Back pain ? Likely. Headache ? Possible. After reading the A110 R press kit, we expected the worst; to a damped sports car like a skateboard and very noisy.
The document specifies a strengthening of the shock absorber springs, up to 10% compared to those of an A110 S which is already a little stiff, a reduction of 10 mm in ground clearance and stiffening of the anti-roll bars10% front and 25% rear.
Alpine also mentions in its presentation a reduction in soundproofing and, behind the seats, the replacement of the glass separating the passenger compartment from the engine compartment. by an embossed aluminum elementletting more decibels through.
It was certain: earplugs were going to be indispensable.
Then the test, planned in Madrid, arrived. Surprise number one: the “R” is not a machine to weld your vertebrae. While remaining very far from the softness of an A110, it is no less docile than an S version.
At usual paces, its mechanics are always present, but without destroying the eardrums. And the rest ? There, it was almost a foregone conclusion…
Starting from such a good base, both playful and efficient, the new version could not disappoint. especially not after a weight loss treatment that led to a loss of 34 kg : 5 less thanks to the carbon bucket seats and 2.9 with the bonnet in the same fibre.
But also 12.5 kg due to the amazing wheelsalso in carbon, made in France and fitted with a flange used in particular, at the rear, to reduce drag.
With that and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires supplied as standard, so that all the power “passes” to the ground, the 0 to 100 already gains three tenths : he is shot in 3.9 seconds.
This, without even touching the reports of the robotic box or grabbing any horsepower!
Nothing moves on the mill side, usually hidden under a bezel replaced here by a carbon element (to scrape another 4 kilos), the 1.8 turbo remains at 300 hp.
If the desire to have more still animates many pilots, it is clear that this level of power, with such a contained weight, remains a perfect balance.
No offense to “electric sports cars”: it is better to have 300 horsepower to move one tonne than 600 for two tonnes! The power-to-weight ratio would remain the same, but not the fun.
And this is where the berlinetta excels, in its ability to move its driver and help him progress. If this R version does not have the extreme mobility of the “basic” version, which twirls at the slightest opportunity, it succeeds a perfect blend of efficiency and agility.
On the track, where everything is at stake between motor skills, balance and weight, the instructions for use remain more or less the same with, as always, a pronounced taste for hard braking.
Reactive to steering wheel strokes, the A110 R, whose ground clearance can still be lowered by 1 cm (with tools) for use exclusively on the circuit, sits like a dream.
Its owner can also adjust the compression/rebound in twenty positions, by turning a ring placed at the top of the shock absorbers. Beforehand, the A110 R will need to be lifted slightly using a jack.
On condition of putting the tires at the right temperature (these Michelins require it), the front axle impresses with its precision. The back, meanwhile, can also wiggle during support raises, in the rather slow portions.
The cocktail hits right away, with flavor, efficiency and relative ease. Rather progressive and always monitored by a Track driving mode incorporating a ESP (totally disconnectable) at the remote trigger threshold, the Alpine inspires confidence.
Miserly in body movements, it swallows the deformations and vibrators without even batting an eyelid, even better than an A110 S. And you don’t have to be a real driver to drive fast and without apprehension.
Finally, if it is difficult to judge the aerodynamic contribution in just a few laps of the circuit, Alpine also specifies an increase of 110 kg in the maximum support on the rear axlecompared to a basic A110, and 30 kg at the front.
It owes this in particular to its wing mounted on goosenecks, raised by 46 mm and moved back by 18 mm compared to that of an A110 S equipped with the aero pack.
On the road (obviously closed to traffic), warming up the tires is also essential. Without it, and with a few stretches of dirty roads around Madrid, the steering axle can widen the curve.
But just release the gas for the A110 R to resume guidance. And when the Pilot Sport Cup 2 is hot, the registration is perfect.
While we fear arriving too quickly in a bend, the dieppoise wrings you out in the tub, coated with thick foams like a slice of ham. But she does not procrastinate.
Perfectly held, it does not pick like a classic A110 would.
She takes the hits without asking for her rest and repeats the exercise ad infinitum, never satiated nor limited by her Brembo brakes which, too, have not undergone any modification.
