Item: Alpine A110
Rating: 5
Author: What Car? Team

This might be the entry-level engine in the Alpine A110 range, but the 1.8-litre turbocharged four-cylinder unit still serves up plenty of punch. With 249bhp and 236lb ft of torque, it gets the car from 0-62mph in 4.5sec and on to a top speed of 155mph. A seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission comes as standard.

1.8L Turbo

Coupe

Alpine (pronounced 'Al-peen') only makes one model, but if you’re in the market for a sports car, this French brand is worthy of your attention.

Its A110 is one of the best-handling cars on sale today. And while it’s not especially powerful, it’s still properly quick, thanks to its low weight.

The looks and character of today’s A110 were inspired by a legendary namesake that won the first ever World Rally Championship back in 1973. But the new car is undoubtedly a worthy successor.

ALPINE

A110

The standard A110 comes well equipped, with 17in alloy wheels, grey brake calipers, climate control, cruise control, Apple Carplay and Android Auto, LED headlights and sports seats.

1.8L Turbo 2dr DCT

18l-turbo-2dr-dct

Alpine A110

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<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Ride comfort shouldn’t be sacrificed at the altar of handling sharpness</li> <li>Plenty of power from a melodic engine</li> <li>Handling that doesn’t come at the expense of a back-breaking ride​​​​​</li> <li> Practicality is not essential but nice to have </li></ul>

Driving fun is right at the top of any sports car buyer's priority list, and every one of our award candidates has backroad entertainment coded into its DNA.

The Mazda MX-5 embodies sports-car spirit without wearing an exotic price tag, and has deservedly gained a strong following over the years. Much newer to the scene is the mid-engined Alpine A110. It may carry a name from the past, but this potent, mid-engined sports car was designed with the very latest lightweight thinking.&nbsp;

Rounding off our shortlist, though, is a name that'll be familiar to even those to whom sports cars hold little interest. The Porsche 911 was born an icon in 1964, and the latest generation bridges the gap between sports car and supercar. Yet, somehow, it manages to preserve a distinctly civilised character.

Sports

Introduction

Performance & drive

Interior

Passenger & boot space

Costs & verdict

The entry-level Alpine A110 trim is the one to go for – this sports coupé is more about the driving experience than the fripperies. It comes with part-suede and part-leather-trimmed seats, cruise control and climate control, and can be identified by the 17in alloy wheels and grey brake calipers.

A sports exhaust, 18in wheels and upgraded brakes are available from the options list. It's not cheap, but it is priced pretty close to the entry-level <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/porsche/cayman/coupe/review/n17361">Porsche Cayman</a> and is predicted to have even better resale values.

GT trim brings some extra power along with the added convenience of the parking aids and extra seat adjustments. It also adds 18in alloy wheels, blue brake calipers, brown leather seats and dashboard, power-folding door mirrors, ambient lighting, a suede headlining, a sports exhaust and aluminium pedals.

The hardcore S has stiffer suspension, suede roof-lining, part-leather seat trim with contrasting orange stitching, black 18in alloy wheels and uprated Brembo brakes with orange calipers.

All A110s get a three-year, 60,000-mile warranty. The&nbsp;Cayman has no mileage limit, but the A110 should be more affordable to run because its low weight is great for fuel consumption. Even the S managed to average 34.3mpg in our test,&nbsp;which is very respectable for a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/best-sports-cars-2022/n24412">sports car</a>.

There isn’t a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/the-safest-cars-on-sale-today/n19724">Euro NCAP</a> safety rating for the A110, although you could argue that its fine handling is enough to get you out of trouble. It’s still a shame that a modern car comes without automatic emergency braking (<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/what-is-aeb-and-how-does-it-work/n3283">AEB</a>) and lane-keep assistance –&nbsp;although the same is true of the Cayman. The A110 only lists a driver and passenger airbag, whereas the Cayman has a tally of six.

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The Alpine A110's 1.8-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with 249bhp might not sound like much cop – especially when you consider that it’s around 50bhp down on the least powerful <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/jaguar/f-type/coupe/review/n17268">Jaguar F-Type</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/porsche/cayman/coupe/review/n17361">Porsche Cayman</a>. Those two rivals weigh a lot more than the 1098kg of the entry-level A110, though. That's nothing by today's standards – even a well-equipped A110 is about the same weight as a basic Ford Fiesta.

