Alpine A110 Légende | Test Drive

9 October 2020 Redazione News, Stories, Tested

LIGHTWEIGHT BAGUETTE

As in a frenzied push and pull made of screeching tires, smell of brakes and that constant hiss that accompanies every acceleration, the A110 Légende, equipped with a more comfortable cabin, has certainly not forgot the reason why many fell in love with it: fun.

Words by Alessandro Marrone / Photos by S. Lomax

When it comes to superlights, English legends immediately come to mind: Lotus and if you really don’t care about your hairstyle, Caterham. How many, at least among the youngest, remember that between 1966 and 1970, a certain Alpine was able to carve out a place in history thanks to the numerous successes in the world of rallying? From a couple of years now, many more than one might imagine, given that the A110 is back, the result of a collaboration started by the Renault group and Caterham, then essentially left in the hands of the French brand. A great desire to dust off the trophies on display on the shelf, but with the awareness of having above all to create a car that is up to the fierce competition, which is not limited only to Elise and Exige, but also includes the Porsche Cayman and Audi TT.

My first face to face with the new incarnation of the Alpine took place at the end of 2018, a weekend of total immersion in what the A110 represents, with a concept that follows one of the fundamental laws and put in a car not just driving chills, but a healthy dose of fun. This translates into a low weight that barely exceeds a ton, all without compromises and still offering comfortable seats, automatic transmission, air conditioning, satellite navigation and everything you need for a 365-days a year coexistence.

Anyone who has had the opportunity to read my enthusiastic impressions regarding the Prémiere Edition test drive already knows that it was able to make me fall in love in a few, very few kilometers, but many loves at first sight are also to be attributed to the moment in question, to the place and to a series of factors that could be misleading, leaving a distorted memory. Sounds a bit like an excuse to get back behind the wheel of an Alpine right? I don’t deny it, the flame has remained intact and when I collected one of the versions later released on the market, I immediately felt a shiver going up my spine. This is the Légende, the one that the guys at Alpine define as the most devoted for comfort and which is actually distinguishable by a different set of alloy wheels and more comfortable seats than the more distinctly sporty ones tested on the very first model. In addition to the Légende, we have the Pure (a bit lighter) and the A110 S, a leap forward as far as driving dynamics and cavalry, with an overall output of 292 horsepower and which I can’t wait to put to the test. Another excuse for the future? Yes, this is how it works!

Regardless of the set-up and the more or less significant differences that define its price list, the A110 is a sports car with ambitions as large as its considerable mechanical baggage. We are talking about a coupe with the engine in central rear position, traction on the rear wheels only and the sole option of a 7-speed Getrag automatic transmission, which works so well that manages to forgive the total absence of a mechanical g’box. Even the lack of a self-locking differential might discourage someone, but trust me when I tell you that once you’ve made the introductions and selected Sport or Track mode, you will only need a few kilometers to vent the little corner hunter. I don’t have to say it twice and by varying the driving mode using the button under the right spoke of the steering wheel, the response of the throttle and gearbox is sharpened and decibels and grumbles are gained on release. What does not vary is the setting of the quadrilateral suspension, which represent one of the key ingredients of the entire A110 project.

In addition to the fact that getting on and off is very simple, the Alpine maintains small dimensions on the outside, but offers great habitability inside, except maybe for the almost total lack of storage compartments – in this case you will have to be happy for the floor under the central tunnel and a small case placed in the middle of the seats, hanging in front of the engine. Yes, the engine, a small 4-cylinder 1.8cc with 252 horsepower, always ready to let the turbo breath and discharge 320 Nm of torque to the ground allowing you to move not only quickly, but also with extreme agility. The fact of having a power assisted steering is one of the points that rewards an almost total possibility of use and just having the automatic gearbox turns out to be the best choice to transmit direct feedback to the driver thus reading what happens below us, but without ever resulting in sudden changes of direction as on similar or even more extreme superlight sports cars.

The figures of the A110, in relation to its weight, are perfectly in line with performances that put a sports car of just over € 60,000 close to much more expensive and flashy two-seaters. For the fateful 0 to 100 kph it takes 4 and a half seconds and top speed is 250 per hour, but the Alpine – even if it is devoted to performance – is not a car that reduces its essence to pure performance. What makes the bends of the Col de la Cayolle among the most engaging I have ever been able to experience is that sense of confidence that is created in a few hours, a relationship made up of precise feedbacks and which allow you to delay the next braking and hold down for a few moments longer through fast corners that do not give time to blink. The A110 mumbles and sneaks between rock walls: in this way confirms that I hadn’t been mistaken in that December 2018. Its impeccable handling places it on top of its segment, reducing the choice between Alpine, Lotus, Porsche or Audi TT to a mere devotion to one brand or another.

If in the widest and fastest stretches, the 252 horses offer the possibility of holding down the gas and take your fingers off the steering wheel only to reach the paddles and change gear, it is in the narrowest stretch of the Col that a superlight reminds you that even before the power, it is necessary to have a chassis made as God commands. No hint of breakdown, while in the most difficult hairpin bends you can play with the gears and keep a low ratio, taking advantage of the generous torque of the 1.8 turbo. As in a frenzied push and pull made of screeching tires, smell of brakes and that constant hiss that accompanies every acceleration, the A110 Légende, equipped with a more comfortable cabin featuring beautiful Sabelt seats in brown leather, has certainly not forgot the reason why many fell in love with it: fun.

In Bleu Abysse it accentuates even more that look halfway between the discreet elegance of a mature coupe and the desire to surprise those who do not recognize it at first glance, even if the four round headlights at the front remain the most direct reference to its famous ancestor. The A110 is not only a perfect tribute to its origins, but it really is a sports car that makes you dream and that does not require any waiver, except for the luggage compartment, unless you are able to fit your suitcases between the front trunk and the small compartment behind the engine, where temperature will become hot in a few kilometers. I climb some more and I finally set Normal mode, at least for a few moments. However, the desire to go heavy is always there, while nightfall and the fact of being so close to one of the most beautiful roads of the old continent suggests us to put something in our stomach, look for accommodation in a hotel in the area and be ready for a dawn based on baguettes and hairpin bends.