Alpine has unveiled its latest offering, the A110 R, which is lighter and adds a motorsport focus to its mid-engine sports car. The automaker claims the A110 R is up to 34kg lighter at just 1,082kg, while the reworked body balances improved downforce and reduced drag.
Alphine A110 R With 300 hp And 0-100 km/h in 3.9s
It's the latest in the brand's lineup of mid-engined models, which started with the A110 debuting in 2017 and later followed with the A110 S with a more powerful 292 PS version of the 1.8-liter turbocharged inline-four engine. The sports car range was updated at the end of 2021 for the 2022 model year, with the A110 S and GT variants again being upgraded to 300 PS.
The A110 R gets improved exterior body components, including a new bonnet, side skirts, rear window and diffuser, as well as a rear swan neck spoiler, a flat bottom, and carbon fibre wheels for improved cornering and high-speed stability, said Alpine.
The revised exterior of the A110 R gives the track-focused Alpine more rear downforce than the A110 S fitted with the aero kit, the A110 R brings an extra 29kg of downforce at top speed and is now higher at 285 km/h. At the same time, the drag of its track setting is also reduced by 5%.
The powertrain remains a 1.8-litre turbocharged inline-four petrol engine producing 300 PS at 6,300 rpm and 340 Nm of torque from 2,400 rpm, sent to the rear wheels via a seven-speed wet dual-clutch automatic gearbox which achieved from zero to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds.
Compared to the A110 S, the default setting for the A110 R is 10mm lower, and the R can be lowered by a further 10mm. The anti-roll bars are now 10 percent stiffer at the front, 25 percent stiffer at the rear, and the springs are 10 percent stiffer front and rear. Meanwhile, the A110 R dampers adjust compression and rebound with over 20 clicks of adjustments.
Rolling stock is a set of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, 215/40R18 front and 245/40R18 rear, with 320mm composite Brembo disc brakes. According to Alpine, additional brake cooling scoops on the upper arms of the two front suspensions and ducts in the body help improve brake cooling by 20 percent.
The A110 R offers three driving modes – Normal, Sport and Track, the latter offering track-specific stability control settings. There is also a mode that turns off the ESC completely.
The Alpine A110 R also features a double-wall exhaust system that omits the car's exhaust valves to produce a more harmonious sound, amplified by replacing internal glass partitions with cut-aluminium partitions, removing engine bay sound insulation, and the retention of the engine air intake resonator.
Inside, the A110 R is fitted with Sabelt Track carbon fibre bucket seats with six-point harnesses, and the seats are also equipped with seat belt reminders. The interior is made entirely of microfiber fabric, with grey contrasting stitching and red fabric drawstrings on the doors in place of traditional door handles.
The A110 R's infotainment screen also features Alpine Telemetrics, which uses pressure gauges and histograms to display parameters such as turbo pressure, transmission temperature, torque and power output, steering wheel angle, and an accelerometer. An included chronograph can record timed track driving sessions.