RE: 2023 Alpine A110 R | PH Review

[bcr5784]

While it's not for me, if you want a track-focussed car which is still significantly more civilised than the REAL competition, then it seems a "sensible" buy. Personally I would have thought a lithium battery was a better way to save weight than fragile carbon wheels - and I find the door pulls just as silly on an A110 as I do on a Porsche.

[Vee12V]

Always liked the A110 but this thing looks like it came from Mansory. Unacceptable in the looks department.

[Terminator X]

Alpine should be applauded for this, good on them. Price perhaps an issue but you are a long time dead and it sounds like an absolute hoot ...

TX.

[Hobojim]

bcr5784 said:

While it's not for me, if you want a track-focussed car which is still significantly more civilised than the REAL competition, then it seems a "sensible" buy. Personally I would have thought a lithium battery was a better way to save weight than fragile carbon wheels - and I find the door pulls just as silly on an A110 as I do on a Porsche.

The A110R door pulls are actually proper door pulls, to help you pull the door shut after you've got your harnesses on. The A110R has propper door handles still.

Yes, the Porsche has those silly fabric door handles/pulls to open the door, which doesn't work very well and get very grubby.

[Wab1974uk]

As others have said. I'd rather have the Emira.

V6 motor and a manual gearbox. Perfect. Blow the change on drugs and hookers !

[daytona111r]

Honeywell said:

Why not save >£20k and buy a far better looking Emira instead?

Is it tho? Not for me A110 is the better more striking looking car

[Quickmoose]

springfan62 said:

If the Emira is so good why are so many people cancelling their orders.

is there any easily found facts to back that up? genuine question.

I really want to love the Alpine, I guess I do actually, but when recently I had an opportunity to put them on a real short list to buy one. It didn't make my subjective cut. DCT and 1.8 turbo 4 does not appear in my 'dream spec'
If it did I still wonder whether I'd be able to make the status jump from an Alfa, Porsche or Lotus....even in the face of overwhelming reviews and highly respected owners.... I'm not sure my actual hard earned would go there....
I only need 2 cars. A do it all family 'utility knife', and a weekend joy machine....so this gets added to the list of cars I wish I could have but won't, but am very glad exists.

[_ppan]

spikyone said:

Unless you happen to be Marine Le Pen, why on earth would you want an Alpine more than a Lotus? My thoughts were exactly the same when I saw the price; the Lotus looks much less like something out of the first Fast and the Furious movie, is probably at least 98% as good on track, and is almost certainly better on the road.

I'm glad the Alpine exists and I don't doubt that it's very good. You'd have to really, really want one to spend £90k on it when it's more expensive than an Emira and similar money to this...

A German premium brand doesn't move me, I'm not a badge snob. Besides that, I also don't want an overweight car that is unbearable on the road. Or an overweight car from a Chinese mother company that is not so sharp in the handling department. The Alpine has a unique proposition since Lotus cancelled the Elise and Exige. Even though I wonder if you can't get more or less the same result (save for maybe 15kg) by spending 15k on your Alpine S with a nice set of Ohlins etc. And I love the looks!

[Chunkychucky]

911Spanker said:

spikyone said:

Billy_Whizzzz said:

Honeywell said:

Why not save >£20k and buy a far better looking Emira instead?

Because buying cars is a subjective process and you want an Alpine not a Lotus?

Unless you happen to be Marine Le Pen, why on earth would you want an Alpine more than a Lotus? My thoughts were exactly the same when I saw the price; the Lotus looks much less like something out of the first Fast and the Furious movie, is probably at least 98% as good on track, and is almost certainly better on the road.

I'm glad the Alpine exists and I don't doubt that it's very good. You'd have to really, really want one to spend £90k on it when it's more expensive than an Emira and similar money to this...

I have no interest in politics but since you mentioned it, even I would have difficulty spending £90k on a Lotus given its parent company.

Quite right, better not enlighten the poor soul that his beloved Porsche company was run by someone who voluntarily joined the SS. Way to support the persecution and mass murder of Jews, Spikyone

[Glenn63]

I really want to like the A110 but for some reason it just leaves me no desire to own one. I’m not so keen on the looks, but I’m sure if I drove one it would be very enjoyable.
But at 90k for a 2 seat 4 pot can’t see myself walking past this and spending the spare 45k on slight hike in power and many track days/ road trips.

https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/14276989

[cerb4.5lee]

£90k for a 4 cylinder 1.8 engine, no thanks.

I have always respected Alpine on the weight front with these though for sure.

