by Wallace Wyss –
Renault has brought back the Renault Alpine A110, a two seat coupe similar to the Porsche Cayman and Audi TT. Its chief plus is the light weight. Would you believe 1,100kg (depending on the version chosen). That’s only 3/4 the weight of the aforementioned Porsche or Audi.
They got that through an aluminum bodied, aluminum chassis arrangement. The engine is an in line four 1.8-liters turbocharged. The A110 has 249bhp or the optional S model has 288bhp. Both versions producing 236 lb ft of torque and promising a 0-62 mph time in the low four seconds. The S cost 10,000 British pounds more over the 49,000 Pounds sterling for the base model.
The engine is mounted behind the seats (though they don’t say if behind the rear axle) and the rear wheel drive car has a seven-speed Getrag automatic double clutch gearbox.
It was 22 years ago that the last original Alpine was made so this new one might turn out to be memorable.
DESIGN CRITIQUE
FRONT Nose has the original flavor of the original even down to the fog lamps faired in.
SIDE Original flavor also carried over to the side profile though it seems taller than the original cars I remember.
REAR Here’s where they lost it. Too fat and tall and the tailight area could be off a Camaro, nothing French looking.
INTERIOR Quilted upholstery looks sporty. Computer screen small. Layout of controls looks racy, hope it’s in the spirit of the original racer.
IN SUM Going retro can work. But on this car it’s not as long and lean as the original. Unless the performance is outstanding, I can’t see this car as being worth the 22 year wait to bring it back.
Do we wish it was available in the USA?
Let us know what you think in the Comments.
THE AUTHOR: Wallace Wyss is co-host of Autotalk, a weekly radio show broadcast weekly from KUCR-FM Riverside.
Would rather have the original A110. Too many gadgets and electronics for my taste. The Gordini pushrod 4 (with hemi head) was a very cool motor. It wasn’t about the power. It was about the balance back then.
Lovely looking modern car introduced in 2017. Lots of stylistic homage to the original A110. Earlier in 2020, there were reports that unless Renault received State Aid, there was doubt over the future of the Dieppe, France factory where the A110 has been produced. Have any of the modern A110s ever made it to the USA?
Still wanted a Renault Alpine GTA, few come up for sale here and there