The only change: the ventilated discs, 320 mm at the front and at the rear, are better cooled thanks to a scoopinstalled near the suspension wishbones, which directs part of the air flow towards them.
The 1.8 liter of the A110 R slightly changes its sound, more cavernous but without distortingwith the removal of the valve in the exhaust (and 700 grams saved).
The characteristic backfires of the Norman sports car remain and its mechanical noise, if it does not have the magic of a 6 or 8-cylinder, remains pleasant.
What is less pleasant is the harness. Officially anxious to save the slightest gram, the Dieppe house has chosen to condemn the strap and its retractor, in favor of harnesses which always require a little time to be locked, and which limit freedom of movement.
You wanted grab a bottle of water from the floor? You have to detach. Take a toll ticket? The same.
However, we can console ourselves with the exclusive side of a vehicle thus equipped, and with the end of the strap now flanked by the storm door, for the head-in-the-air having forgotten to close before attaching themselves.
Another negative point: the additional cost required to afford an R. Count at least €105,000, or €30,500 more than an A110 S.
All this for a few probable small seconds won on the circuit? May be. But the A110 R remains an ultimate object, the best of French sports carsa concentrate of knowledge and a piece adorned with a multitude of carbon elements.
It is also a numbered model (but not a limited series) which, even worldwide, is among the most desirable sportswomen of the market.
And which has several advantages; it displays a penalty of only €2,370 and, for use on the circuit, it consumes few tyres, brake pads and discs.
The recipe seems to please: the order book of Alpine, all versions combined, is filled for almost all of the production of 2023.
Alpine A110 R test – our opinion:
Ultimate variation of the berlinetta, the R magnifies an A110 which still shines with its very contained weight and its behavior. This one passes a course on the price side, but arises as a real sharp tracker while retaining a certain versatility. A delight.
WE love
- Carbon work and lightness
- Cheerful and efficient behavior
- Performance and pleasure felt
We love less
- Substantial additional cost
- Binding harnesses
- What about carbon rims in a gravel pit?
Data sheet (Alpine A110 R)
- From €105,000
- Conso during l’essai (l/100 km) : 12.8
- Mixed conso WLTP (l/100 km) : 6.8
- CO2(g/km)/malus: 153 to 156/1,901 to 2,370 €
- Fiscal power: 18 HP
- Country of manufacture: Normandy
- Warranty: 3 years/100,000 km
- Engine: mid-rear, petrol, 4-cylinder, turbo, 16-valve, direct injection, 1,798 cc3chain distribution
- Transmission: propulsion, robotized 7-speed
- Power (hp at rpm): 300 to 6,300
- Torque (Nm at rpm): 340 at 2,400
- Empty weight (kg): 1,082
- Long.xlarg.xhaut. (m) : 4,26×1,80×1,25
- Wheelbase (m): 2.42
- Turning circle (m): 11.4
- Vitesse maxi (km/h) : 285
- 0 to 100 km/h (s): 3.9
- 1 000 m D.A. (s) : 21,9
- 80 to 120 km/h in D (s): 2.7
- AV-AR series tires: 215/40 R 18 – 245/40 R 18
- Test tires: Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2
- Coffre AV/AR (l) : 100/96
- Front elbow width (cm): 152
- Tank (l): 45
PROPOSED OPTIONS
- Focal audio system: €650
- Electrically folding heated mirrors: €200
- Storage pack between the seats: €550
- Floor mats with Alpine logo: €140
- Removal of storage under the front bonnet: free
- Optional body colors: €900 to €6,000
Alpine A110 R: potential competitors
Alpine A110 R : l’info a plus
Apart from the disappearance of the central mirror, nothing changes on the presentation side on board the A110 R. But the carbon bucket seats, whose backrest is not adjustable, are delivered as standard, as are the harnesses.
Alpine news, seen by auto-moto.com:
4L Alpine: will Renault go to the end of its logic?