As it's so light, the A110 doesn't need a lot of power, and that 249bhp is enough to scoot it from 0-62mph in a rapid 4.5sec before eventually topping out at 155mph (the Cayman does 0-62mph in 5.1sec). You don’t have to rev the engine to the red line to make swift progress, either. Maximum shove is reached at just 2000rpm so it's very flexible. True, there’s a slight pause between pressing the accelerator and the power pouring to the rear wheels (that's turbocharging for you), but the same is true of the turbocharged F-Type and Cayman.

If you upgrade to the A110 S or GT, you get 296bhp, which knocks the 0-62mph time down to 4.2sec. That's quicker than the Porsche Cayman S, by the way, but, in all honesty, you can't really feel the extra power unless you drive both versions of the A110 back to back. Those with their eye on the S model can opt for the Aero Kit for additional downforce and a higher top speed of 170mph (up from 162mph), thanks to a carbon-fibre front splitter and rear spoiler.&nbsp;

Anyone who's heard a four-cylinder Cayman’s rough exhaust note might be worried that the A110 will sound uninspiring. Don't be. There’s an appealing rasp as you accelerate (especially in Sport and Track modes with the optional sports exhaust, which is standard on the A110 S and GT), followed by evocative popping and crackling when you take your foot off the loud pedal. In short, it sounds like a proper <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/category/sports">sports car</a>. That said, the silky six-cylinder engine in the top-spec <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/toyota/supra/coupe/review/n19387">Toyota Supra</a> sounds more sophisticated and the flat-six, non-turbo Cayman GTS makes the best noise.

Some drivers might bemoan the lack of a proper manual gearbox in the A110, but there’s a lot to like about its seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. In Comfort mode, it slurs between gears smoothly, although it's a little unwilling to change down if you need a sudden blast of acceleration.

Sport sharpens the shifts and holds the lower gears for longer, and Track forces the gearbox into manual mode with no automatic upshifts when you reach the engine's limiter. It’s this final, most aggressive mode that’s the most satisfying. The ’box swaps gears with little hesitation when you pull on the steering wheel paddles, although we reckon the Cayman’s PDK automatic gearbox is slightly quicker. For the keen driver looking for more involvement, the Cayman is also available with a manual gearbox.

We absolutely love the way the A110 handles. The body will pitch and lean a little when cornering, and it's not the fastest sports car around a track, but it's still one of the most fun to drive on the road. The steering is lighter than you’d expect from a modern sports car, but it’s so accurate you can place the nose with millimetre precision. When you flick to Sport or Track mode, the steering weight is increased, but not excessively so – at least in the regular and GT A110s. The A110 S is less impressive because its steering weights up more and feels slightly unnatural.

If you go beyond the limit of the grip of the A110’s relatively narrow tyres, the sensations you get through the seat of your pants notify you immediately, giving you time to react. It's not a snappy car, either. It feels well-adjusted and athletic, like a ballet dancer, and makes the F-Type and Supra feel lardy and hard work to drive by comparison.

Actually, it’s one of the most entertaining and rewarding sports cars you can buy, regardless of price. Its nearest rival is the Cayman, which has more grip and is a wee bit sharper to drive. That doesn’t necessarily make it more fun than the A110, just quicker around a track. <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/alpine">Alpine</a> gives you the&nbsp;option of adding grippier Michelin PS2 Cup tyres to the S model for track driving.

Ride comfort is acceptable in any A110. The stiffer S version jostles you around more than any other regular A110 over scruffy road surfaces, but it’s not a gruelling experience by any means. All cars are brilliant at dealing with speed bumps and undulating country roads, but the standard model on the smallest 17in wheels is the most comfortable.

When you take into account the fact that wind and road noise aren’t challenging at 70mph (it’s quieter than the Cayman), the A110 is a decent sports car to cover long distances in.

OUR PICK

Fuel 

Gearbox

0-62 MPH

http://example.com

18l-turbo

The more powerful unit fitted to GT and S models comes with 296bhp and 251lb ft of torque. That drops the 0-62mph time to 4.2sec, with a top speed of 155mph on the GT model, and 162mph for the S. The optional Aero Kit on the S raises the top speed to 170mph.

1.8L Turbo 300

18l-turbo-300

When you drive an Alpine A110, you get used to being asked one question over and over: "Wow, that's cool – what is it?"&nbsp;So just in case your history of French sports cars is a wee bit patchy, here's a brief explanation.&nbsp;

The&nbsp;original Alpine A110 was a small&nbsp;rear-engined sports car&nbsp;born in the Sixties. It proved to be mightily good for rallying&nbsp;thanks to its&nbsp;low weight and nimble handling, and was still snatching wins well into the Seventies, triumphing in the first&nbsp;World Rally Championship (WRC). 

