Alpine A110: Do You Remember What Driving Feels Like?
Less really is more, especially when it’s French, rear-wheel drive and utterly unbothered by modern nonsense.
Alpine A110
Predictive damping, torque vectoring, regenerative braking and active aero might all sound well and good but what if you just want less of all that? What if you just want to reconnect with the outright physics of driving again? Enter the A110: a lightweight, mid-engined, rear-wheel-drive sports car that does away with all of the above.
Back in 2017, this car had a noticeably clear brief: keep it light, keep it low and keep it sharp. Built almost entirely from aluminium (body, chassis, wishbones and all), the A110 tips the scales at just 1,102kg, which is positively featherweight by today's standards. That’s nearly half a ton lighter than some of its lightest rivals and you can’t help but feel that in every corner, every change of direction, every dab of throttle.
It’s powered by a compact 1.8-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, tucked neatly behind your shoulders. The numbers are respectable rather than ridiculous. 252 horsepower, 320Nm of torque, 0–62mph in 4.5 seconds and a top speed of 155mph is not going to wow your family and friends but if you’re here for the specs, you’ve missed the point. This car was never built to be the fastest. It was built to feel the fastest.
And what I mean by that is the applicable levels of performance you get is insane. The steering is light, quick and deliciously talkative. It tells you everything, when the tyres are loading up, when they’re losing traction, when they’re singing. And it does so without any filters.
The chassis, meanwhile, is a masterclass in its own right - trust me. It talks only in three dimensions, being yaw, pitch and roll. Double wishbones all round complete the deal giving you an impeccable level of balance, control, minimal lean and maximum traction.
Push it to its limits and the A110 responds with gritted teeth. There’s no digital safety net or second-guessing, nobody in the background checking the maths. Instead, you learn to lean on it. You find the grip, feel when it’s about to let go and dance along that line with total clarity. Braking, turning in, feeding the throttle, it will become so instinctive, I promise you.
In any conditions, the car intensifies when you want it to. The gearbox fires through shifts with intent and the engine note hardens into a lean, aggressive snarl. No gimmicks, no digital fireworks, just a raw, unfiltered soundtrack of a car that’s straining at the leash. It’s precise, it’s urgent and it’s very much in my top 10.
Thankfully, Alpine are not the only one doing this sort of thing of course. There are still a handful of others who still believe in the gospel of less: Morgan’s Supersport, Ariel’s Atom and Lotus’s Emira are all machines born of the same idea that driving should be a physical experience, not a software-led simulation. But even in that rarefied company, the Alpine A110 stands out because of the unbelievable price point (just £50k).
Step inside and the Alpine continues its theme of unfussy focus. You sit low, exceptionally low in a fixed-back Sabelt bucket seat. The driving position is excellent and while the interior won’t win awards for luxury, you don’t care. There’s stitched leather, some brushed metal and a few soft-touch plastics to consider. The infotainment is pretty basic (it has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto) but the rev counter is the only thing in which you’ll be interested in.
There are quirks. The cruise control toggle lives awkwardly on the centre console and the key and steering wheel radio controls look like they came from a 2004 Renault Megane. The window switches are also perilously placed right next to the electronic handbrake switch. But rather than feel like flaws, these quirks lend to the A110’s charm.
You don’t buy an A110 for its boot space either. There’s 100 litres up front and another 96 behind the seats. Enough for a weekend away, just. If your idea of travel includes suitcases and pushchairs, you’ll want something else. But if your idea of joy is an early morning B-road and a full tank of super unleaded, you will be in your happy place.
This is a car for people who value the feel of progress. While the industry careers towards bigger batteries, louder soundtracks and ever more aggressive styling, Alpine has quietly doubled down on the art of driving. No bloated power figures. No over-styled nonsense. Just a pure, instinctive, seat-of-your-pants connection between car and driver.
It helps that it looks fantastic, too. The design is a respectful nod to the original A110 rally hero with its twin headlamps, curvaceous bodywork and compact proportions but it avoids becoming a retro pastiche. In Abyss Blue, it’s especially handsome. Low, poised and just the right side of flamboyant, it still looks like something you’d find winding its way through the Alps with a cigarette livery in the 60’s.
If you want to remember what it feels like to be at one with a car, this is the one. It’s a celebration of simplicity. Of driving for the sake of it. Of the joy of moving quickly through a bend with nothing but your hands, feet and instincts doing the work.
https://www.alpine-cars.co.uk/
Model: Alpine A110.
Base Price (OTR / As Driven): £54,490 / £55,330.
Propulsion: 1.8-litre, 4-Cylinder Turbocharged.
Drivetrain: Rear-Wheel Drive.
Transmission: 7-speed DCT.
Output: 252 hp.
Torque: 320 Nm.
Kerb Weight: 1,102 kg.
0-62 mph: 4.5 Seconds.
Top Speed: 155 mph.
Consumption (WLTP): 40.3 – 42.1 mpg.
C02 Emission: 152 - 157 g/km.
