Alpine launches 'intense' 292hp A110S
New range-topper gets a retuned chassis and styling tweaks to go with increased output
So this was always part of the Alpine playbook. Different versions with "handling and performance characteristics of their own", as the brand's MD puts it. Of course it was. The A110 was built - and therefore costed - to compete with head-on with other premium rear-drive sports cars, which means that quicker and more expensive options are essential. As recent spyshots have shown, Alpine is cooking up all manner of things...
This is not that - but this is where it starts, with an added S on the end. Contained within that consonant is all the stuff that buyers will traditionally fork out more for. Firstly, that output. It represents a 40hp gain over the standard model and is said to be the result of a 0.4 bar increase in turbocharger pressure. Peak torque remains at 236lb ft, but is available over a broader range of engine speed. Alpine claims a more energetic delivery between 5,000 and 7,000rpm - although the claimed 4.4-second 0-62mph sprint is only 0.1 seconds superior to the 252hp version. The seven-speed Getrag dual-clutch 'box is unchanged.
Secondly, chassis. On paper, this is where the bulk of the work has been done. High-speed stability and handling precision are said to be the main objectives, and to that end Alpine has lowered the A110's ride height by 4mm and significantly altered the suspension settings. New coil springs are said to be stiffer by 50 per cent, while the anti-roll bars are firmer by an eyebrow-raising 100 per cent. The dampers and bump stops have been retuned to suit a more rigorous attitude to body control.
Bigger Brembo brakes (already an option on current versions of the A110) are standard, as well as new wheels and tyres, now 215mm at the front and 245mm at the back. A new compound of Michelin Pilot Sport 4 rubber has also been deployed to maximise the S model's mechanical grip, with the electronic stability control system recalibrated for the higher bandwidth. Alpine insists that while the changes are fully intended to deliver a more focused driving character, the car remains a comfortable and usable everyday prospect.
That remains to be seen, of course, but the third new element of the A110S - the styling - we can pass judgement on now. Alpine has made the job easy because remarkably little has changed: most notable are the 'GT Race' alloys and that lower ride height. Otherwise it's a case of flag details on the rearmost pillars in carbon fibre and orange, black Alpine script across the rear, and orange brake calipers - so if you were already a fan of the Alpine's sports car, you're unlikely to baulk at the updated version.
Unless you don't like orange in the cabin that is, because that's what the firm has replaced the blue stitching with. Elsewhere you get Dinamica upholstery for the roof lining, sun visors and door panels - as well as the seats, which are Sabelt products that apparently weigh just 13.1kg apiece. There's a smattering of other trim material changes - some orange - although if you want a carbon fibre finish on the seats or lightweight Fuchs forged alloys or a gloss-finished carbon fibre roof, you'll need to refer to the option list.
Obviously that'll mean piling more onto the list price, which is £58,700. That's a significant hike compared to the (now mid-range) £50,810 Legende trim level and makes the A110S more expensive than the BMW M2 Competition, Audi TT RS and Porsche 718 Cayman S - all of which are more powerful (although not necessarily quicker, thanks to the A110S's elfin 1114kg kerb weight). That's a marginal gain over the standard model, but the manufacturer clearly feels the all-round added value is worth the increase. If that's true, the new version ought to be something special.
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