Re : The Alpine A110 (finally) cometh | PH Fleet
Tuesday 31st December 2019
The Alpine A110 (finally) cometh | PH Fleet
At long last, Dan P gets to properly stretch the legs of his new A110. Was it worth the wait?
It was the biggest decision I had to make in 2019. A real toughie. The roads in South Wales are far more familiar to me, but Exmoor's are much quieter. So where to go for the first proper drive in my Alpine A110? The promise of space and solitude swung it and so off to north Devon I went.
We can debate the merits of running a car in all we like (lots of people think it's a total waste of time), but until there's irrefutable proof either way I'll choose to err on the side of caution, particularly with my own car. The 1,000th mile ticked by somewhere on the M5 south of Bristol so that by the time I arrived on Exmoor, I could let it rip.
What a gratifying moment that was: to finally drive my car the way its makers had intended, many months after I made a reservation through the Alpine app. I can see how easy it would be to just drive this car in town or on the motorway, stealing quick blasts on open B-roads only when one happens to lie between me and my destination. But I don't want my A110 to become merely a transportation device. I'll make a conscious effort to get out in it and head somewhere really worthwhile as often as I can. Otherwise, I'll have this gorgeous machine outside going almost entirely to waste.
This video documents that first really meaningful drive. I feel very lucky to have such a beautifully shot record of that moment (hat tip to videographer Harry) to keep for posterity. But before I give my car death on the rollicking moorland roads, I take a few minutes to explain exactly why I bought it, why I specced it the way I did and then detail the process from reservation to delivery.
I wonder who else among us has intentionally made a beeline for a favourite road for that very first blast in a new car. I bet there are some cracking stories waiting to be told...
Earlier reports:
Discussion
Hi Dan. Nice video. I know those roads very well, especially the A39 from Lynmouth to Minehead and the cut through to Exford. Great roads except for the odd suicidal sheep!
As regards the Alpine....well...I'm still not convinced. It's a £50k car but it doesn't really do anything that much better than an MX5 - at vaguely legal speeds on the road - and you can't have the top down! Yes, it's appreciably quicker than the Mazda but the engine isn't remotely exotic and you are denied the joy of a good manual change. Is it really twice as good as a driver's car?!
I genuinely want to love this car (as I did the Alfa 4C) because I like the idea of lightweight sports cars beating over powered German flat track bullies but I can't help thinking this is just too much money. Find a way to make it for £39999, slip under the VED threshold and I'm there but at £50k I'm sticking with the Japanese and heading to BBR if I need more power.
As regards the Alpine....well...I'm still not convinced. It's a £50k car but it doesn't really do anything that much better than an MX5 - at vaguely legal speeds on the road - and you can't have the top down! Yes, it's appreciably quicker than the Mazda but the engine isn't remotely exotic and you are denied the joy of a good manual change. Is it really twice as good as a driver's car?!
I genuinely want to love this car (as I did the Alfa 4C) because I like the idea of lightweight sports cars beating over powered German flat track bullies but I can't help thinking this is just too much money. Find a way to make it for £39999, slip under the VED threshold and I'm there but at £50k I'm sticking with the Japanese and heading to BBR if I need more power.
Prestonese said:
Sharon-coizu said:
I've owned a MX5 ND2 as well as an Alpine. They are not really comparable but I really enjoyed both. The MX5 engine and gearbox are fantastic but the steering, suspension and tyres lets it down. On a sunny day though, it is unbeatable.
The Alpine is great fun and also a significantly better long range cruiser. You can also drive the Alpine in a supercar convoy (if that is your thing), not look out of place and be able to keep up - it may even be the quickest of the group on certain roads.
It seems like the public are with you on this even though like me, many consider them to be grear cars. Alpine have sold less than 300 A110s in the UK. At least they will be a relatively rare sight.
Just 300, that's a desperate shame. As I said, I really want to like this car and was very excited when I heard about it first. Loved the looks and ethos. I was disappointed it wasn't manual - as, for me, gear changes are satisfying - and gutted when I realised it was going to be just out of my price range.The Alpine is great fun and also a significantly better long range cruiser. You can also drive the Alpine in a supercar convoy (if that is your thing), not look out of place and be able to keep up - it may even be the quickest of the group on certain roads.
It seems like the public are with you on this even though like me, many consider them to be grear cars. Alpine have sold less than 300 A110s in the UK. At least they will be a relatively rare sight.
I'm on my second Mx5 ND now. Everything I liked about the first - looks, lightness, wind in the hair - remains and Mazda have improved on all the areas that needed it. I picked up an Anniversary Edition for £24k - the dealer even lowered it for free! Judging by the classifieds Mazda are struggling to sell the 30th Anniversary - the orange is putting people off I guess - so there are deals to be had!
I hope the Alpine finds buyers, we need cars like this. Shame they can't sneak a really basic version under £40k... Dacia version? Hehe!
Elatino1 said:
wab172uk said:
Elatino1 said:
Good vid but the car looks very plain and boring in that colour. Poorly specced.
Not everyone like to shout "Look at me"
DoubleSix said:
Sharon-coizu said:
So an incongruous piece of design was carried over, “cos reference to DNA” - almost a greater sin! Without the nod to Alpines of old it's just a £50k Renault however well engineered it is. Personally, I think it looks great and very French!
yonex said:
saxy said:
Honestly if I wanted a small sports car, an MX5 with a long warranty, 180hp, nothing I need more honestly.
Until you’re unable to keep a lukewarm hatchback honest then it goes a bit wrong in tinted glasses world. nickfrog said:
I always find that on the road the limiting factors are line of sight, traffic and licence/freedom preservation rather than skill so you probably only came across drivers who perhaps were less "committed", ie the vast majority on the open road, thankfully.
