The Alpine A110 is a brilliant sports car that rivals everything from the Porsche 718 Cayman to the Audi TT. The firm had a lot of pressure on its shoulders when it tried to recreate the magic of the 1960s original, but the result is a sublime driving experience and stunning looks. It feels much more special than its direct competitors, too.
As this is a small, lightweight sports car, the Alpine’s cabin is quite compact. However, it comes covered in quilted leather, and there’s plenty of tech on offer.
Every car gets a set of digital dials, which change in appearance according to which driving mode the car is in. The optional sports seats offer excellent support without being too firm, while the raised centre console gives a sporty ambience and a feeling of being cocooned in the cabin.
The high-spec Premiere Edition is pricey but comes loaded with kit. Inside you get those brilliant bucket seats, a Focal stereo and a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system. Sat-nav, Bluetooth and DAB are all included, but Apple CarPlay and Android Auto aren’t even on the options list.
Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment
The Alpine comes with a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system as standard. The display is responsive enough, although the menus in a Porsche 718 Cayman are more logical and the system is easier to operate on the move because there are more physical buttons.
A two-speaker Focal stereo in the A110 produces a surprisingly good sound given its lack of outright firepower, and DAB radio and Bluetooth are included. There’s also smartphone integration, but it doesn’t use Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. Instead it has a system called MySpin, which can mirror your phone’s display. We weren’t able to get this tech to work, but the Bluetooth sync is snappy enough.
The neat-looking digital instrument cluster changes depending on which driving mode you’re in, with more or less information and driving data being displayed as required.
When Alpine – and parent company Renault – set about reviving the legendary brand, its main focus was to make a lightweight and engaging sports car. We’ve now driven a number of examples, both in Europe and the UK, and we’re pleased to report that they’ve largely succeeded. The Alpine A110 is a thoroughly engaging car to drive.
Tipping the scales at just 1,103kg, it’s much lighter than rivals like the Porsche 718 Cayman and Audi TT RS. As there’s less weight to pull around, it can make do with less power, too – the dinky 1.8-litre turbo petrol engine pales alongside the Audi’s 395bhp 2.5-litre five-cylinder unit. The Alpine’s motor isn’t as characterful as its German rival, but it sounds great, and it’s more fun to rev than the muted flat-four in the latest Cayman.
That low weight has huge benefits when it comes to handling. The double-wishbone suspension and strong Brembo brakes help with engagement, while the rear-mounted engine offers perfect balance. There’s even a flat underbody, which makes the car more stable at speed.
While some may criticise the fact the Alpine isn’t available with a manual gearbox (all cars come with a seven-speed DCT transmission), the small sports car feels hugely sophisticated and very fast.
There are three driving modes: Normal, Sport and Track, which alter the settings for the steering, exhaust, traction control and gearbox. You cannot change the settings for the suspension. But despite not offering adaptive dampers, the car flows beautifully over British roads. Grip is excellent, too.
Engines, 0-60 acceleration and top speed
There’s only one engine and gearbox combination, and while it lacks the power of rivals, it’s still a quick sports car.
Alpine suggests the A110 should sprint from 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds, and our tests recorded a (0-60mph) time of 4.6 seconds. In a recent triple test against a Porsche 718 Cayman S and Audi TT RS, its German rivals completed the same dash in 3.9 seconds and 3.5 seconds respectively.
The Alpine’s low kerbweight means it is strong in gear, however. This also helps agility through tight bends. Every model is electronically limited to 155mph.
Alpine didn’t appear in our Driver Power 2018 satisfaction survey, but parent brand Renault finished 24th out of 26 in the makers’ chart. Still, the A110 will be sold from seven Alpine centres across the UK, so will get its own bespoke dealer network of sorts.
Safety kit includes switchable ESP, emergency brake assist, hill start assist, driver and passenger airbags and LED lights. It doesn’t get the latest autonomous safety aids from Renault’s regular passenger cars, such as automatic emergency braking, however. Euro NCAP hasn’t crash tested the A110, and isn’t likely to given the niche nature of the vehicle.
Warranty
The Alpine A110 comes with a three-year, 60,000-mile warranty. That is the same set-up you’ll get on a Renault Clio or Megane, although owners of those cars can extend their cover for a fourth year at extra cost. It’s not clear whether Alpine will offer the same deal on the A110. On Renault cars, extending the warranty by an extra year costs between £229 and £349, though we expect the sporty coupe would command a small premium.
Servicing
Parent company Renault has not revealed servicing prices for the Alpine A110 yet, but given the small dealer network and expertise required, you can expect an all-inclusive package to cost more than it would on the equivalent Clio or Megane.
Just seven dealers are authorised to sell and service the Alpine sports car. Given the exclusivity of the model, that’s hardly a surprise, but when you consider there are 36 Porsche dealers and 118 Audi showrooms in the country – servicing your A110 might prove a little bit trickier.
Ok, so it’s unlikely you’ll buy a two-door sports car with high hopes for practicality, but the Alpine suffers both in terms of cabin storage and boot space. There are two boots, but neither is particularly big – offering space for a laptop bag or a weekend’s shopping. Poor interior storage and a lack of cubbies lets the side down further.
Size
At 4,180mm long and 1,798mm wide, the Alpine is smaller than both the Porsche 718 Cayman and the Audi TT. Combined with good visibility, it feels easy to place and therefore very rewarding to drive, even on tight B-roads. The compliant ride means it’s easy to drive in town, too.
Leg room, head room & passenger space
The Alpine is a strict two-seater, so this section is largely irrelevant. However, it’s worth noting that the A110 is quite cramped inside, with the high centre console making things feel quite tight. Still, if you’re not the claustrophobic type, most adults should be able to get comfortable.
Boot
Despite having two boots, there’s not much room to carry bags or luggage. The front boot measures 100 litres, but it’s quite shallow and will only really stow a briefcase or laptop bag. The 96-litre rear boot is much deeper, but you’ll still struggle to carry more than a soft gym bag or a weekend’s shopping back there.
By minimising weight wherever it can, Alpine has managed to make a sports car with incredible performance, which won’t cost the earth to run. Officially, the A110 will do 46.3mpg, and while we only managed 34.4mpg on our test, that’s much better than the latest Porsche 718 Cayman S (24.6mpg on test) or Audi TT RS (23mpg) could manage. That should equate to a big difference in annual fuel bills.
However, the high list price means you’ll pay a premium in annual road tax over lesser hot hatchbacks and fast coupes – as all cars are subject to the £450 annual surcharge. For reference, the Cayman S and TT RS are liable for the same extra cost.
Insurance groups
Insurance groups are high for the Alpine A110, but largely in line with rival models. It sits in the same group 44 as the Porsche Cayman S, which is one group higher than an Audi TT RS. That equates to an annual premium of around £665 for the average male driver in his forties with three penalty points.
Depreciation
Alpine hasn’t announced depreciation numbers for the A110 yet, but exclusivity should play in its favour. The fact so few are being built will mean it is rarer than a Porsche 718 Cayman, which itself holds on to an impressive 56.7 per cent of its value after three years or 36,000 miles.
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