Could former Porsche 911/ Cayman owners...
Discussion
Please comment on the build quality, fit & finish (exterior and interior) of an Alpine A110 compared to say a Porsche 997 gen 2 onwards? Or a Cayman from 2010 onwards. Especially after significant miles in a Alpine. As it's a Renault (basically), does it suffer over time with issues that German cars would not?
Ignore drive/ ride/ handling for now - I know the Alpine A110 is sublime.
Ignore drive/ ride/ handling for now - I know the Alpine A110 is sublime.
Alpine may be owned by Renault and of course the engine is Renault but to say the car is basically a Renault is too simplistic.
I cant specify an exact figure but Id say at least 80% of the parts that make up an Alpine A110 are specific to that car. The more I've looked round mine in terms of the way its put together the more quality engineering I've discovered. Its clear a lot of attention has gone into the design. Almost all parts, even the little brackets that hold the brake pipes, are stamped 'Alpine,' Its obvious they are keen that everyone knows it's an Alpine, not a Renault.
I would say overall build quality is pretty good and there is anecdotal evidence of cars ( although not many to be fair as a lot are kept as weekend toys, mine included ) covering high mileages with no major issues. I looked at the 718 Cayman and the Emira before choosing the Alpine. I felt the Emira was way off the Alpine in terms of quality, especially the paint, and it didn't strike me as having the depth of design integrity the Alpine has. The Porsche appeared to be beautifully put together and the interior materials ( with the exception of the seats which are superb in the Alpine ) were a level above both the Alpine and the Lotus.
I wouldn't discount the Alpine in terms of quality, if you look beyond a few cheap looking interior plastics, it's a quality product IMHO.
I cant specify an exact figure but Id say at least 80% of the parts that make up an Alpine A110 are specific to that car. The more I've looked round mine in terms of the way its put together the more quality engineering I've discovered. Its clear a lot of attention has gone into the design. Almost all parts, even the little brackets that hold the brake pipes, are stamped 'Alpine,' Its obvious they are keen that everyone knows it's an Alpine, not a Renault.
I would say overall build quality is pretty good and there is anecdotal evidence of cars ( although not many to be fair as a lot are kept as weekend toys, mine included ) covering high mileages with no major issues. I looked at the 718 Cayman and the Emira before choosing the Alpine. I felt the Emira was way off the Alpine in terms of quality, especially the paint, and it didn't strike me as having the depth of design integrity the Alpine has. The Porsche appeared to be beautifully put together and the interior materials ( with the exception of the seats which are superb in the Alpine ) were a level above both the Alpine and the Lotus.
I wouldn't discount the Alpine in terms of quality, if you look beyond a few cheap looking interior plastics, it's a quality product IMHO.
Before buying my brand new GT I had similar concerns and checked a lot. As you know the car is on the market since 2017. If there were common quality issues I'm sure we would be reading them here.
The Alpine brand couldn't be resurrected for a long time and it would be a hoist with one's own petard if they had major quality issues. Feel free to watch David Twohig's interviews to understand how they developed the car.
Full list of the criticism that I was a bit concerned and some solutions.
- The screen is so small (in this car the entertainment is not on the screen)
- Volume controller is the same with other Renault group cars (some after market parts are available and for me those buttons are so handy)
- Limited cargo capacity (that's true but still you can fit two carry-ons with detachable wheels to the frunk and a duffle bag to the boot)
- No cup holder (there are after market parts and I personally prefer not to have any drink other than water inside the cabin)
The Alpine brand couldn't be resurrected for a long time and it would be a hoist with one's own petard if they had major quality issues. Feel free to watch David Twohig's interviews to understand how they developed the car.
Full list of the criticism that I was a bit concerned and some solutions.
- The screen is so small (in this car the entertainment is not on the screen)
- Volume controller is the same with other Renault group cars (some after market parts are available and for me those buttons are so handy)
- Limited cargo capacity (that's true but still you can fit two carry-ons with detachable wheels to the frunk and a duffle bag to the boot)
- No cup holder (there are after market parts and I personally prefer not to have any drink other than water inside the cabin)
I drove a high-spec Cayman (2012 3.4 S PDK full leather Black Edition 987.2) from 2014 to 2019, and have now owned an A110S (microfibre interior, bucket seats, CF roof, etc) for a few months. I would say that the Alpine is comparable in interior fit/finish to the Porsche, then again given the engine characteristics and weight, I'm not sure the two cars are that similar. The Alpine is a lot smaller, lighter and more like a sportscar, whereas the Cayman is almost a luxury GT car in comparison. The Porsche is certainly a lot more versatile if that's what you're looking for.
