The Alpine A110S is already one of the coolest looking sports cars in the world. With 292 horsepower and a dry weight of just 2455 pounds, it’s quick and nimble more than it is brain-melting fast, and that’s a good thing. 0-60 comes in 4.4 seconds, which is plenty. The whole thing is wrapped up in gorgeous throwback sheetmetal which is both modern cool and vintage French weird at the same time. The French automaker recently paired with Argentinian-Spanish artist Felipe Pantone for a run of four unique A110S in Pantone’s signature color blocking style.
You might remember Pantone from his work with Ken Block’s rallycross team a few years back. It looked dope on those cars, and it still looks dope today on the Alpine. His work is uniquely his own, and blends well with the Alpine’s silhouette. Obviously he was restricted to using Alpine’s color strategy here, but still managed to make it uniquely a Felipe Pantone work of art.
Felipe Pantone: “My idea regarding the work on the A110 is to evoke a sense of “ultradynamism”. Visual speed is something that I have been investigating for years now and that I feel it really comes together on this car, emphasizing it’s brilliant design with a fast, technological look”
Alpine VP of sales and marketing, Cédric Journel: “Through this second collaboration with Alpine, Felipe Pantone once again demonstrates the extent of his talent. The creative work and its execution are exceptional. The colour schemes, geometric shapes and optical effects reveal the A110 in a new light, with a heightened sense of movement. This work results in a modern, dynamic and captivating work of art”
It is such a modern artist flex to use a word like “ultradynamism”. German companies like BMW and Porsche have been trying to use the fake-as-fuck word dynamism as a descriptor for their sports cars since at least 1995, and Pantone just stepped that shit up a whole other level. Whether intentionally ironic or totally genuine, I love him for that.
While four of these Pantone Alpines will be built, only three will be sold to the public for a pretty impressive $152,000. Considering the standard A110S will only cost customers about $75,000, that’s a hefty price premium for the artist’s work. That said, I’d way rather have a factory-sanctioned art car from a world famous name like Felipe than whatever dumbass NFT someone just paid the same money for. This is art you can drive.
I wonder what it would cost to get Mr. Pantone to fly out to Nevada to paint my shitty old Porsche 912E. Probably about as much as trying to get one of these legally into the country. Maybe as a one-of-four this would qualify under show and display rules. Worth it? Maybe.
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