RE: The Long Read: Alpine A110
Discussion
The car looks great, but I have to agree with those who didn't enjoy the read. It smacks heavily of Troy Queef and I was honestly expecting it to end with "A dab of oppo and I was away. The Alpine A110 is a b
h, and I spanked it". Are we sure Richard Porter had nothing to do with this?
h, and I spanked it". Are we sure Richard Porter had nothing to do with this?DeejRC said:
Speaking as someone with 16000 miles in a 4C, I’ll give some comparative feedback when I get my hands on an Alpine.
I’m a little cold on it currently with regards to the looks.
Interestingly Alpine took the technicians out to France recently to drive & learn about the car etc, they had a 4C there for them to drive and compare with.I’m a little cold on it currently with regards to the looks.
(There was a 'sneak peek' in Mcr last week with the car present + the main technician to chat with purchasers)
Bound to say it I know but they said back to back the Alpine was way nicer to drive in every respect ? Engine, steering, balance, noise, practicality, cabin quality, power delivery, too wide in the real world .. the list was endless. This could all have been sales pitch but it didn't seem like it to me, the mechanic was just a down to earth petrol head as far as I could see ?
Until now we've only really seen the smaller than average (Harris) and the extremely thin (Catchpole) in the car - have any real-world 6 foot+ and not eaten all the pies but had more than their fair share blokes been in one. Everything says oh it's tiny and lightweight but it look impossibly small inside. Anyone?
greenarrow said:
Am I the only one who thinks that all the comments criticising the writing style are a bit rich, given that Pistonheads is a free resource? Its a different matter if you've paid £5 for a copy of EVO or something.
Stop moaning, you don't have to read it.
That's one way of looking at it. Stop moaning, you don't have to read it.
You may have seen that Facebook have been in the media a bit recently. They monetise their users. Pistonheads makes money out of it's readers - you and me. If we stop reading and clicking and commenting then those ads don't get seen, PH doesn't make the money it used to and we end up with nothing. The great pull for advertisers is that PH has an intelligent, articulate and often comfortably-well-off readership. That's gold for advertisers. That so many people on here (maybe 1/3rd of all the comments) have been about the shortcomings of the writing, perhaps the owners should take note. It's not the first time.
As they said of Facebook, "if it's free, you're the product".
The Alfa is wide. However in my S1 Elise I sit uncomfortably close to any adult passenger. I’m 15 stone and the Alfa houses a passenger in a far less cramped cabin. The 4C also has a totally unique in the sector carbon tub and is lighter than the Alpine. In the composite the 4C has Mini supercars looks as well. The Alpine does not.
The press were uniformly unkind to the 4C. The car I’ve driven has the Alfaworks geo and exhaust. I don’t know how much better that makes it than standard but I’m impressed enough to be wanting to sell my 993 to own one. As ever, many form their opinion on what they read without first hand experience. The 4C got knocked for not having a 6 cylinder engine. Critics forget this allows it light weight, achievable real world 40+ mpg and a £190 road tax cost.
Imagine a line with Elise on one end and Boxster S on the other. The 4C is in the middle with one notch closer to the Elise. Great cars.
The press were uniformly unkind to the 4C. The car I’ve driven has the Alfaworks geo and exhaust. I don’t know how much better that makes it than standard but I’m impressed enough to be wanting to sell my 993 to own one. As ever, many form their opinion on what they read without first hand experience. The 4C got knocked for not having a 6 cylinder engine. Critics forget this allows it light weight, achievable real world 40+ mpg and a £190 road tax cost.
Imagine a line with Elise on one end and Boxster S on the other. The 4C is in the middle with one notch closer to the Elise. Great cars.
RSchneider said:
However it eventually drives , it takes an awful long time from initial presentation until one can actually buy it. Approaches vaporware status 
Look carefully and they are available, the Manchester dealer rang me only yesterday and offered me a Premier Ed slot for Aug delivery.I wouldn't contemplate buying without driving so not for me ... oh and the small matter of £51k eeek.
As for size I sat in it and I wouldn't say it was stupidly small, i'm 6ft dead all there was headroom to spare, the seat also has three height positions but you need a spanner to adjust, it was in the middle setting. Seats are fixed back and felt fab, proper buckets.
