There are some objects in this universe that seem to have come from a virgin birth, and the Alpine A110 is one such object: A gas car that is the last good car. Alpine debuted a new A110 Wednesday with some subtle refinements, but not really anything substantially different, because it’s impossible to improve on perfection.
Alpine has simplified things a bit for 2022, with three trims of the A110: In descending order, they are the A110 S, the A110 GT, and just simply the A110. Alpine also says the infotainment system is better with the addition of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
For track nerds, it also has the following standard on the A110 S, which has the most rigid suspension and a four-cylinder engine making 300 brake horsepower and a dual-clutch transmission:
The Alpine Telemetrics menu (an option except on the New A110 S) includes real-time readings or bar charts displaying turbo pressure, gearbox temperature, torque, power, steering wheel angle and acceleration. And the built-in chronograph keeps track of performance on circuits, for instance.
Here is how the three trims of the A110 differ:
The New A110 S in a nutshell:
- Power: 300 bhp
- Power-to-weight ratio: 3.7 kg/bhp
- 0 to 100 km/h: 4.2 seconds
- 340 Nm torque at 2,400 to 6,000 rpm
- Top speed (limiter off): 275 km/h
- Sport chassis: recalibrated anti-roll bars and springs, purpose-engineered axle geometry, 50% stiffer coil springs, shock absorbers adjusted accordingly, hollow anti-roll bars to minimise weight (and 100% firmer), 4 mm lower ride height, hydraulic steering wheel stops for optimal car body control
- Unladen kerb mass: 1,102 to 1,140 kg
- Exhaust system: Sport
- Brembo high-performance braking system, 320 mm diameter dual material discs at the front and rear, orange callipers
- Bright black 18 inch GT Race rims
- Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres (215/40 R18 at the front and 245/40 R18 at the rear)
- Sabelt Sport adjustable seats on 2 visible rails, covered in black microfibre and leather with orange overstitching
[…]
The New A110 GT in a nutshell:
- Power: 300 bhp
- 0 à 100 km/h: 4.2 seconds
- 340 Nm torque at 2,400 to 6,000 rpm
- Alpine chassis, double-triangulated front and rear suspension
- Unladen kerb mass: 1,119 to 1,140 kg
- Sport exhaust system
- Brembo high-performance braking system, 320 mm diameter discs at the front and rear, blue callipers
- Légende 18 inch diamond-cut black rims
- Michelin Pilot Sport 4 205/40 R18 tyres at the front and 235/40 R18 tyres at the rear
- Adjustable Comfort seats on 6 rails, covered in black or brown leather, blue overstitching
[…]
The A110 in a nutshell:
- Power: 252 bhp
- 0 to 100 km/h: 4.5 seconds
- 320 Nm torque at 2,000 to 4,800 rpm
- Alpine chassis, double-triangulated front and rear suspension
- Unladen kerb mass: 1,102 to 1,140 kg
- Brembo 296 mm diameter front and rear brakes, Charcoal Black callipers
- 17 inch rims
- Michelin Pilot Sport 4 205/45 R17 tyres at the front and 235/45 R17 tyres at the rear
- Adjustable Sport seats on 2 rails, covered in black microfibre and leather, grey overstitching
The A110 S is the one to get, obviously, especially with the Aero Kit, which has a carbon spoiler that, shockingly, actually makes a difference and isn’t just for show:
On the driving side, the New A110 S has optional Michelin PS Cup 2 Connect semi-slick tyres and an Aero Kit to push the needle up to 275 km/h. The kit is comprised of a carbon rear spoiler improving aerodynamic support, a carbon front blade and longer front fairings under the car to step up the rear diffuser’s and flat floor’s efficiency. Its stability at 275 km/h comes from the 60 kg extra load on the front wheels (from the carbon blade) and 81 kg extra load at the back (from the carbon spoiler), adding up to 141 kg. With this equipment, the New A110 S can deliver its full potential on tracks.
The A110 starts at €59,500, or around $66,000. That figure is in euros because America is not getting this car, because America does not deserve this car. Which is also why it’s not quite worth going into the seemingly infinite number of options you can get with a new A110, because that would be cruel.
If someone in America decided to sell all of their possessions to move to Europe to buy an Alpine A110, we would simply have to salute them. I mean, James May sold his 1977 Ferrari 308 GTB for one of these things, what more proof do you need?
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