Alpine A110 owners
Discussion
bcr5784 said:
My buyers guide is here https://www.renaultalpine.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=2&... In essence there is no fundamental difference between the three models EXCEPT the Pure and PE have bucket seats the Legende so called "comfort" seats. The Pure has less kit (and smaller wheels) as standard than the other 2, but can be optioned up. The PE has a numbered plaque and almost all options as standard.
If you get an Alpine I suspect it might not spend so much time in the garage - it's so usable that some who bought one as a weekend fun car use it as a daily.
Our Legende is the daily of my girlfriend...and it's also the car for road trips and occasional track days. It does it all! Sidenote; ours has the Life110 springs + alignment. If you get an Alpine I suspect it might not spend so much time in the garage - it's so usable that some who bought one as a weekend fun car use it as a daily.
Edited by bcr5784 on Wednesday 14th October 09:10
bcr5784 said:
I've currently got an 110S as a courtesy car and will be doing well over 100 miles in it. Current impressions are that I really wouldn't want to live with the ride, but the extra grip is very apparent when you push it and there are times (mini roundabouts in particular) when the extra roll stiffness is benficial. Steering seems a bit dead around the straight ahead but that probably translates into greater high speed stability if you feel the need. Definitely more understeer. As has been said in other roadtests the S feels more "mainstream" - but I'm not convinced that is a good thing.
I drove the S and PE and the Pure and the Légende...besides the seats of the Légende they all drive the same besides the S. The S is a nice car and has indeed less roll and more grip. It's better on track then the normal A110, but even so it's still not the best track weapon (it's also not the purpose of the A110). The A110 is certainly very fun at track, but if you want a track prepped A110 then you need to switch the complete suspension and tyres...and then you have another car and not a A110. I already feel that the A110S loses a lot of the A110 magic & feel and what makes this car unique and different then others. If you like the A110 and use it mainly for track then indeed get the S. Personally; I think the best of both worlds is A110 with the Life110 upgrades (springs & alignement). You keep the nice roll en subtleness feel of the A110 but get some extra sharpness and stability of the springs & alignment.
Here is the small Life110 review I did on another A110 topic on Pistonheads. Will post it here also for the A110 people that are interested in my experiences with the car and the modifications.
=> We have the Life110 springs and fast street/sport alignment on our Légende (+ Endless brake pads). It made the Alpine from an already great car to an absolute epic car. I love the Alpine more then before and for me personally it handles better and gives so much more confidence without losing the typical A110 character (that the A110S has lost a little). The steering is better (sharper), the stability on higher speeds is increased, better more secure roadholding in long fast corners and less front nose dive when braking hard. For me personally; the springs and alignment changed the little things in the handling that were not 100% up to my personal taste. The suspension is a little harder, but nothing uncomfortable and the S tyres are a little more noisy.
After fitting the springs and getting the alignment done by Manthey Racing I went on a intens road trip in the German Eifel region (with a Lotus buddy) and finished with some laps on the Nürburgring. Some days later; I fitted the slightly wider A110S tyres and also did a Trackday on Abbeville, Spa Francorchamps and a long road trip on French Alpine/mountain roads. On curvy mountain roads it’s an absolute weapon and a blast to drive (also with the standard tyres). On these narrow and twisty mountain roads I could nog imagine a more fun or faster car. The car is really unbelievable on these kinds of roads. The Alpine is somewhat between a GT and a pure sportscar car. It's extremely joyfull and still very comfortable in day to day street driving or long highway drives. To my eyes; the S tyres only makes real sense on track.
Personally; I can not recommend the Life110 upgrade (springs and/or alignement) enough. They are just awesome and bring the already brilliant A110 to another level! I never expected I would love the car so much more then I already did before the modifications.
Here are some pics with the springs fitted => more pics my Instagram: @Franzinodude
biggles330d said:
Has anyone had a good close look at the 15,000 mile blue A110 pure on 17 inch wheels at Martin's in Winchester?