Macboy said:
Until now we've only really seen the smaller than average (Harris) and the extremely thin (Catchpole) in the car - have any real-world 6 foot+ and not eaten all the pies but had more than their fair share blokes been in one. Everything says oh it's tiny and lightweight but it look impossibly small inside. Anyone?
Gordon Murray is buying one. Admittedly he's not that chubby, but he is famously tall. I expect he sat in one before ordering.Simon Owen said:
Captain Muppet said:
Road tests on PH used to let me know if I'd like the car. This one just lets me know that I don't like the author.
I've no idea what this is like on the the Elise, Cayman, 4C spectrum. The GT86 gets a mention, but I've no idea whether the Alpine is more or less fun to drive than it.
Elise - it's bigger and more practical but with 'some' of the benefits of a truly lightweight approach ? I've no idea what this is like on the the Elise, Cayman, 4C spectrum. The GT86 gets a mention, but I've no idea whether the Alpine is more or less fun to drive than it.
Cayman - it's smaller, less practical but much lighter & possibly nicer to drive ?
4C - not so sure really other than if you believe the press the 4C is terrible in many respects ?
GT86 - it's lighter, smaller and a bit less practical but faster and possibly nicer to drive ?
I just sold my S1 Elise and bought a GT86, so this might be right up my street. Or it might be less fun to drive than both. Its not even especially the terrible writing, it's the lack of benchmarking data.
culpz said:
I'd like to see a reputable company give the Alpine a proper weight check, just to be sure. Renault are known for telling porky pies. They claimed that the MK4 Clio 200 was no heavier than the previous MK3 model, even with it's larger 5-door size and DCT (EDC) gearbox. However, when it was weighed afterwards, it was significantly heavier than claimed.
Given this Alpine seems to be living up to expectations, this may not be the case. I certainly hope it's not, anyway. I would like to be certain though.
In today's EVO (Issue 249) they independently tested the weight at 1094kg (versus Alpine's claim of 1103kg for the A110 Premiere Edition). Given this Alpine seems to be living up to expectations, this may not be the case. I certainly hope it's not, anyway. I would like to be certain though.
Macboy said:
Until now we've only really seen the smaller than average (Harris) and the extremely thin (Catchpole) in the car - have any real-world 6 foot+ and not eaten all the pies but had more than their fair share blokes been in one. Everything says oh it's tiny and lightweight but it look impossibly small inside. Anyone?
I'm 6'3" and, errr, not the smallest, and I'm very comfortable in one. The fixed-back Sabelt sports seats have a bit of lateral give and are actually very comfy (and in just the right incline angle) based on the drive I had. Well how about the below from Car and Driver:
Thematically, and also in practice, the automatic transmission makes the perfect partner for the new turbocharged engine, succeeding on logic and performance. First off, it’s quicker than the standard six-speed manual—significantly so. Compared with the manual-equipped Boxster S, the PDK version cuts 0.8 second off the zero-to-60-mph time, bringing it down to an astounding 3.6 seconds. (We measured 3.4 seconds for the 911 PDK.) Part of that quickness is due to launch control, which comes with the Sport Chrono package. But in our rolling 5-to-60-mph test, the difference between automatic and manual is a full second, with the latter at 5.3 seconds from 5 to 60 mph versus the PDK’s 4.3 (that number tying the 911). The automatic chops more than a second from the sprint to 100 mph, getting there in 8.5 seconds to the stick shift’s 9.8. And the PDK hustles through the quarter-mile in 11.9 seconds at 117 mph (matching the 911’s elapsed time) to the manual’s 12.6 at 113 mph.
Are the machines really that much better than we are? Probably, but this one also has the benefit of an extra gear and uninterrupted torque flow during gearchanges. The PDK’s seven forward speeds also help explain why it gets better gas mileage than the manual: 21 mpg city and 28 highway, according to the EPA, versus 20/26 for the stick. That advantage was born out in our experience, where the PDK returned 20 mpg in our enthusiastic hands, besting the manual by 2 mpg.
