brand has committed to bringing new sporty electric cars to market.