It has exactly the spec I'd choose, even the smaller wheels, and I'm not in the least bit worried about the miles (15k?? jeeze its nearly new!) but it does seem to have been for sale for a while now. I'm far too far away to pop down for a look and I'm sure I'd get the sales patter if I were there. I'd be keen to get a more objective view of its history and condition from someone whose had a close look before I do anything about it.
I just had a look at it today. It did look like a very nice car. It has exactly the spec I'd choose, even the smaller wheels, and I'm not in the least bit worried about the miles (15k?? jeeze its nearly new!) but it does seem to have been for sale for a while now. I'm far too far away to pop down for a look and I'm sure I'd get the sales patter if I were there. I'd be keen to get a more objective view of its history and condition from someone whose had a close look before I do anything about it.
I took a 20 plate out for a test drive and it was very nice.
I took a Pure out for a test drive today. It’s a very fun car, easy to drive. I also took out a 981 Cayman GTS this morning, and I thought the A110 was a tad (I don’t want to say boring because it certainly wasn’t) but not as I expected in comparison. It was an interesting experience, it was very quick and nimble but the sound track was a bit lacking, I forgot to ask if the one I drove had the sports exhaust or not (but there were crackles).
Edited by WakeFlakes on Sunday 18th October 18:33
WakeFlakes said:
I took a Pure out for a test drive today. It’s a very fun car, easy to drive. I also took out a 981 Cayman GTS this morning, and I thought the A110 was a tad (I don’t want to say boring because it certainly wasn’t) but not as I expected in comparison. It was an interesting experience, it was very quick and nimble but the sound track was a bit lacking, I forgot to ask if the one I drove had the sports exhaust or not (but there were crackles).
No argument - the 981 engine sounds better (either car with or without the sports exhaust) - more cultured , a bit smoother too though not by a huge amount. It then comes down to whether you prefer the handling/agility (and refinement at speed) of the Alpine - and the mid range urge. For some the interior will be significant too. No right answer, it's what floats your boat. FWIW the A110 gets under my skin in a way that my 981S never did. I realised after a couple of weeks of ownership of the 981, hugely capable car that it is. that it was admirable - but not lovable . Edited by WakeFlakes on Sunday 18th October 18:33
Edited by bcr5784 on Sunday 18th October 19:48
bcr5784 said:
No argument - the 981 engine sounds better (either car with or without the sports exhaust) - more cultured , a bit smoother too though not by a huge amount. It then comes down to whether you prefer the handling/agility (and refinement at speed) of the Alpine - and the mid range urge. For some the interior will be significant too. No right answer, it's what floats your boat. FWIW the A110 gets under my skin in a way that my 981S never did. I realised after a couple of weeks of ownership of the 981, hugely capable car that it is. that it was admirable - but not lovable .
To be honest I am still leaning towards the Alpine anyway, for the exclusivity factor. Caymans are everywhere in my area.Edited by bcr5784 on Sunday 18th October 19:48
I’ve now just got to decide PE vs Legende
Franzino said:
Personally; I think the best of both worlds is A110 with the Life110 upgrades (springs & alignement). You keep the nice roll en subtleness feel of the A110 but get some extra sharpness and stability of the springs & alignment.
I know to some this will seem like heresy - but I'd like to see an adaptive suspension option. Much is made of the A110's ride - but honestly the low speed ride of my PASM equipped 981S (on 19 " wheels) was markedly superior - as my wife keeps reminding me.Yes there is the odd downside (which the Sport button eliminates on the 981) and a weight penalty - but nothing like that of the Legende seats.
I somehow doubt it will ever be an option - for religeous rather than technical reasons.
bcr5784 said:
WakeFlakes said:
I took a Pure out for a test drive today. It’s a very fun car, easy to drive. I also took out a 981 Cayman GTS this morning, and I thought the A110 was a tad (I don’t want to say boring because it certainly wasn’t) but not as I expected in comparison. It was an interesting experience, it was very quick and nimble but the sound track was a bit lacking, I forgot to ask if the one I drove had the sports exhaust or not (but there were crackles).