When a 987.1 Cayman owner on the Porsche forum recently had the temerity to ask about buying an A110 instead of upgrading to a 987.2 or an early 997, one PH member whinged about alleged unreliability and stated that a 4 cylinder turbo DSG was hardly an enthusiast's[1] car, as though anything that wasn't at least six cylinder and with a manual transmission was some kind of Fisher Price toy.
I could have bought a 4 year old low-mileage Cayman GTS 4.0 (to have an equivalent power/weight ratio) for a similar budget, but having driven the Alpine that was the one I wanted. The Cayman is a lovely car in lots of ways, but the long gearing and 300kg of extra weight are very obvious once behind the wheel. Also I wanted to try something new (with full warranty!) instead of harking back to my past
Enjoy whatever you decide on.
[1] Thank God in the world of motorbikes, such unfounded snobbery doesn't exist about 1, 2, 3, or 4 cylinder bikes; each have their own specific characteristics. Personally I've been drawn to twins and triples for the past 40 years, but that doesn't make owners of other configurations any less "enthusiastic" about motorcycling.
When a 987.1 Cayman owner on the Porsche forum recently had the temerity to ask about buying an A110 instead of upgrading to a 987.2 or an early 997, one PH member whinged about alleged unreliability and stated that a 4 cylinder turbo DSG was hardly an enthusiast's[1] car, as though anything that wasn't at least six cylinder and with a manual transmission was some kind of Fisher Price toy.
I could have bought a 4 year old low-mileage Cayman GTS 4.0 (to have an equivalent power/weight ratio) for a similar budget, but having driven the Alpine that was the one I wanted. The Cayman is a lovely car in lots of ways, but the long gearing and 300kg of extra weight are very obvious once behind the wheel. Also I wanted to try something new (with full warranty!) instead of harking back to my past
Enjoy whatever you decide on.
[1] Thank God in the world of motorbikes, such unfounded snobbery doesn't exist about 1, 2, 3, or 4 cylinder bikes; each have their own specific characteristics. Personally I've been drawn to twins and triples for the past 40 years, but that doesn't make owners of other configurations any less "enthusiastic" about motorcycling.
I've had a 982 GT4 since 2020 and my wife's new A110 arrived last weekend.
Some parts of the A110's interior do feel a little more plasticy but this is where parts-bin bits have been integrated, for example the electric mirror switches and their surround. The climate controls aren't quite as nice as Porsche's but they're intuitive and absolutely fine.
The 982's infotainment screen is an old design, as is the A110's. The Porsche menus are prettier although tuning the radio in both is a pain (at least it's only done once) and carplay is wireless versus the 982's wired. The stereo controls on the column are from the ark (similar to my mother's car, 30 years ago) but intuitive and work. I think this section is a draw, overall.
Early days but I think the trimming of the seats (her car has adjustable Sabalts) and the cabin might be better than Porsche's. Only ergonomic annoyance is the placement of the heated seat switch but that's splitting hairs.
Dealership experience is a real differentiator. Porsche showrooms are shinier but the Alpine / Renault team had a warmth, knowledge and enthusiasm for the product that is leagues ahead.
Some parts of the A110's interior do feel a little more plasticy but this is where parts-bin bits have been integrated, for example the electric mirror switches and their surround. The climate controls aren't quite as nice as Porsche's but they're intuitive and absolutely fine.
The 982's infotainment screen is an old design, as is the A110's. The Porsche menus are prettier although tuning the radio in both is a pain (at least it's only done once) and carplay is wireless versus the 982's wired. The stereo controls on the column are from the ark (similar to my mother's car, 30 years ago) but intuitive and work. I think this section is a draw, overall.
Early days but I think the trimming of the seats (her car has adjustable Sabalts) and the cabin might be better than Porsche's. Only ergonomic annoyance is the placement of the heated seat switch but that's splitting hairs.
Dealership experience is a real differentiator. Porsche showrooms are shinier but the Alpine / Renault team had a warmth, knowledge and enthusiasm for the product that is leagues ahead.
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