It always used a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/renault">Renault</a> engine, and the connection between the two companies became even closer when Renault bought <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/alpine">Alpine</a>. Under Renault's stewardship, Alpine continued until the mid-Nineties when&nbsp;the name faded away... until&nbsp;this 21st century&nbsp;A110 came along.&nbsp;

The styling of the current Alpine A110 is almost a carbon copy of the original's, and so is the concept:&nbsp;a tiny&nbsp;featherweight sports car.&nbsp;The most significant change is that the&nbsp;engine now sits&nbsp;in the middle of the car – as it does is its chief rival, the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/porsche/cayman/coupe/review/n17361">Porsche Cayman</a>. It still drives the rear wheels, though, and the A110's&nbsp;priority is very much sheer driver enjoyment&nbsp;rather than out-and-out lap times.

The purest expression of that ethos is the standard car. If you want something more focused, there's the A110 S, which has lower, stiffer suspension and a bit more power to help bridge the gap to some of the car's quicker rivals.

Then there’s the GT, which combines the A110 S's engine with the standard model’s more compliant suspension to better compete with less hardcore (yet still faster) versions of the Cayman, as well as softer sports cars such as the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/jaguar/f-type/coupe/review/n17268">Jaguar F-Type</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/toyota/supra/coupe/review/n19387">Toyota Supra.</a>

To find out whether the Alpine A110 is&nbsp;a hit or&nbsp;a miss, keep reading this comprehensive review. We'll cover performance, comfort, running costs and more, and compare it with the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/best-sports-cars-2022/n24412">sports car</a>&nbsp;rivals we've mentioned.

If temptation gets&nbsp;the better of you, make sure you check out the savings to be had with the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/alpine/a110/coupe/deals">Alpine A110 deals</a> on our free <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals">What Car?&nbsp;New Car Buying service</a>. It can help you put a new vehicle of almost&nbsp;any make and model on your driveway without hassle, and potentially save you thousands of pounds.

The Alpine A110's interior looks pretty special at first glance. There's leather on the steering wheel, doors and dashboard, as well as a sprinkling of carbon fibre trim. There are even bits of its aluminium chassis on show&nbsp;for a touch of racing car drama.

You don’t have to hunt hard to find cheaper materials, though. The interior plastics are textured, but most are hard to the touch, which is the price you pay for the car’s lightweight ethos. You might also recognise plenty of switches from various&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/renault">Renault</a> models. Overall, the A110 is nowhere near as plush inside as the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/porsche/cayman/coupe/review/n17361">Porsche Cayman</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/toyota/supra/coupe/review/n19387">Toyota Supra</a>.

The infotainment system is very poor, especially next to the Supra's excellent BMW-derived iDrive system. You get a relatively small and fuzzy 7.0in touchscreen mounted in the middle of the dash, with a DAB radio, Bluetooth connectivity and sat-nav. Fortunately, Alpine gives you <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/what-is-apple-carplay/n1193">Apple CarPlay</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/what-is-android-auto/n1194">Android Auto</a> smartphone mirroring as standard so you can connect your mobile and use its apps on the screen.

Most of the infotainment menus are relatively easy to understand, but the system is well behind the curve. The Bluetooth connection often fails and the screen icons are so small that you can't hope to hit them without a definite glance away from the road. The software is so slow at times that you can’t help seeing the irony: the fast-paced <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/best-sports-cars-2022/n24412">sports car</a>&nbsp;with a radio that&nbsp;takes an age to change station.

GT and S trims come with a punchier Focal sound system as standard. You can team that with an optional subwoofer for a bassier sound.&nbsp;

Every version of the A110&nbsp;has&nbsp;a height and reach-adjustable steering wheel. Pure and S trim get a lightweight driver's bucket seat while GT trim has a Comfort seat (it’s a cost option on the standard version). The bucket seat has a fixed backrest but is very supportive and the Comfort seat benefits from six-way adjustment to tailor your driving position more freely.

The appearance of the easy-to-read digital driver's instrument cluster changes depending on whether you're in Comfort, Sport or Track driving mode. Visibility isn't the A110's strongest suit, though. The view forwards and to the side isn’t too bad, but even by sports car standards, the tiny rear screen and thick rear roof pillars hamper what you can see out of the back.

All versions come with bright LED headlights. The S gets rear parking sensors, while GT trim has&nbsp;front and rear parking sensors, as well as a rear-view camera. If you want front sensors and a camera on S, or sensors and a camera on the entry-level A110, you can add them as options.

One of the most entertaining and rewarding sports cars you can buy – at any price.