Alpine: 5 models in the range by 2028 including 3 SUVs
Alpine A110 R: when an icon becomes “radical”
Back pain ? Likely. Headache ? Possible. After reading the A110 R press kit, we expected the worst; to a damped sports car like a skateboard and very noisy.
The document specifies a strengthening of the shock absorber springs, up to 10% compared to those of an A110 S which is already a little stiff, a reduction of 10 mm in ground clearance and stiffening of the anti-roll bars10% front and 25% rear.
Alpine also mentions in its presentation a reduction in soundproofing and, behind the seats, the replacement of the glass separating the passenger compartment from the engine compartment. by an embossed aluminum elementletting more decibels through.
It was certain: earplugs were going to be indispensable.
Then the test, planned in Madrid, arrived. Surprise number one: the “R” is not a machine to weld your vertebrae. While remaining very far from the softness of an A110, it is no less docile than an S version.
At usual paces, its mechanics are always present, but without destroying the eardrums. And the rest ? There, it was almost a foregone conclusion…
Starting from such a good base, both playful and efficient, the new version could not disappoint. especially not after a weight loss treatment that led to a loss of 34 kg : 5 less thanks to the carbon bucket seats and 2.9 with the bonnet in the same fibre.
But also 12.5 kg due to the amazing wheelsalso in carbon, made in France and fitted with a flange used in particular, at the rear, to reduce drag.
With that and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires supplied as standard, so that all the power “passes” to the ground, the 0 to 100 already gains three tenths : he is shot in 3.9 seconds.
This, without even touching the reports of the robotic box or grabbing any horsepower!
Nothing moves on the mill side, usually hidden under a bezel replaced here by a carbon element (to scrape another 4 kilos), the 1.8 turbo remains at 300 hp.
If the desire to have more still animates many pilots, it is clear that this level of power, with such a contained weight, remains a perfect balance.
No offense to “electric sports cars”: it is better to have 300 horsepower to move one tonne than 600 for two tonnes! The power-to-weight ratio would remain the same, but not the fun.
And this is where the berlinetta excels, in its ability to move its driver and help him progress. If this R version does not have the extreme mobility of the “basic” version, which twirls at the slightest opportunity, it succeeds a perfect blend of efficiency and agility.
On the track, where everything is at stake between motor skills, balance and weight, the instructions for use remain more or less the same with, as always, a pronounced taste for hard braking.
Reactive to steering wheel strokes, the A110 R, whose ground clearance can still be lowered by 1 cm (with tools) for use exclusively on the circuit, sits like a dream.
Its owner can also adjust the compression/rebound in twenty positions, by turning a ring placed at the top of the shock absorbers. Beforehand, the A110 R will need to be lifted slightly using a jack.
On condition of putting the tires at the right temperature (these Michelins require it), the front axle impresses with its precision. The back, meanwhile, can also wiggle during support raises, in the rather slow portions.
The cocktail hits right away, with flavor, efficiency and relative ease. Rather progressive and always monitored by a Track driving mode incorporating a ESP (totally disconnectable) at the remote trigger threshold, the Alpine inspires confidence.
Miserly in body movements, it swallows the deformations and vibrators without even batting an eyelid, even better than an A110 S. And you don’t have to be a real driver to drive fast and without apprehension.
Finally, if it is difficult to judge the aerodynamic contribution in just a few laps of the circuit, Alpine also specifies an increase of 110 kg in the maximum support on the rear axlecompared to a basic A110, and 30 kg at the front.
It owes this in particular to its wing mounted on goosenecks, raised by 46 mm and moved back by 18 mm compared to that of an A110 S equipped with the aero pack.
On the road (obviously closed to traffic), warming up the tires is also essential. Without it, and with a few stretches of dirty roads around Madrid, the steering axle can widen the curve.
But just release the gas for the A110 R to resume guidance. And when the Pilot Sport Cup 2 is hot, the registration is perfect.
While we fear arriving too quickly in a bend, the dieppoise wrings you out in the tub, coated with thick foams like a slice of ham. But she does not procrastinate.
Perfectly held, it does not pick like a classic A110 would.
She takes the hits without asking for her rest and repeats the exercise ad infinitum, never satiated nor limited by her Brembo brakes which, too, have not undergone any modification.
