Alpine A110 2019 Review

You can keep your walloping V8s, muscle-bound sport-trucks and over-sized (and over-compensatory) super-utes. When it comes to modern motoring, power-to-weight is a whole lot sexier when it comes in the stylish wrappings of the new Alpine A110.

Indeed, despite just 100 examples of the new Alpine A110 being available here each year, the new French supermodel is one of the most exciting vehicles to land in Australia in 2018.

Reviving a legendary name from motorsport history, the Alpine A110 is an authentic reinterpretation of the original Alpine A110 Berlinette which won the 1971 and 1973 Monte Carlo Rallies. As such motoring enthusiasts have been keenly awaiting the arrival of the new model to see if it lives up to its promise and is worthy of the name.

Re-introducing a storied nameplate is always a risky business however, yet the 21st century reinterpretation of the former rally champ has been hugely successful.

Conceived as a mid-engined, rear-wheel drive sportscar, the revived Alpine A110 was always going to be an interesting proposition. Adding the zesty 185kW 1.8-litre turbocharged petrol engine from the Megane RS and giving the designers and engineers a clean sheet has resulted in a sportscar for the modern era.

Designers chose the best elements from the Alpines of the past to inform its retro exterior lines while engineers focused on weight reduction to develop the car’s chassis and performance. The Alpine’s body is made from aluminium, there’s lightweight Sabelt race seats fitted and a high-tech light Brembo braking system all helps to deliver a car that weighs just 1060kg with an impressive power-to-weight ratio of 169kW/tonne.

Yes, the Alpine A110 is a very good thing indeed. Late last year, we assessed its competency in Europe when colleague John Mahoney took the Alpine for its first Carsales test drive and loved it.

Backing up his initial impression, I’m happy to say that the Alpine A110 also delivers the goods on Australian roads.

Showing the ultimate confidence in the Alpine A110’s abilities, and playing up its rallying heritage, Alpine Australia chose the recent Targa High Country event in the Victorian Alps to unleash its new beast on Australian motoring journalists.

But beast is a cruel and inaccurate summation of the Alpine A110. This sportscar is a refined bit of kit that drives with as much sophistication as its design suggests.

Half-a-dozen journalists shared the opportunity to drive the Alpine A110 in the Targa event, and Carsales was fortunate to secure a couple of the final day’s stages including the lengthy 39km closed-road Eildon section.

The Alpine is an accomplished performance car but it is also a consummate cruiser and could easily be rolled out as a daily driver.

In fact, in terms of flexibility, the Alpine A110 is one of the most interesting vehicles I’ve driven this year. Under normal driving conditions, the Alpine is very comfortable, lacking the sharp suspension you might reasonably expect from a rally-tuned sportscar, yet push the car in a sports setting and it shines, livening up without becoming too showy.

Engineers have equipped with Alpine with an all-round double-wishbone suspension layout which ensures greater control of the wheels and improved road contact from the tyres. As such, the anti-roll bars are lighter as they aren’t required to do so much work as in a strut-based suspension. Also, as the car is so light, Alpine engineers were able to choose softer coil springs for the A110, all of which results in a ride quality that is surprisingly ‘unjarring’.

On transport stages of the Targa event, where normal road speeds are observed, I found the Alpine A110 to be a very enjoyable car to drive. The Sabelt one-piece sport seats included in the A110 Australian Premiere Edition, which we piloted, give great levels of support, while the supple suspension was smooth and forgiving over bumpy roads.

In Normal mode the 1.8-litre donk is plenty powerful enough. While it produces 205kW/390Nm in the Megane RS, it is detuned to 185kW/320Nm in the Alpine to better pair with the Alpine’s lightness and driving characteristics. I like the engine but the transmission is harder to enjoy. The Alpine A110 is available exclusively with a seven-speed dual-clutch which has a tendency to hold on to gears for a fraction longer than it needs to, even in Normal mode.