Don’t be fooled by the Alpine A110’s diminutive dimensions. We promise that&nbsp;even if you're well over six feet tall, you'll fit without feeling hemmed in. That's because the seat is mounted low, there are humps in the roof to aid head room&nbsp;and the front seats slide back a long way.

Storage space is a much weaker point, though. There are no door bins or glovebox – all you have is&nbsp;a centre console&nbsp;between the seats with a tray for&nbsp;a smartphone, a wallet and a few other odds and ends. On top of the console is&nbsp;a slot that’s perfect for the car’s card-shaped key fob (or a mobile on charge), but the single cupholder at the other end is rather shallow. Drive with care if you’ve stopped to grab&nbsp;a hot&nbsp;takeaway coffee.

The optional Storage package merely adds a cargo net behind the driver’s seat and a small triangular shaped storage case mounted centrally behind the two seats. You could fit a pair of sunglasses in it but not much more.

Being mid-engined, the A110 has two boots – one at the front, and one at the back. Don’t get too excited, though:&nbsp;the front boot is very shallow and can take only one carry-on suitcase. The rear one is hampered by a tiny opening but is big enough for a squishy overnight bag if you squeeze it in. 

We wouldn’t advise sticking your picnic in there because it gets pretty warm when the engine’s running, and don’t even think about offering your golfing partner a lift. The only space for a set of clubs is on the front passenger seat.

a110

The GT adds a more luxurious feel, with brown leather on the seats and dash, an upgraded sound system by Focal, sports exhaust, larger 18in alloy wheels, blue brake calipers, front and rear parking sensors, and a rear-view camera.

This is the sportiest A110 available, with matte black 18in alloy wheels, orange brake calipers, part-leather and suede seats, sports suspension, rear parking sensors, a sports exhaust, aluminium pedals and an upgraded sound system.

The Alpine A110 is one of the most entertaining and rewarding sports cars you can buy – at any price. Being ultra-lightweight means that, despite its relatively small engine, performance won't disappoint, while at the same time it feels incredibly nimble. It also has some of the best predicted resale values of any car on sale. The Porsche Cayman has higher limits that mean, ultimately, it's more capable, but the A110 is at least as much fun on the road as the Cayman – or any other sports car for that matter.

<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Strong performance</li> <li>Good balance between ride and handling</li> <li>Excellent build quality</li> <li>Decent practicality</li> <li>Sophisticated interior</li></ul>

Coupés are all about style, but while practicality undoubtedly takes a back seat to aesthetics, these cars still need to be easy to live with on a daily basis. It’s this that distinguishes a coupé from an out-and-out sports car.

Fortunately, there’s a wide range of style-focused models available, and you don’t even need to spend silly money to buy or run one.

For a blend of&nbsp;rock-solid resale values, punchy engines and an interior to die for,&nbsp;the Audi TT is a brilliant option. But the Mercedes CLA offers plenty of style and substance to match, while the Aston Martin DB11 will give you serious performance.

Alpine A110 review

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Buying advice for the Alpine A110 covering running costs, MPG, Fuel Economy, Reliability and Safety, from the expert What Car? review team.

The entry-level Alpine A110 trim is the one to go for – this sports coupé is more about the driving experience than the fripperies. It comes with part-suede and part-leather-trimmed seats, cruise control and climate control, and can be identified by the 17in alloy wheels and grey brake calipers.,A sports exhaust, 18in wheels and upgraded brakes are available from the options list. It's not cheap, but it is priced pretty close to the entry-level Porsche Cayman and is predicted to have even better resale values.,GT trim brings some extra power along with the added convenience of the parking aids and extra seat adjustments. It also adds 18in alloy wheels, blue brake calipers, brown leather seats and dashboard, power-folding door mirrors, ambient lighting, a suede headlining, a sports exhaust and aluminium pedals.The hardcore S has stiffer suspension, suede roof-lining, part-leather seat trim with contrasting orange stitching, black 18in alloy wheels and uprated Brembo brakes with orange calipers.All A110s get a three-year, 60,000-mile warranty. The Cayman has no mileage limit, but the A110 should be more affordable to run because its low weight is great for fuel consumption. Even the S managed to average 34.3mpg in our test, which is very respectable for a sports car.,,There isn’t a Euro NCAP safety rating for the A110, although you could argue that its fine handling is enough to get you out of trouble. It’s still a shame that a modern car comes without automatic emergency braking (AEB) and lane-keep assistance – although the same is true of the Cayman. The A110 only lists a driver and passenger airbag, whereas the Cayman has a tally of six.For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here

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