No argument - the 981 engine sounds better (either car with or without the sports exhaust) - more cultured , a bit smoother too though not by a huge amount. It then comes down to whether you prefer the handling/agility (and refinement at speed) of the Alpine - and the mid range urge. For some the interior will be significant too. No right answer, it's what floats your boat. FWIW the A110 gets under my skin in a way that my 981S never did. I realised after a couple of weeks of ownership of the 981, hugely capable car that it is. that it was admirable - but not lovable . Edited by WakeFlakes on Sunday 18th October 18:33
Edited by bcr5784 on Sunday 18th October 19:48
I intend to track mine, and reckon it will be far cheaper to do so, and I'd be wary of running a GTS out of warranty (dynamic engine mounts, for example, seem to have a high failure rate.)
BarryGibb said:
I intend to track mine, and reckon it will be far cheaper to do so, and I'd be wary of running a GTS out of warranty (dynamic engine mounts, for example, seem to have a high failure rate.)
i'd be pretty convinced it will be much cheaper on consumables - tyres, brakes - and even petrol.preA356 said:
they don't seem to hang around long at dealers, 2 Premier Editions gone straight away.
It does seem they are spec and colour sensitive. Some hang around for ages while others fly straight out. The cheapest available is a pure with 17 inch wheels which arguably gives the most authentic A110 drive but seems to be struggling to sell.Venisonpie said:
It does seem they are spec and colour sensitive. Some hang around for ages while others fly straight out. The cheapest available is a pure with 17 inch wheels which arguably gives the most authentic A110 drive but seems to be struggling to sell.
That one has 16k miles so may be the issue.bcr5784 said:
That one has 16k miles so may be the issue.
That looks a bargain to me but as you say many are put off by mileage. My caterham which ideally I need to sell before looking to buy an Alpine has done a high mileage for a car of its type but not for a modern Ford engine that is well maintained. It is not on the market at the moment but I know it's mileage will put off many. Buy on condition not mileage is what I always say. Especially with a 7 where it is easy to disconnect the speedometer
Edited by K800 RUM on Friday 23 October 18:38
bcr5784 said:
Venisonpie said:
It does seem they are spec and colour sensitive. Some hang around for ages while others fly straight out. The cheapest available is a pure with 17 inch wheels which arguably gives the most authentic A110 drive but seems to be struggling to sell.
That one has 16k miles so may be the issue.A110's seem to fall in to two camps - the very low mileage garage queen that pops up at a couple of thousand miles and not a lot off of list price, and then reading the forums with people loving how they drive and putting decent mileage on them and them not really being up for sale.
I do wonder whether now they've been out for a couple of years if the initial 2-3 year PCP deals are starting to come to an end we'll see more of the higher mileage ones flow through (unless the owners are so smitten they choose to keep them, which would be entirely understandable).
I'm really tempted and test drove one monday. The one mentioned above with 17 inch wheels is pretty much the spec I'd choose but I'm rather taken with Abyss Blue so I'm mulling over a new order (apparently ordering now would give a delivery April ish next year, which is fine) that is two years younger and arguably would benefit from some of the early build bugs being ironed out, or saving a bit and going for something like the 16000 mile one or similar as they come up. I don't really get the benefit of paying nearly list for one that is 12-18 months old and with a handful of miles - may as well buy new and in the process help Alpine.
I'm sure it'll be a future classic - a hugely well regarded low volume sports car that has universal good reviews that looks great and has been designed with a brilliantly focused attention to the engineering at a time when cars are increasingly hybrid and within 10 or 15 years of ICE vehicle sales being banned. Who else is going to invest in something so special now?