Switch to Sport mode and the gear ratios lengthen further. I drove the fast sections of the Targa event predominantly in automatic mode and found I needed to intervene with manual shifts via the paddles more frequently than I did (i.e. never) while driving the PDK-equipped Porsche Cayman GTS I drove during the Targa Great Barrier Reef event in September. The Getrag-sourced unit simply isn’t as intuitive as the Porsche transmission, which downshifts on sharp braking into a corner in a way that the Alpine’s just can’t seem to predict.

It's probably a slightly unfair comparison. The Cayman GTS is a much more expensive vehicle and the PDK is the most intuitive self-shifter on the market today, but the Cayman is the most obvious direct rival for the Alpine; and it is a smashing car to drive fast.

Not necessarily! The Alpine A110 is a fantastic car, and the only real downside is the transmission. Well that and the lack of a reverse camera in the Australian Premiere Edition, a noticeable absence even in a small two-seater.

When hustling through the closed road stages of the Victorian Alps the Alpine shone. On fast inclines there was always plenty of power available, and the torquey engine ensured the car was never lacking in pace. The Alpine’s weight distribution, which is weighted 44:56 in favour of the rear, delivered outstanding composure on the road, the car managing sharp camber changes efficiently and without pitching.

Steering was another highlight, there’s plenty of weight behind the steering wheel to give decent driver feedback and turn in is sharp, delivering a rewarding driving experience at speed.

Performance of the Brembo brakes was similarly impressive. Large 320mm brake discs with four-piston aluminium calipers at the front supplied sufficient stopping power throughout the longer stages, even on extended fast declines with sharp bends.

Also of note was the sticking power of the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres on the Australian Premier Edition’s exclusive 18-inch forged aluminium wheels. As ambient temperatures reached into the 30s, grip remained confident, contributing to the feeling that the Alpine as a ride and handling performance package is very well put together indeed.

Perhaps... Truth be told, if you are one of the enthusiasts who got hot under the collar when the new Alpine was revealed then you’d be pretty happy laying down your cash for the new A110. And with over half of the allocation of Australian Premiere Editions already sold, if you’re one of those early buyers, then you’ll no doubt be chuffed with your decision too.

The Alpine is a unique proposition and as such is less ‘obvious’ than the Porsche Cayman. It looks much sharper in the metal than it does in pictures, and at the Targa event, it garnered plenty of attention from those who knew what it was and those who wanted to know what it was. It is a car for the connoisseurs.

It’s also really well-finished with a cabin full of sports-oriented details but pared-back controls and nice touches include the French Tricolore flag which makes a couple of appearances. The aforementioned sports seats are not only comfortable, but easy to get in and out of, in fact the Alpine is much easier to get in to than many other sportscars or two-seater roadsters.

And it drives well, with unique characteristics that set it apart from its closest rivals, let’s say the Porsche Cayman, four-cylinder Jaguar F-TYPE and even the new BMW M2 Competition.

It is like none of those cars. It has a lightness of touch that will appeal to a broader range of drivers, whether enthusiasts who have the car pegged for some track or tarmac rally work or drivers looking for a cruiser for Sunday afternoon drives.

Its handling is deft and its performance is impressive. It isn’t a brute but it still packs a punch. All of which is enough to recommend this car, regardless of the less-polished transmission, which can be easily bypassed by opting for manual mode or using the paddles every now and then when running in automatic.

Take advantage of the Australian Premiere Edition’s added extras and snag one of the last available cars at the $106,500 buy price, or wait and save some dollars by purchasing the more affordable $97,000 Pure edition when it becomes available early next year. If you want more comfort and driver assistance features including reverse camera then order the Legende edition at $103,500.

I reckon you already know if the Alpine is for you. And if it is, then here’s to many happy driving kilometres to you both!

How much does the 2019 Alpine A110 Australian Premiere Edition cost?
Price: $106,500 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 1.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 185kW/250Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch
Fuel: 6.2L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 137g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: N/A