Alpine A110 S | Test Drive | Auto Class Magazine

Alpine A110 S | Test Drive

20 December 2021 Redazione News, Stories, Tested

ALPINE A110 S

Entertainment behind a wheel hangs by a thin, indeed very thin, wire. Most of the time we find ourselves in the fateful balance of the two parts, but if we still want to live a pure driving experience we can still do it and the answer is called Alpine.

Words Alessandro Marrone / Photos Gian Romero

The French brand recently brought back from the shelf by the Renault group and committed to reviving the legendary A110 of the 60s/70s remains faithful to a well-deserved legacy thanks to the successes obtained in the world of rallies, those competitions that more than any other raise the relationship between driver and car. About 60 years later, the new A110 has been able to awaken sensations that are not only dormant, but that we were not sure to find, having to do with a completely new product. In 2019, when I had the chance to sit behind the wheel of the A110 (a Prèmiere Edition) for the first time, the main impression was that of finding myself in front of an ultimate sports car, the one that was missing and the one you can’t give up to. The following year, with those impressions still melancholy well impressed in me, I spent more time with it (this time a Légende), thus managing to discover that the love at first sight was not only due to the performance package that knew how to dispense also in the simpler movements, but it was given by a driving involvement that found a reflection in only one other car: the Lotus Elise.

Entertainment behind a wheel hangs by a thin, indeed very thin, wire. This is the situation from the point of view of the traditional consumer of driving emotions, those who in a car are not looking for connectivity with their smartphone. And arousing certain sensations in a world that is forced to safeguard the planet we live in and concentrating more and more efforts on perfecting hybrid or even 100% electric motors is becoming increasingly difficult. Most of the time, therefore, we find ourselves in the fateful balance of the two parts, but if we still want to live a pure driving experience we can still do it and the answer is called Alpine.

It is in these moments that you realize that all is not lost and that while three-quarters of the news tick the boxes of the hybrid and of a technology that brings cars closer and closer to becoming huge smartphones built around four wheels, there is still those who pursue the goal of creating the ultimate sports car. The A110, also making use of an increasingly small direct competition, has thus been able to assume the role of perfect object for the job and this despite not being exactly perfect, if not for some small nuance that makes it so damn human and that does nothing but increase my respect for it. It is as if behind those big eyes that leave no room for uncertainty about its family tree it encloses a pure soul, which surprisingly manages to put everyone in agreement, representing the ideal outsider for those days made of curves.

The A110 S is the ultimate evolution of the Alpine concept, the expression of a visceral need to communicate with the driver and accentuate the feedback that a “normal” A110 aroused amply twenty-four months earlier. The beauty is that, however, it does not compromise, neither dynamic nor aesthetic. It maintains the unmistakable shape of the contemporary Alpine, sharpening its set-up thanks to reducing the suspensions by 4-mm, orange-colored details for the badges, brake calipers, interior stitching and new dedicated wheels that increase the sportiness as a whole. The evolution brought by the “S” also includes a more incisive braking system, a noisier exhaust system and 40 more horses.

Talking about the Alpine limiting to a sterile series of technical data would be as exciting as describing a painting looking in the opposite direction, which is why once in front of an A110 S the best thing to do is to get on board and drive. And that’s exactly what I did during the testing weeks available to me. You can quickly understand that it is not just a fun car, but a tool that sharpens an object that is already surprisingly capable of delivering strong emotions, especially when the road takes the form of a tangle of curves. The engine is still the brilliant 1.8-liter 4-cylinder and here it delivers 292 horsepower, while maintaining a maximum torque of 320 Nm, available at 2,000 rpm. If you remember my words when I first tasted the A110, I praised the fact that this torque curve allowed to exploit the power of the engine without necessarily tinkering with gear changes, however always entrusted to the excellent 7-speed double clutch.

It is not so much the increase in power that is felt here, at least not on roads that impose the limits of decency, but rather the rigidity of a set-up that now gives the confidence that could previously intimidate less daring drivers. With more decisive cornering and a perfect balance guaranteed by a weight that barely exceeds a ton (1,114 kg) and the engine in a central position, the A110 S is a blue bolt that rips the asphalt, ignoring any dynamics rule and putting into play an even higher grip than before. Is it due to tires with a few more millimeters of tread? Of course. For suspensions – both front and rear – with double wishbones? Sure. Ok, but what is it really like to drive the A110 S with a knife between your teeth? It is exactly as you would expect, an excited moment of tension mixed with adrenaline and with the landscape around that moves fast thanks to a set-up that is never too uncomfortable, not even when the fun comes to an end and it’s time for a long motorway run.

The differences offered by the S compared to the standard A110 do not stop there, even if obviously the dynamic side is the main one, after all we are always talking about a pure sports car in the most traditional sense of the term. For Alpine it is a question of driving philosophy, of love for driving, therefore we are not faced with a model better than the other, but with two different concepts, where the A110 offers everything that the A110 S is able to do, still this one grants a further step in terms of driving feedback. We could call it more alive, but it doesn’t convey the idea. And no, don’t even think for a second of limiting the comparison to the horsepower gap, because I challenge anyone to realize the difference under normal driving conditions. Diversification lies in the approach and is accentuated only by a structure that keeps you glued to the ground, even at higher speeds. Trust me when I say you can really go fast with the A110 S.

While I grind kilometers as if there was no tomorrow, I find myself comfortably seated in a passenger compartment essentially identical to the traditional one, with the exception of the enormous presence of Alcantara which makes the environment even sportier. The gearbox is only available as a double clutch 7-speed automatic, but it is fantastic as it is, both used in Auto mode, or via the paddles on the steering wheel, by pressing the Sport button through which to even engage the most extreme Race mode. The display in front of my eyes is complete and always clearly visible, while the touch screen has a navigator that I would not define reliable at all and that even at 20 kph does not receive input for your safety, without allowing the passenger sitting next to you to save time by entering the desired destination. There is little space to store objects and I’m not just talking about the front and rear load compartments, still suitable for a weekend out of town, but for the platform created under the tunnel with the gearshift buttons, which with the sport seats of the S destroy your hand every time you try to grab something stored in that cave.

The elephant in the room is none of this, however, and with a price tag of € 68,200, or approximately € 8,000 more than the standard model, the A110 S is one of the best options to make your automotive life better. What is missing is the presence of a self-locking differential that allows the possibility to play with the rear, transforming an exceptional curves-devouring toy into a compass capable of delineating perfect turns. But this bit does not affect to such an extent that you fall out of love for the Alpine, more civilized than the Alfa Romeo 4C and at the same time more exotic than a Porsche 718 Cayman. With the necessary differences, it sits alongside the aforementioned Lotus Elise, offering an even different driving experience, mainly due to the presence of power steering and so much comfort that can make it more usable in everyday life.

Did we realize we made it this far without even talking about the 0-100 acceleration time and top speed? Ok, let’s get rid of our curiosity: 4.4 seconds to shoot from 0 to 100 kph (with Launch Control) and top speed of 260 per hour. The reason we got there only now goes to corroborate the philosophy confirming that a special car does not need to be measured instrumentally, but through the emotions that the driver feels. In this regard, the A110 S is a kaleidoscope of inputs that awaken the awareness that driving is an art and that cars like this are the rare drops of a color that our eyes are no longer used to admire. Regardless of the specific model, the Alpine is a treasure shining bright over the avalanche of monotony that crowds a world less concentrated towards us enthusiasts, a minority that they will not be able to make disappear and that will find more strength and thus preserve the true essence of holding a steering wheel, look at the road ahead and continue to get excited.