Alpine A110 gets 305hp with RaceChip
For £500, the German tuner will see the stock car's power output beyond the new A110 S
It’s no secret that the Alpine A110’s turbocharged 1.8-litre engine has something left in the tank; the output of the Renault Sport Megane Trophy says as much. The four-cylinder unit is essentially unchanged between the two cars, with just a lower inertia turbo and altered software lending the heavier hatchback its advantage. Consequently, it was only a matter of time until someone tweaked the A110’s power and torque curves. German firm RaceChip has done just that, extracting 305hp from the base model on its first try – and excitingly for us, the piggyback solution has just gone on sale in Britain.
The Stage 2 offering (there’s also a lower-powered Stage 1) represents a jump of 53hp over standard and even beats the Megane Trophy – the most potent car so far to use the new four-cylinder engine – by 5hp. It ups the 1,080kg A110 Pure’s power-to-weight from 233hp to 282hp per tonne, which we can all agree is a significant improvement. The higher peak power is joined by a 59lb ft increase in torque, with RaceChip’s electronic control unit (it’s plug and play like the German firm’s other offerings) taking peak twist to 298lb ft.
Crucially, the engineers have also succeeded in retaining near identical power and torque lines for the engine, so the latter peaks from about 2,000rpm and hangs on for most of the rev range, while horsepower builds to a 6,000rpm peak, as it does with the standard settings. This means the RaceChip-fettled A110 should offer the same, naturally-aspirated-mimicking characteristics as the factory’s machine, just with more punch all of the time. That’s important, because Alpine has done such a fantastic job of matching the powertrain to the A110’s fantastic, lightweight chassis that any alterations would have likely detracted from the experience.
To prove the theory on the road, RaceChip has done back-to-back 100-200kmh autobahn runs versus the standard car. RaceChip said its tuned A110 completed the sprint 1.5 seconds quicker than the factory model despite the test being done on one of the hottest days of the year (so inlet temps were far from optimum). But even as a near worst case scenario result, it leaves the £499 upgrade looking like pretty good value for money – especially considering that it also promises a 20 per cent improvement to fuel economy and comes with a two-year engine warranty. If you prefer, there’s a Stage 1 offering that brings an additional 43hp and 49lb ft for £349, but given the modest difference in price we can’t imagine many buyers opting for the halfway house.
Still for this remap 298lbft through a gearbox rated for 216lbft is pushing the limits fairly significantly!
Source: https://www.litchfieldmotors.com/blog/alpine-a110-...
Strikes me as odd that people like you troll threads of cars you have no interest in.
You’ve already said you’d take an AMG a45 over any of the sportscars in this price range and on that basis I’d say your opinion was fatally flawed.
I haven't driven an A110 but sat in one at Goodwood and knew right away I wanted one. I've only driven one Cayman (an old 987 on track), but again, really loved it. My dream garage would have both a A110 and a Cayman S (or GT4) in it because I love cars in this bracket (RWD, fast, but not too fast, not too big, reasonably light, etc, etc). Surely its possible to appreciate the qualities of both?
.I think you’ll find that we’re merely calling out the trolls who join a thread to say something pointless, get ignored and then repeat ad nauseum. Simonamg said, on a prior cayman v alpine thread, that he’d take an a45 over either so he’s not a cayman fan. He’s then joined an alpine thread to repeat how he doesn’t like the alpine. Rather pointless and has been called out.
I suppose it depends on what you mean by lightly fettled...strapping it to a Saturn V possibly?
On the basis the std 3.0 turbo 944 weighed more than an Alpine and produced less power you’re going to have to do an awful lot.
On the basis the 968 replaced it and the cayman and Boxster variants replaced that and are presumably better than a 944 then I think you are talking out of your hat yet again.
Even a current cayman S loses out to a standard a110 to 80mph and that has 350 hp but is lugging around an extra 300-400kg.
https://www.driving.co.uk/news/guy-martin-on-his-v...
Standard PE has 252 to 256 hp
944 turbo s has in the region of 247 hp
Not sure that is relevant to the argument you are making...
944 weight is in the ballpark of 1481kg I believe
And it trails an Alpine at any point to 100mph and beyond. Alpine hits 100 in about 10.3 and 944 turbo s is somewhere nearer 14.
So how exactly are you going to offset the weight disadvantage with a light fettling?
You started by saying that an Alpine couldn’t see off a lightly fettled 944.
I gave you some facts and figures and you conceded that the Alpine was quicker to 100 and above but “[you were] sure the 944 would reel the Alpine in before 155mph” . That’s not a fact.
Fact is the max comparable figures I have for an Alpine and 944 turbo s are for 0-200 kph with the Alpine at 17 seconds and 944 at 25...
You still haven’t indicated the light fettling that would be involved - I did suggest a Saturn V.
Or is this the weight saving you’re thinking of:
king McLaren forum.I don't think there's a wrong horse here.
I still wonder occasionally if I should have gone for a used Evora, but I'm not going to be mean to Lotus owners.
A lot of Alpine owners have owned Porsche and might do again so it’s not an issue. I’m really not bothered about what other people drive - I hope they enjoy it. It would certainly improve this place if others were happier and weren’t so chippy!
But you should be mean to Lotus owners as they enjoy it
I always viewed the Alpine as a daily lotus rather than a cayman competitor. I almost bought a Europa...
Definitely agree on the "daily Lotus" thing. I was initially slightly underwhelmed on the test drive, until it dawned on me that the Alpine just doesn't do anything badly - it's perfectly balanced all 'round.
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