[greenarrow]

Sporky said:

Anyone who can't see why you'd have an A110 instead of an Emira - or vice versa - is clearly hard of thinking. There are darned good reasons to want either. Or both.

PH - negativity matters.

Yup. Another new car review, q multiple comments moaning about something or another. PH is really becoming quite a depressing place these days unless you keep to the specialist threads where the happier people seem to hang out!

Definitely one for the collection and this would happily alongside a Cayman GT4 in my dream garage. It IS possible to like both Alpine and Porsche.

[dangerousB]

Honeywell said:

Why not save >£20k and buy a far better looking Emira instead?

I read that article with a lot of interest. Absolutely appreciate what Alpine have created there, but when I got to the end and saw the price, what you've said was my very first thought too. Hard to look beyond the Emira at that ballpark (for me).

[s111dpc]

Well done Alpine for not being afraid to build a great track focused car in an era of weight gain and electronics.

[leglessAlex]

MyV10BarksAndBites said:

...with a body coloured bonnet...

Can't get it, I asked and cancelled my order when I heard the response. There were some other minor reasons in there too, but tbh when you're asking nearly double the base car I'd expect some more options.

Not that either party is really all that upset, they're selling all they can make and I'm still very happy with my modified A110.

I don't see the Emira in the same ballpark as this at all. If you're considering a 1,080kg track special, why would you also be considering a nearly 1,500kg GT?

[Ray_Aber]

By every account, this is a fantastic car. I can see the attraction, and I applaud Alpine for making it. 1082kg is remarkable.

Yet, it's not something I would buy. I'm actively looking at the Emira (metallic red, silver wheels, tan - yes, I've been on the configuator - a LOT), which to me is a car whose looks are far more exotic than the price. I have looked at the standard Alpine/S, and love the ones I see locally, but I can't get a light interior (or a colourful one), so I am reluctantly going to pass on that car.

As an insight, I also looked at the Porsche Cayman GTS 4.0, which is also a superb car, but I just can't get on with the plain looks of the car.

I hope Alpine have all the success they deserve. If they ever open up the colour palette for their interiors (Lotus give you black, red, tan), then I'd be very, very tempted.

[Bright Halo]

Very nice but not sure it is worth the asking price. Maybe an S with a few mods would be the way to go?
Does it really need that rear spoiler, spoils the sleek look?
Keeping the weight that low is a genuine achievement in the current age of extra safety etc

[Paul_M3]

dangerousB said:

Honeywell said:

Why not save >£20k and buy a far better looking Emira instead?

I read that article with a lot of interest. Absolutely appreciate what Alpine have created there, but when I got to the end and saw the price, what you've said was my very first thought too. Hard to look beyond the Emira at that ballpark (for me).

Why do people keep saying this? They are designed for completely different purposes. The article clearly states that the A110 R is designed as a track car that's useable on the road. The Emira is an amazing car, but it's not designed as a track car.

Now if Lotus still made the Elise / Exige it would be a different story. The A110R would be priced against an Exige 410, and in that battle you'd be mad (in my opinion) to choose the Alpine if it was primarily for track use and fun.

As someone else point out, the Alpine is pretty unique now in being sub 1100kg with a proper roof, air con, stereo etc. A car you can comfortably drive 5 hours to a hotel, leave it parked outside safely overnight and then do a track day in the morning. Anything lighter will be much more extreme and maybe a step too far for a lot of people. (It's why I bought an Exige instead of a Caterham)

For people who actually want to do lots of track days this may be very appealing. The consumable cost alone on track (tyres and brakes) will be significantly lower than the 1500kg competition.

[ntiz]

Quickmoose said:

springfan62 said:

If the Emira is so good why are so many people cancelling their orders.

is there any easily found facts to back that up? genuine question.
.

Anecdotal I know but I have been offered 2 cancellation cars one before Xmas one after and was told they had about 15 going spare from cancelled orders.

This could be flippers jumping ship though.

Comparing this to an Emira is stupid anyway this aimed squarely at track stuff like a GT4/GT3. Weight is massively different as is the general intent and character.

Having had a go in a A110S it was so much fun to drive! I’m sure this will be a total riot if you can get past the engine and the price.

[hmanuk]

I ran a tweaked A110 Pure with Life110 parts and loved it to bits. On a twisty B road it was a weapon and it gave some Porsche GT cars a hard time around tracks such as Bedford and Cadwell. I can only imagine this A110R to be sublime and glad Alpine have made it. Yes its expensive, but I think the residuals will remain strong and its pretty inexpensive to run for its intended purpose.