The only change: the ventilated discs, 320 mm at the front and at the rear, are better cooled thanks to a scoopinstalled near the suspension wishbones, which directs part of the air flow towards them.
The 1.8 liter of the A110 R slightly changes its sound, more cavernous but without distortingwith the removal of the valve in the exhaust (and 700 grams saved).
The characteristic backfires of the Norman sports car remain and its mechanical noise, if it does not have the magic of a 6 or 8-cylinder, remains pleasant.
What is less pleasant is the harness. Officially anxious to save the slightest gram, the Dieppe house has chosen to condemn the strap and its retractor, in favor of harnesses which always require a little time to be locked, and which limit freedom of movement.
You wanted grab a bottle of water from the floor? You have to detach. Take a toll ticket? The same.
However, we can console ourselves with the exclusive side of a vehicle thus equipped, and with the end of the strap now flanked by the storm door, for the head-in-the-air having forgotten to close before attaching themselves.
Another negative point: the additional cost required to afford an R. Count at least €105,000, or €30,500 more than an A110 S.
All this for a few probable small seconds won on the circuit? May be. But the A110 R remains an ultimate object, the best of French sports carsa concentrate of knowledge and a piece adorned with a multitude of carbon elements.
It is also a numbered model (but not a limited series) which, even worldwide, is among the most desirable sportswomen of the market.
And which has several advantages; it displays a penalty of only €2,370 and, for use on the circuit, it consumes few tyres, brake pads and discs.
The recipe seems to please: the order book of Alpine, all versions combined, is filled for almost all of the production of 2023.
Alpine A110 R test – our opinion:
Ultimate variation of the berlinetta, the R magnifies an A110 which still shines with its very contained weight and its behavior. This one passes a course on the price side, but arises as a real sharp tracker while retaining a certain versatility. A delight.
WE love
- Carbon work and lightness
- Cheerful and efficient behavior
- Performance and pleasure felt
We love less
- Substantial additional cost
- Binding harnesses
- What about carbon rims in a gravel pit?
Data sheet (Alpine A110 R)
- From €105,000
- Conso during l’essai (l/100 km) : 12.8
- Mixed conso WLTP (l/100 km) : 6.8
- CO2(g/km)/malus: 153 to 156/1,901 to 2,370 €
- Fiscal power: 18 HP
- Country of manufacture: Normandy
- Warranty: 3 years/100,000 km
- Engine: mid-rear, petrol, 4-cylinder, turbo, 16-valve, direct injection, 1,798 cc3chain distribution
- Transmission: propulsion, robotized 7-speed
- Power (hp at rpm): 300 to 6,300
- Torque (Nm at rpm): 340 at 2,400
- Empty weight (kg): 1,082
- Long.xlarg.xhaut. (m) : 4,26×1,80×1,25
- Wheelbase (m): 2.42
- Turning circle (m): 11.4
- Vitesse maxi (km/h) : 285
- 0 to 100 km/h (s): 3.9
- 1 000 m D.A. (s) : 21,9
- 80 to 120 km/h in D (s): 2.7
- AV-AR series tires: 215/40 R 18 – 245/40 R 18
- Test tires: Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2
- Coffre AV/AR (l) : 100/96
- Front elbow width (cm): 152
- Tank (l): 45
PROPOSED OPTIONS
- Focal audio system: €650
- Electrically folding heated mirrors: €200
- Storage pack between the seats: €550
- Floor mats with Alpine logo: €140
- Removal of storage under the front bonnet: free
- Optional body colors: €900 to €6,000
Alpine A110 R: potential competitors
Alpine A110 R : l’info a plus
Apart from the disappearance of the central mirror, nothing changes on the presentation side on board the A110 R. But the carbon bucket seats, whose backrest is not adjustable, are delivered as standard, as are the harnesses.
Alpine news, seen by auto-moto.com:
4L Alpine: will Renault go to the end of its logic?
Alpine: 5 models in the range by 2028 including 3 SUVs
Alpine A110 R: when an icon becomes “radical”
