Alpine A110 - French sports car road test - Sports Cars
Content
Alpine A110 - French sports car road test - Sports Cars
The Alpine A110 is a true sports car capable of driving delight when parked. But it's not as extreme as you think.
I have been waiting for this moment for a very long time. Since I saw the first photosAlpine A110, two years ago, my salivation increased, and my expectations grew disproportionately. Not only because it is a modern interpretation of the iconic A110, the queen of rallying in the 60s, but because I love this kind of sports car. Rear-wheel drive, mid-engine, light weight and (relatively) modest power: simple car focused on driving pleasure. A bit like the Lotus Elise, Alfa Romeo 4C and Porsche Cayman. Cars designed to beat straight to the heart and bring out smiles with 32 teeth every time the road winds and the traffic disappears.
Mechanics A110 is Renaultas well as the engine 1.8 turbo with 252 hp... At just over € 50.000, the Alpine is also a relatively affordable and economical car to maintain. It forces you to pay only one kilowatt of super cash and, with careful guidance, only drinks 6 liters of gasoline for every 100 km, on average about 17-18 km / l... Not bad for a sports coupe.
APPEARANCE CHANGES
With gray skies and this moist shell around the body,Alpine A110 blue dazzles like a flashlight aimed at the eyes. It has that miniature supercar that makes it sexy but not intimidating. This is without a doubt a successful remake, it does justice to the original A110 from the 60s, but it correctly, without exaggeration, presents modern elements.
I really like the three-quarter rear view with these "little Aston" optics, some of the most beautiful I've seen in years. It's not as snazzy as the Alfa Romeo 4C, but close to it.
вHowever, it is better. Even with Renault's heavy imprint, it manages to find its own, more distinctive style: the center tunnel is a sculpture, while the soft colored panel doors and the stitching dashboard exude quality. Is not cockpit There really is cruise control down to the bone, a true infotainment system (very complete) and a great audio system. If I want to be picky, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are missing.
La Driving Position I like it so much: extended legs and beautiful equipment above. The seat only moves forward and backward, but the small, slightly cropped steering wheel adjusts widely to allow for a low and generally comfortable seat.
DAILY SATELLITE
The first kilometers are encouraging: the steering wheel is light, 7-speed dual-clutch transmission (the only choice) sweet and fast. Everything seems to work like a Swiss watch; fabulous. Hiss and roll are well insulated, but the engine and drivetrain hiss keep you company.
The three suggested driving modes (normal, sport and racing) affect the transmission, engine, exhaust sound and electronic systems, but do not change the setting. However, bumps and holes are easier to digest than expected, and walking around town is comfortable and smooth. It is a lightweight vehicle capable of immediately delivering an excellent sense of agility and handling, a feel enhanced by very fast steering and a low seat.
Il four-cylinder 1,8-liter turbo (the same as on the Mégane RS) growls and blows at every gas pressure, which corresponds to an immediate and progressive thrust. This is not a classic turbocharged engine that picks up mid-range torque and then shuts down when pleasure comes, instead it hits the limiter with a huge thirst for revs. It is noisy but civilian in normal mode, but just switch to sports (or racing) to enjoy the metal barking along with barrels and fireworks. This is Sonora Column really wild and exciting.
SPORTY BUT NOT EREMA
I leave the city and choose more interesting roads. The one that leads to the top MottaroneFor example, the special stage "Rally del Rubinetto", which is a successful combination of tight and fast. If the Alpine A1110 has malfunctions, then it will definitely pop up.
I really like her steering lightweight, fast and communicative. This allows you to walk around your tablet without worry. IN Speed, sweetly in a quieter mode, in a "race" it becomes almost harsh, with a fake, but noticeable, stab in the back with every gear change. The paddles are long and attached to the stem as it should be in any sport. Even when downshifting, the changes take place immediately, so I start braking very late, without any restrictions, plucking out the fingerprints on the left lever.
The asphalt is cold today but the grip of the tires Pirelli P-Zero this is cool. In the "race" mode, the electronics leave the rear free to move, but in reality differential electronic self-locking (which slows down a wheel with less grip by acting on the brake discs) is not very satisfying. This can trigger a traverse, but when you try to extend it, no power is supplied and the car crashes, for example, when you ask Siri for something it cannot do. And this is a little annoying. Then, when the bottom becomes slippery, the system turns into a crisis a little, and the rear becomes nervous and indecisive. This is a shame because mechanical self-locking would be a key ingredient in an already delicious recipe. Also there braking it's far from ideal. The braking power is good (which is facilitated by the low weight of the car), but it takes a little for the pedal to bounce and hear the discs asking to stop. Although they actually resisted violence well. Let's say the implant is enough, but it does not shine.
The good news is that the Alpine A110 she instills confidence and is incredibly sincere, even when the controls are off, leaving plenty of room for fun and little room for the fear of pinning her to a tree. The thrust of the engine matches the chassis perfectly, and in this close combination, you soon find yourself playing with the brake and gas to make it spin on its own. In fact, the Alpine is very sensitive to engine cranking, so much so that at times it almost feels like driving a front-engined, front-wheel-drive sports compact car. When mixed quickly, however, this mobile back saves you a lot of work, even if it's easy to operate.
The only unpleasant feeling is felt in quick change of directionwhere the car starts to sway and float. The shock absorbers do not provide enough control, and when driving to the limit, there is a need for a more restrained and measured car. On the other hand, a more extreme setting will make it more uncomfortable and sharper in reaction, so its sporty side will be absent every day.
CONCLUSIONS
TheAlpine A110 It is not that extreme sport that her appearance, her name and her origins suggest. It's fun, intuitive, the stage setting is like a car and the soundtrack is great. It is also a snuggly car, quite comfortable, suitable for both running on mountain roads and going shopping. The interiors do not betray Renault's origins, but are satisfactorily crafted and help digest the price. THE 55.000 euros on the list make Alpine compare itself to the mid-engined sports car of this line: a clean and spartan Lotus Elise, sharp and noisy Alfa Romeo 4C and very balanced and comfortable Porsche 718 Cyan. The Frenchwoman finds a clear dimension, taking all the good from each of her rivals, and the result is undoubtedly convincing. It has the softest tuning of all the cars mentioned, which in some ways makes it look like Mazda MX-5, It has sound and almost the same stage design as the Alfa Romeo 4C, but more refined and complete. As far as the vitality of the cabin is concerned, the Porsche Cayman is perhaps the closest thing to it, even if the quality falls short of German levels.
However, its disadvantage is not unimportant, given the type of car - driving to the limit. It suffers from a lack of tighter set-up, more efficient brakes, and a differential worthy of its name. Here the ideal solution would be a "track-pack". Alpine right?
TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION
DATA
| engine | 1798 cc, in-line 4, turbo |
| Potenza | 252 Cv in 6.000 weights |
| couple | From 320 Nm to 2.000 inputs |
| broadcast | 7-speed automatic sequential dual clutch |
| 0-100 km / h | 4,5 seconds |
| maximum speed | 250 km / h |
| the weight | 1103 kg |
