The all-new Alpine A110 Premiere Edition is the lightweight, elegant sports coupé that signals the return of Alpine. True to Alpine’s DNA, the A110 Premiere Edition places absolute agility and driving pleasure front and centre, without compromising on everyday comfort.
Designed and manufactured in France, the mid-engined, two-seater coupé features aluminium construction to keep weight to a minimum and sophisticated double-wishbone suspension. The A110 Premiere Edition is powered by a turbocharged, 1.8-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine, which develops 252PS. Like all Alpines, it’s rear-wheel drive.
Limited to 1,955 examples – a nod to the year Alpine was founded – the A110 Premiere Edition was fully reserved within five days of going on sale. The production series A110 will follow shortly. The first new model for two decades, the A110 Premiere Edition marks the relaunch of Alpine. Conceived as a standalone business unit within Groupe Renault, Alpine has an ambitious long-term strategy that invokes the vision and determination of its founder, Jean Rédélé.
Aluminium construction
Lightweight, agile and rewarding to drive, the Alpine A110 Premiere Edition is above all else a true Alpine. Designed from a blank sheet it has been engineered to thrill and engage the driver at all speeds, prioritising driving pleasure above lap times and outright power. It does this without compromising on everyday comfort, and it can be enjoyed by drivers at all levels of experience or ability.
Its lightweight construction, low roll centre and perfect weight distribution allow the driver to feel at one with the machine. The aluminium chassis and bodywork form the basis for the A110’s poise and agility. Bonded and riveted to reduce weight even further, the compact aluminium body offers the best possible balance between rigidity, weight and build quality. At just 1080kg (with fluids) the lightweight Alpine A110 occupies its own niche within the sports car segment, offering a uniquely engaging driving experience.
Advanced double-wishbone suspension
As well as the lightweight construction, the A110 owes its agility to the all-round double-wishbone suspension layout. Whereas most cars in the premium sports car segment use simpler strut-type suspension systems, Alpine’s engineers favoured a double-wishbone arrangement for the multitude of ride and handling advantages it confers.
The first advantage is linear suspension kinematics. As the car rolls during cornering, the double-wishbone suspension enables the tyre contact patches to remain flat to the road surface, meaning they generate a strong and consistent level of grip. The harder the car corners, the more firmly the tyres are pressed into the road surface and the more grip they generate. Conversely, a strut arrangement would cause the tyres to tilt into positive camber where they lose grip, causing the car to slide.
With the chassis working so effectively to generate cornering grip, the engineers have been able to fit relatively modest tyres. The Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres measure 205/40 R18 at the front and 235/40 R18 at the rear. They are mounted on forged 18-inch Otto Fuchs wheels, which reduce unsprung weight. The modest tyres, meanwhile, ensure the Alpine A110 has very progressive breakaway characteristics. This makes the car fun and rewarding to drive even at low and medium speeds for drivers at all levels of ability.
Turbocharged performance
With its active central exit sports exhaust – standard equipment on the Premiere Edition – the A110 combines day-to-day civility in Normal mode with a stirring, authentic sports car soundtrack in Sport and Track modes. The turbocharged 1.8-litre direct injection four-cylinder engine – customised by Alpine with specific intake, exhaust, and turbo systems plus bespoke calibration – develops a maximum power output of 252PS at 6,000rpm, with 320Nm of torque from just 2,000rpm.
The responsive, energetic in-line engine delivers its power to the rear wheels via a wet clutch seven-speed Getrag dual-clutch transmission, which features Alpine-specific ratios. The gearbox offers fast shift speeds and combines a manual function – in which the driver can change gears using the aluminium paddles – with an effortless automatic mode. The brake-based electronic differential function, often referred to as ‘brake vectoring’, delivers superb traction even in slippery conditions.
Design and Interior
The twin front headlights, sculpted flanks, distinctive bonnet spine and wraparound rear screen are clearly borrowed from the A110 Berlinette, while the LED running lights and ‘X’-shaped LED taillights, with dynamic turn indicators, hint at the car’s modern day engineering and performance. The single, graceful line that flows from the very front of the car to the rear, meanwhile, is a signature Alpine design feature. With very few technical restraints to work around and an open design brief, the designers were able to realise a beautiful, elegant shape that’s instantly recognisable as an Alpine.
The car’s clean, uncluttered silhouette has been achieved by working in parallel with the engineering team. A completely flat underside and functional diffuser mean there’s no need for a rear spoiler. And although the exterior dimensions are very compact, contributing to the car’s agility, the cabin still offers enough space for taller drivers to sit comfortably, even if they’re wearing a helmet.
Access to the high-quality cabin is among the best in the sports car sector thanks to the low and narrow sill, while the interior itself reflects the Alpine A110 Premiere Edition’s lightweight construction. The floating centre console and exposed seat brackets give a sense of purpose and lightness, while the leather-trimmed Sabelt sports seats keep weight to a minimum. The Focal stereo, meanwhile, uses speakers that incorporate patented flax cone technology, giving a pure and detailed sound, while the aluminium pedals and passenger footplate mirror the car’s lightweight aluminium construction.
Proudly displaying a numbered plaque on the centre console, each A110 Premiere Edition comes fully-equipped as standard, underlining the car’s day-to-day usability. Satellite navigation, climate control and cruise control ensure the A110 Premiere Edition is as effortless in everyday use as it is fun to drive. The Alpine Telemetrics, meanwhile, allows drivers to record lap times on track days and store performance driving data.
The A110 Premiere Edition also comes equipped with MySpin mobile phone connectivity, which ‘mirrors’ the driver’s smartphone to allow safe and simple use when on the move, further underlining the car’s day-to-day usability.
