Yahoo Autos Track-Ready Alpine A110 R Is the French Sports Car of Our Daydreams
The new Alpine A110 R is shaves 75 pounds off of the standard version of the French sports car.
While output remains at 300 hp, the R should be more deft on the race track thanks to a retuned suspension and a new carbon-fiber aero package that includes a larger rear diffuser.
The interior is decked out with Sabelt seats fashioned from carbon fiber, with six-point harnesses instead of standard belts.
There’s no shortage of sports cars available in the United States, from the razor-sharp Porsche 718 twins to the rowdy Subaru BRZ and the iconic Ford Mustang. But that doesn’t mean we still don’t lust after one of Europe’s finest coupes, the mid-engined Alpine A110, which has received heaps of praise for its lively handling, communicative steering, and compliant ride. Now Alpine has revealed a new motorsports-inspired version of the four-cylinder sports car, the A110 R, featuring more extreme styling and revisions geared towards track driving.
While the A110 was already a featherweight by modern standards, Alpine shaved another 75 pounds off to drop the curb weight to 2385 pounds, several hundred pounds lighter than the Boxster and Cayman. The carbon-fiber hood, redesigned with vents that improve aerodynamic efficiency, saves 6.4 pounds, while unique carbon-fiber wheels eliminate another 27.6 pounds. The rear window has also been replaced by a carbon-fiber piece with air intakes to feed the turbocharged 1.8-liter inline-four.
That four-pot makes 300 horsepower, the same as the standard A110, and sends those ponies rearwards via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The motor also churns out 251 pound-feet of torque, and Alpine claims the A110 R will hit 62 mph in 3.9 seconds, a few tenths quicker than tamer A110s. The R model sits 0.4 inch lower and can be lowered another 0.4 inch thanks to adjustable shock absorbers, while the anti-roll bars and springs are also stiffer. The A110 R also gets track-ready Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 semi-slick tires, and braking performance is boosted thanks to new Brembo clampers with an upgraded cooling system.
The aerodynamics have been reworked to increase downforce while lessening drag, and Alpine claims it utilized the wind-tunnel technology from its Formula 1 team. A wider and more chiseled diffuser built from carbon fiber and fiberglass sprouts vertical endplates on either side, which isolate the diffuser from "dirty" air coming off of the rear wheels. While the rear wing is the same shape as the standard car's, it’s positioned farther back and on swan-neck mounts that help reduce lift. Carbon-fiber side skirts also help aero efficiency and give the A110 R a more planted look. The rear generates 64 pounds more downforce at top speed compared to the A110 S Aero Kit, but Alpine also says drag is down by five percent, helping the claimed top speed increase to 177 mph.
Inside, the A110 R features carbon-fiber Sabelt seats that cut out 11 pounds and strap their passengers in with a six-point harness. The blue color seen on the outside of the car—the same hue used on the Formula 1 racer—decorates the doors, which also feature red door pulls. The rest of the cabin is covered in microfiber and carbon-fiber bits, while the infotainment system packs a telemetry system for analyzing technical data.
There’s no word on how much pricier the R model will be, but sadly we won’t be able to buy one anyway, since Alpine has no plans to enter the U.S. market anytime soon. We’ll have to resort to racing the A110 R in our dreams.
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