The Complete History of the Alpine A110: A "Mini-McLaren" You Can't Have

The Alpine A110: A Modern Sports Car Redefined

• 💡 The Alpine A110 is presented as a modern sports car that defies common misconceptions about lightweight vehicles, proving that modern cars can be lightweight.
• 🎯 It's compared to a "Fisher-Price my first McLaren," highlighting its philosophy and driving experience similar to a McLaren, despite being French.
• 🔑 The car's lightness is a core principle, with the modern A110 weighing just 2,493 lb, significantly less than comparable sports cars.

Historical Roots of Alpine

• 🚀 Alpine, Renault's racing division, has a history dating back to the early 20th century, with founder Jean Rédélé achieving success in rallies.
• 🚗 Early models like the A106 and A108 were based on Renault sedans, evolving into the A110 which featured an Alpine-designed, Lotus-like backbone chassis.
• 🏆 The original A110 achieved significant motorsport success, including winning the inaugural season of the World Rally Championship.

The Original A110's Magic

• ✨ The original A110 was lauded for its lightness (Légèreté), speed, build quality, ride quality, and exceptional handling.
• ⚙️ Its high-revving Renault four-cylinder engine, though small, provided impressive performance, with road testers praising its willingness to rev beyond 7,500 RPM.
• 🏁 The handling was described as defying rational explanation, with a supple ride quality and a finely finished interior, making it a tailored suit in a sea of coveralls.

Modern A110: A Spiritual Successor

• 🌟 The modern A110, launched in 2017, shares many styling cues with its predecessor and maintains the lightweight philosophy with an aluminum chassis.
• 🏎️ It features a Nissan-sourced 1.8L turbocharged 4-cylinder engine and a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, offering performance comparable to heavier, more powerful cars.
• 🛣️ The driving position, brake feel, and magnificent ride quality are compared to a McLaren, though its sensitivity to crosswinds on highways is noted.

Availability and Future of Alpine

• ⚠️ Despite its merits, the A110's pricing in other markets makes it a hard sell rationally compared to competitors like the Porsche Cayman.
• 🇺🇸 The car is not available in the US, and its planned replacement, a joint venture with Lotus, has been canceled, with the future model slated to be all-electric.
• ⏳ The video suggests that for US enthusiasts, the best bet is to save money now for when the A110 becomes eligible for import in 25 years.