This is essentially my point, where in the UK can you really exploit a car quicker than an MX5 without risking your own life or worse still other people?DoubleSix said:
CABC said:
great car Dan.
Look forward to many more reviews, especially side by side pieces with other cars as you test them (Cayster, Lotus, MX5, hatches, anything really, i think this can be cross-shopped with a lot of things).
Heritage to one side i think the front and side look wonderful. very resolved in a manner that has escaped many other manufacturers recently. Germans need to employ more Italian designers rather than dumper truck builders.
I haven't driven one yet, but keyboard warriors have to reflect on the fact that a lot of credible drivers have bought one. Get real if you're a petrolhead that this car clearly does something right. Dan, that's why many here look forward to your experiences and comparisons.
So if you don’t like it your not a ‘real’ petrolhead... Look forward to many more reviews, especially side by side pieces with other cars as you test them (Cayster, Lotus, MX5, hatches, anything really, i think this can be cross-shopped with a lot of things).
Heritage to one side i think the front and side look wonderful. very resolved in a manner that has escaped many other manufacturers recently. Germans need to employ more Italian designers rather than dumper truck builders.
I haven't driven one yet, but keyboard warriors have to reflect on the fact that a lot of credible drivers have bought one. Get real if you're a petrolhead that this car clearly does something right. Dan, that's why many here look forward to your experiences and comparisons.
Pfft! Ok mate
DoubleSix said:
Sharon-coizu said:
I didn't read it like that. Just that if you are a petrolhead you should be glad it exists and interested in it
Don’t disagree, hopefully one is allowed an opinion/to critique the vehicle too.Not manual, engine not special enough, £10k too expensive.
On the plus side:
Refreshingly not German, lightweight, pretty to my eyes.
yonex said:
You can exploit most cars for short bursts, it seems that people who own MX5’s are the first to say it’s all everyone needs. In the case of pure performance terms we all only need 40HP, to do 70mph?
I can’t see the comparison with the Alpine and Mx5, worlds apart.
I'm not an MX5 evangelist but it is enough car for me on public roads. Each to their own. Personally I find it more fun at 9 tenths than anything I have owned since my MK3 MR2 - which was also derided as a "hairdressers car" by people who liked big numbers!I can’t see the comparison with the Alpine and Mx5, worlds apart.
As for the Alpine comparison. My point is that on the A39 east of Lynmouth I doubt an Alpine is twice as fast or twice as much fun as an MX5 but it is twice the price!
egor110 said:
230lbft of torque is going to make over taking easier though compared to the mx5 .
This was certainly an issue with the ND1 but the latest 2.0 engine has much more mid range punch. Overtaking isn't effortless but it only takes a drop down to third to dispatch most traffic. The Alpine must be a rocket ship with all that torque and so little mass...!Fittster said:
The limits of an MX5 are beyond what can be used on the public road. Do you really want to have to put up with an Austin A35 on cross ply tyres so you can honestly say you can drive to the cars limits on the road?
I think that is taking things to extreme. All I am saying is that on UK roads - specifically the roads that Dan is driving on, which I know very well - the MX5 is, in my opinion, going to be more than fast enough and has the advantage, to me, of being open topped.I have driven the following cars on that road in ascending order of enjoyment
TTRS MK2
Honda Accord Type S
BMW M5 E60
Ford Fiesta 1.1 Popular Plus
Seat Ibiza FR
Mini Cooper S R53
Mazda MX-5 ND1
Mazda MX-5 30th Anniversary Edition
Toyota MR2 MK3
Edited by Sharon-coizu on Sunday 29th December 16:38
?
Totally different cars.yonex said:
Well. They would be the obvious ones.
Okay, so 4C is dynamically challenged. Driving position dislocates your hips, steering is dead and the ride makes running over a worm break your spine. Exige is a joy on the right road when you're in the mood but you can't live with it as a daily.
Cayman - I haven't driven it but the 981 Boxster was great and I would have one if I needed a car to motorways as well as the fun stuff.
By the way Mr Yonex you haven't let us know what your preference would be?
yonex said:
Actually, it was you who cannot accept the world doesn’t revolve around a Mazda, cannot understand why ‘anyone needs anything more’. You then start to have childish digs, as you lack the mental capacity to understand and take things personally. I’m very glad you’re happy with your choices.
So, forgive me if I can’t be bothered. My advice, don’t buy an Alpine and stop trolling the thread.
Obvious thing is obvious (copyright 2002)
Mr YonexSo, forgive me if I can’t be bothered. My advice, don’t buy an Alpine and stop trolling the thread.
Obvious thing is obvious (copyright 2002)
Edited by yonex on Monday 30th December 10:25
I like the Alpine, try actually reading people's comments. I haven't said that a certain Japanese sports car is all you ever need - it's rubbish on the motorway for example and if I did more than 10k miles a year or needed a decent boot I wouldn't have one.
As for trolling...all I asked was "is the Apline really twice as good?" You then jumped on this because you seem to have a pathological dislike of a certain Japanese sports car and a blinkered approach to anyone who owns or likes them.
fido said:
I’m looking at a MX-5 BBR 220, Elise and the Alpine - not much between them once you take into account the manual gearbox versus DCT in the Alpine - just three different ways of going about it. Of course some would
argue that the MX-5 with a fancy N/A engine and manual box is the best driving tools whereas the A110 is a better daily.
Sounds a plan! Head up to Cumbria and you will find 3 Anniversary Edition MX5s with delivery miles under £24k with heated Recaros, forged wheels, Brembos and sports suspension. They will lower it for £150. An additional £3k at BBR will get you a proper little rocket with a cracking manual box.argue that the MX-5 with a fancy N/A engine and manual box is the best driving tools whereas the A110 is a better daily.
Just don't expect Mr Yonex to like it! 😉
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff