Petrol-powered Alpine A110 still on the cards
Loosening regulations might yet save ICE-driven A110; hot Clio and Twingo models also possible...
Alpine has not yet ruled out a petrol-powered A110 that would use a modified version of its new Performance Platform (APP), giving it a multi-energy line-up of both coupe and convertible sports cars to appease varying global demands. Speaking to PH at the launch of the new A390, Alpine CEO Philipe Krief said it wasn’t immediately possible to modify the EV-only APP to work with a pure internal combustion engine or plug-in hybrid powertrains, but that if he decided it was worthwhile, he could “press the button” and it’d only take his team “two years to do it”.
“One year ago, I asked myself would it be possible to also have the [APP] platform as multi-energy?” Krief revealed during our exclusive chat. “I have the answer: yes, it’s possible, but it’d have to be done without having any bad collateral effect on the EV version. Because I would like to do the best possible car on the EV version, which we want to be at the level of the best ICE sports car of today.”
That, Krief went on to explain, was the 488 Pista, Ferrari’s sublime (and long succeeded) turbocharged berlinetta, which with 720hp and a 1,385kg kerb weight is being used as a benchmark in both performance and weight in the development of the A110 EV. That means any future ICE- or PHEV-powered A110 sibling would have to play second fiddle, performance-wise, to the supercar-aping electric two-seater. But as Krief put it, “there are some markets around the world that are still not so ready for EVs”.
“That’s why I’m thinking that instead of seeing an ICE A110 as a derisking move [for Alpine’s product portfolio], it’s more about creating new opportunities for sales,” he added. “Right now, we’re focusing on the electric one, first as a coupe and then as a spider. Then let’s try to understand if there are some opportunities to add another version, an ICE or a plug-in hybrid version. Then we will do it.”
Not surprisingly, Krief couldn’t say whether Alpine’s main sources of demand, France and Britain, would be on the target list for a future petrol-powered A110, but he did confirm that keeping the current petrol car with its turbocharged 1.8-litre engine in production in a Euro 7 era (which starts in Nov 2026) was impossible, for emissions reasons. He also didn’t seem particularly optimistic about the domestic market’s chances of receiving anything ICE-powered in the future. Thanks to France’s strict new CO2 limits, Krief explained that a newly launched petrol-powered sports car producing over 150g/km can now be slapped with as much as 70,000 euros in tax, essentially making sales for another petrol A110 there impossible.
There’s still hope for the UK, though - and whether a petrol A110 happens or not, there are other reasons to be optimistic about Alpine’s future line-up here. Demand for the A290 here is second only to France, which is something that might resonate with Renault Sport fans who remember when Britain’s hunger for Dieppe-made hot hatches meant we got special editions like the Clio 182 Trophy. Surely there’s untapped demand in lower-cost models like that waiting to be catered to? Krief didn’t dismiss the idea.
“Right now, I’m focusing all my engineering team on the new cars to be made on the new platform,” he said. “My engineering team is just 220 people - and this is the designing, developing testing team, which is tiny [compared with rivals]. I want them to focus on the development of the EV. Then if there is something to do for Renault, if they ask us, we will do it.”
Krief’s suggestion of a collaboration with Renault related to expanding its work on non-Alpine models. He conceded that there might be decent demand in markets like Britain for an Alpine-tuned chassis for Renault-built hatchbacks like the Clio and Twingo, explaining that there’s even a business case for it now, too. “There are already Renaults where we have Atelier Alpine versions, so it depends on the strategy of Renault. But for Alpine, already today [this strategy] helps us to make the brand more known and visible, with more cars on the road with the Alpine logo thanks to the Renault variants.”
Visibly buoyed by Alpine’s recent success in the launch of the A290, Krief was also excited about the brand’s future in Formula 1’s new technological era and how that could influence its road car line-up in the future. With new regulations requiring F1 teams to power their cars using synthetic fuels, he agreed there’s good reason to think advancements will be made in cutting costs.
While Krief still thinks hydrogen-powered combustion engines are the most exciting long-term sustainable solution - illustrated by Alpine’s 2024 Alpenglow Hy6 prototype - he conceded that hydrogen “is a lot more difficult because you have to change a few things in the engine combustion chamber, and you have to install a special tank, which is not so easy”.
"And anyway, the distribution of hydrogen today could not realistically allow us to have a road car,” he said. “But F1’s e-fuel could be something for the future of our road cars, and even an ICE A110.”
Also, would it really have been so difficult for Alpine / Renault to give us a manual version of the A110. The lack of one really kills the appeal of the existing cars for me. These cars were never about chasing the most impressive on-paper stats so why not engineer your small driver's car to provide as much involvement as possible?
Also, would it really have been so difficult for Alpine / Renault to give us a manual version of the A110. The lack of one really kills the appeal of the existing cars for me. These cars were never about chasing the most impressive on-paper stats so why not engineer your small driver's car to provide as much involvement as possible?
Also, would it really have been so difficult for Alpine / Renault to give us a manual version of the A110. The lack of one really kills the appeal of the existing cars for me. These cars were never about chasing the most impressive on-paper stats so why not engineer your small driver's car to provide as much involvement as possible?
Agree, in a car like the A110 a manual option would have been great, if feasible.
Agree, in a car like the A110 a manual option would have been great, if feasible.
Also, would it really have been so difficult for Alpine / Renault to give us a manual version of the A110. The lack of one really kills the appeal of the existing cars for me. These cars were never about chasing the most impressive on-paper stats so why not engineer your small driver's car to provide as much involvement as possible?
As for hydrogen, this guy must be mental as all the EV experts on here tell us it's impossible
O/T I still can't see electric sports cars gaining any momentum. For nerds and geeks only.
TX.
It just doesn’t feel like it’s worth them sparing any further thoughts on the UK. Even if Reform get in and throw the whole EV transition out of the window, it won’t be till 2029 by which time we’ll be so far down the transition route that it really won’t make sense to try and turn it around.
Also, would it really have been so difficult for Alpine / Renault to give us a manual version of the A110. The lack of one really kills the appeal of the existing cars for me. These cars were never about chasing the most impressive on-paper stats so why not engineer your small driver's car to provide as much involvement as possible?
Plenty of enjoyable manual ICE cars out there to enjoy, and will be for long enough to outlast us dinosaurs.
Also, would it really have been so difficult for Alpine / Renault to give us a manual version of the A110. The lack of one really kills the appeal of the existing cars for me. These cars were never about chasing the most impressive on-paper stats so why not engineer your small driver's car to provide as much involvement as possible?
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/12/07/la...
Agree, in a car like the A110 a manual option would have been great, if feasible.
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