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Alpine A110 R

Alpine further expands the A110 range with a radical version: the A110 R. The “R” stands for… right: “radial. According to Alpine, it is a real track car, which you also happen to be allowed to drive on public roads. Thanks to the extensive use of carbon-fiber components, it weighs 34 kilograms less than an A110 S. The S was already not a heavy boy, but at 1,082 kilograms, the R completely falls into the featherweight category. The A110 R rolls off the assembly line in 2023 at the Alpine Dieppe Jean Rédélé’ factory in Dieppe, but it was at the Alpine Engineering Centre in Les Ulis that the model was born. In the R&D center, we get to see all the lightweight ingredients that make up the new flagship model.

Aluminum body

Like all A110 variants, the ‘R’ uses a body made almost entirely of aluminum. The self-supporting body is not welded but glued, to save extra weight. In the A110 R, aluminum sheet metal has been replaced in many places with lighter materials such as carbon fiber and fiberglass.

-2.9 kg

For example, the front “hood” is made entirely of carbon fiber. This not only looks sporty, but it is 2.9 kg lighter than the regular aluminum luggage flap. Because that’s basically what it is – a trunk lid – because the engine is in the back. There are two air vents in the luggage cover that promote aerodynamics.

-12.5 kg

Alpine hired French carbon expert Duqeine to develop a set of ultra-light carbon wheels. The result are wheels that are 12.5 kg lighter than those of an A110 S. You can easily recognize them by their carbon look and striking design. The front wheels are more open and the rear wheels almost completely closed. By the way, do you recognize the signature of the Spanish Formula One driver of the Alpine F1 Team on one of the test specimens?

-5 kg

You’ll also find a lot of carbon fiber in the interior. For example, the Sabelt Track bucket seats in the A110 R are made entirely of carbon fiber and together provide a weight savings of 5 kilograms. As befits a track-worthy car, both seats are equipped with six-point harnesses, so the occupants can brace themselves wall-to-wall when they take to the track. The driver can adjust his seat in length and height; the passenger seat is mounted in a fixed position.

Rear window  

In the A110 R, you rely on the side mirrors if you want to know what’s going on behind you. In fact, a rearview mirror is missing because the car does not have a transparent rear window. In fact, that one is also made of carbon, and so you look against a dark panel when you look back. The entire roof is also made of carbon fiber and received a coat of paint, in gloss black.

More downforce

Alpine applied the knowledge they gained in Formula 1 to its radical street car. The car’s carbon diffuser, rear spoiler and flat bottom provide extra downforce and stability at high speeds. At top speed – 285 km/h – these components provide 29 kilograms of additional downforce compared to the A110 S Kit Aéro.

The front of the car is also pressed firmly onto the road at high speeds. Up front is the same carbon lamella as on the A110 S, but it has movable flaps in the front air intake. These valves generate 14 kg of additional downforce on the A110 R’s front axle, without sacrificing drag and top speed.

3.9 seconds

More downforce and less weight, what more could you want? More power? Alpine does not give the A110 R that. According to French, this is totally unnecessary, as he has already been on a hefty diet. Extra horsepower is no match for extra low weight and good handling. Just ask legendary carmakers such as Colin Chapman and Gordon Murray. Consequently, the latter – the big man behind the McLaren F1 – has an Alpine A110 as his daily driver.

In the back – in front of the rear axle, so the A110 is mid-engine car – is the familiar 1.8-liter turbocharged engine, good for 300 hp and 340 Nm. Power goes to the rear wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Thanks to a weight-to-power ratio of 3.6 kg/hp, the A110 R sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.9 seconds.

Steering car

The A110 R is an antithesis of the A110 GT. The GT is a new, extra comfortable and sporty variant of the A110. The ideal daily driver, with which you can also set sail for the south of France. With the A110 R, it’s probably better to stay a little more in the neighborhood. In fact, the A110 R’s suspension is 10% stiffer at the front and rear than in the already sporty and stiff A110 S. Its suspension is also 10 mm lower. You can reduce the ground clearance by another 10 mm if you want to be even closer to the ground. In fact, the A110 R has adjustable dampers.

The stabilizer bar also yields less, and is 10% stiffer at the front and 25% stiffer at the rear compared to that of the A110 S. The shock absorbers were developed specifically for the A110 R and are hydraulically adjustable. They feature a twenty-position ring that allows you to adjust the force and speed when compressing and relaxing the damper.

Two exhaust pipes

The exhaust system has also changed considerably from the regular A110 variants. Those have a single centered hexagonal exhaust, on the radical A110 two two round pipes protrude from the rear. Unlike its “good” brothers, the A110 R does not have a valve system in the exhaust. So the exhaust system is always in position “on. The sound of the turbocharged engine is not only more present at the rear, there is also more “noise” in the interior. In fact, the glass wall separating the interior and engine compartment has been replaced with a lighter aluminum one.

Production of the Alpine A110 R will begin in 2023 at the Alpine Dieppe Jean Rédélé’ factory in Dieppe and will be available for order in the Netherlands at Alpine Centre Soestdijk and Alpine Centre Hengelo via very limited editions. In the video below, we tell you all about the new Alpine A110 GT.