While I think this, its future classic status is 30 years away when kids of today aspire to their childhood hero's with the finances of middle age to indulge in them - especially as it may be among the last of the line of ICE powered sports cars. I haven't got 30 years to worry too much about that so I may as well have one and enjoy it as it should be enjoyed now, "in period" as they like to say.
biggles330d said:
I find it strange that mileage an issue. 16k is nothing on any modern car and we're not talking about some highly strung fragile italian exotica.
A110's seem to fall in to two camps - the very low mileage garage queen that pops up at a couple of thousand miles and not a lot off of list price, and then reading the forums with people loving how they drive and putting decent mileage on them and them not really being up for sale.
I do wonder whether now they've been out for a couple of years if the initial 2-3 year PCP deals are starting to come to an end we'll see more of the higher mileage ones flow through (unless the owners are so smitten they choose to keep them, which would be entirely understandable).
I'm really tempted and test drove one monday. The one mentioned above with 17 inch wheels is pretty much the spec I'd choose but I'm rather taken with Abyss Blue so I'm mulling over a new order (apparently ordering now would give a delivery April ish next year, which is fine) that is two years younger and arguably would benefit from some of the early build bugs being ironed out, or saving a bit and going for something like the 16000 mile one or similar as they come up. I don't really get the benefit of paying nearly list for one that is 12-18 months old and with a handful of miles - may as well buy new and in the process help Alpine.
I'm sure it'll be a future classic - a hugely well regarded low volume sports car that has universal good reviews that looks great and has been designed with a brilliantly focused attention to the engineering at a time when cars are increasingly hybrid and within 10 or 15 years of ICE vehicle sales being banned. Who else is going to invest in something so special now?
While I think this, its future classic status is 30 years away when kids of today aspire to their childhood hero's with the finances of middle age to indulge in them - especially as it may be among the last of the line of ICE powered sports cars. I haven't got 30 years to worry too much about that so I may as well have one and enjoy it as it should be enjoyed now, "in period" as they like to say.
You have to chuck in Brexit into the equation. Porsche are saying purchasers need to accept a 10% possible uplift. If Alpine were to say they would hold the price until next year and you want a specific spec, that needs to be factored in. Buying new, as you say. helps Alpine and (as an observer) is something I would welcome. On the other hand if you aren't going to put many miles on (or keep the car for a long time) then the price and spec of that car is pretty good. As people say - first world problems.A110's seem to fall in to two camps - the very low mileage garage queen that pops up at a couple of thousand miles and not a lot off of list price, and then reading the forums with people loving how they drive and putting decent mileage on them and them not really being up for sale.
I do wonder whether now they've been out for a couple of years if the initial 2-3 year PCP deals are starting to come to an end we'll see more of the higher mileage ones flow through (unless the owners are so smitten they choose to keep them, which would be entirely understandable).
I'm really tempted and test drove one monday. The one mentioned above with 17 inch wheels is pretty much the spec I'd choose but I'm rather taken with Abyss Blue so I'm mulling over a new order (apparently ordering now would give a delivery April ish next year, which is fine) that is two years younger and arguably would benefit from some of the early build bugs being ironed out, or saving a bit and going for something like the 16000 mile one or similar as they come up. I don't really get the benefit of paying nearly list for one that is 12-18 months old and with a handful of miles - may as well buy new and in the process help Alpine.
I'm sure it'll be a future classic - a hugely well regarded low volume sports car that has universal good reviews that looks great and has been designed with a brilliantly focused attention to the engineering at a time when cars are increasingly hybrid and within 10 or 15 years of ICE vehicle sales being banned. Who else is going to invest in something so special now?
While I think this, its future classic status is 30 years away when kids of today aspire to their childhood hero's with the finances of middle age to indulge in them - especially as it may be among the last of the line of ICE powered sports cars. I haven't got 30 years to worry too much about that so I may as well have one and enjoy it as it should be enjoyed now, "in period" as they like to say.
Edited by bcr5784 on Friday 23 October 19:35
Edited by bcr5784 on Friday 23 October 19:43
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