As much as the Boxster’s manual gearbox is a delight to use, we have to admit that Porsche’s PDK is an exceptionally pleasing automatic. In Normal mode, the transmission upshifts eagerly—like many automatics rushing to get into a higher gear in order to aid fuel economy—but it’s equally willing to downshift when asked. Normal mode also enables the auto stop/start system, although that can be switched off. Sport and Sport Plus modes will let the engine hold higher revs, with Sport Plus effectively locking out sixth and seventh gears, although they still can be selected via the shift paddles on the steering wheel. Sport may be the best compromise, since it’s more aggressive than Normal but still uses all the gears. Both Sport and Sport Plus also trigger the sport exhaust system’s more vocal mode and PASM’s stiffer damping; here again, though, those changes can be unselected if desired, via buttons on the center console. Or you’re free to create your own combination of attributes with the Individual mode. With the Sport Chrono package, drive-mode selection is via a dial attached to the steering wheel, and in the center position is an S button; no matter the mode you’re currently in, pressing it calls up Sport Response mode, which is like a shot of adrenaline for the powertrain, made easily and instantly accessible.
Thematically, and also in practice, the automatic transmission makes the perfect partner for the new turbocharged engine, succeeding on logic and performance. First off, it’s quicker than the standard six-speed manual—significantly so. Compared with the manual-equipped Boxster S, the PDK version cuts 0.8 second off the zero-to-60-mph time, bringing it down to an astounding 3.6 seconds. (We measured 3.4 seconds for the 911 PDK.) Part of that quickness is due to launch control, which comes with the Sport Chrono package. But in our rolling 5-to-60-mph test, the difference between automatic and manual is a full second, with the latter at 5.3 seconds from 5 to 60 mph versus the PDK’s 4.3 (that number tying the 911). The automatic chops more than a second from the sprint to 100 mph, getting there in 8.5 seconds to the stick shift’s 9.8. And the PDK hustles through the quarter-mile in 11.9 seconds at 117 mph (matching the 911’s elapsed time) to the manual’s 12.6 at 113 mph.
Are the machines really that much better than we are? Probably, but this one also has the benefit of an extra gear and uninterrupted torque flow during gearchanges. The PDK’s seven forward speeds also help explain why it gets better gas mileage than the manual: 21 mpg city and 28 highway, according to the EPA, versus 20/26 for the stick. That advantage was born out in our experience, where the PDK returned 20 mpg in our enthusiastic hands, besting the manual by 2 mpg.
As much as the Boxster’s manual gearbox is a delight to use, we have to admit that Porsche’s PDK is an exceptionally pleasing automatic. In Normal mode, the transmission upshifts eagerly—like many automatics rushing to get into a higher gear in order to aid fuel economy—but it’s equally willing to downshift when asked. Normal mode also enables the auto stop/start system, although that can be switched off. Sport and Sport Plus modes will let the engine hold higher revs, with Sport Plus effectively locking out sixth and seventh gears, although they still can be selected via the shift paddles on the steering wheel. Sport may be the best compromise, since it’s more aggressive than Normal but still uses all the gears. Both Sport and Sport Plus also trigger the sport exhaust system’s more vocal mode and PASM’s stiffer damping; here again, though, those changes can be unselected if desired, via buttons on the center console. Or you’re free to create your own combination of attributes with the Individual mode. With the Sport Chrono package, drive-mode selection is via a dial attached to the steering wheel, and in the center position is an S button; no matter the mode you’re currently in, pressing it calls up Sport Response mode, which is like a shot of adrenaline for the powertrain, made easily and instantly accessible.
718 gets knocked for being and sounding 4 cylinder. PDK gets props all around.
Yet in the Alfa, paddleshift detracts from the experience. In reality the Alfa box may not be as good as PDK. But critics don’t reference that. They just bang on about wanting a manual. Which hardly anyone would order now.
Yet in the Alfa, paddleshift detracts from the experience. In reality the Alfa box may not be as good as PDK. But critics don’t reference that. They just bang on about wanting a manual. Which hardly anyone would order now.
Krikkit said:
jmesgotav8 said:
Maybe it's my fault but the problem with writing to a wide audience is needing to work to the lowest common denominator and at the moment thats me.
Other than that keep up the good work
Agreed, and it's not just you! It doesn't flow while being read; every sentence seems disjointed either by the over-use of the thesaurus or an untimely diversion to a different clause..Other than that keep up the good work
.
anonymous said:
[redacted]
As an armchair critic (i.e. someone that like cars and driving but is not currently in a position to finance such a purchase, I do agree. I could try to live with an auto / semi-auto. But it would be hard. Especially in a "fun" car.anonymous said:
[redacted]
Preach brother! Such a car would surely be a wonderful thing 250-300bhp and sub-1200kgs including the driver must be possible. I'd bet the price of entry would be steep though. Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff