Alpine Australia is excited to announce that the all-new A110 Australian Premiere Edition has arrived and is on display at Motorclassica 2018, at the Melbourne Exhibition Building.
Andrew Moore, Managing Director, Alpine Australia, said: “Unveiling the Alpine here today, on Australian soil, we are thrilled to present the Alpine A110 Australian Premiere Edition – a truly magnificent sports car.
Motorclassica 2018
“We are delighted to have the opportunity to showcase the classic heritage of the brand to the Australian public at Motorclassica. To have the 1969 iconic A110 next to our reimagined A110 Australian Premiere Edition, we are providing Australians with a poignant introduction to this new brand and just beginning to give them an idea of what a unique and exciting journey lies ahead,” Andrew Moore said.
“More than half of the sixty Australian Premiere Edition have already been sold, and the passion these customers have for the brand is impressive. We look forward to building on the rich heritage here in Australia.” Said Andrew Moore said.
Conceived as a standalone business unit within Groupe Renault, Alpine has an ambitious long-term strategy that invokes the vision and determination of its founder, Jean Rédélé.
As well as a rich heritage in building agile, lightweight sports cars that are in their element on winding mountain roads, Alpine is also well-known for competing at the highest level of international motorsport. Its crowning glories include winning the 1973 World Rally Championship title and outright victory at the 1978 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The first new model for two decades, the A110 Première Edition marked the relaunch of Alpine in Europe. For Australia the brand makes its debut down under with the A110 Australian Premiere Edition.
Alpine A110
The Alpine A110 is a lightweight, elegant sports coupé that signals the rebirth of the Alpine name.
True to Alpine’s DNA, the A110 places absolute agility and driving pleasure front and centre, without compromising on everyday comfort.
Designed and manufactured in France, the mid-rear engined, two-seater coupé features aluminium construction to keep weight to a minimum. The new Alpine has a 0-100km/h time of just 4.5 seconds and a weight distribution of 44:56 making it incredibly agile to drive.
The A110 has benefited from the expertise of Renault Sport and is powered by a turbocharged 1.8-litre petrol engine. The engine delivers thrilling performance, developing 185kW (252hp) and 320Nm and, like all Alpines, it is rear-wheel drive.
Double wishbone suspension all around ensures all versions of the A110 exhibit the dynamic poise and responsiveness of a true Alpine.
Technical Details
- Lightweight aluminium construction
- Double-wishbone suspension all round
- Mid-rear mounted 185kW turbocharged engine
- Absolute agility and driving pleasure combined with everyday comfort
Aluminium construction
Lightweight, agile and rewarding to drive, the A110 Australian Premiere Edition is above all else a true Alpine. Designed from a blank sheet it has been engineered to thrill and engage the driver at all speeds, prioritising driving pleasure above lap times and outright power.
It does this without compromising on everyday comfort, and it can be enjoyed by drivers at all levels of experience or ability.
Its lightweight construction, low roll centre and outstanding weight distribution allow the driver to feel at one with the machine. The aluminium chassis and bodywork form the basis for the A110’s poise and agility.
Bonded and riveted to reduce weight even further, the compact aluminium body offers the best possible balance between rigidity, weight and build quality. At just 1094kg the lightweight A110 occupies its own niche within the sports car segment, offering a uniquely engaging driving experience.
Additional weight saving measures include aluminium suspension components, very lightweight Sabelt sports seats that weigh just 13.1kg each and, in a world first application, Brembo brakes that incorporate the parking brake into the main rear calliper. This alone saves 2.5kg.
Advanced double-wishbone suspension
As well as the lightweight construction, the A110 owes its agility to the all-round double-wishbone suspension layout. Whereas most cars in the premium sports car segment use simpler strut-type suspension systems, Alpine’s engineers favoured a double-wishbone arrangement for the multitude of ride and handling advantages it confers.
The first advantage is linear suspension kinematics. As the car rolls during cornering, the double-wishbone suspension enables the tyre contact patches to remain flat to the road surface, meaning they generate a strong and consistent level of grip.
The harder the car corners, the more firmly the tyres are pressed into the road surface and the more grip they generate. Conversely, a strut arrangement would cause the tyres to tilt into positive camber where they lose grip, causing the car to slide.
This precise control of wheel camber means the engineers can use lightweight, hollow anti-roll bars, because there’s no need to fight the car’s natural roll tendency. The use of double-wishbones also means the car has relatively long wheel travel and, because the A110 is so light, the coil springs can be reasonably soft.
As a result the car has a very comfortable ride quality and supreme bump absorption capabilities, while still being characteristically agile and responsive, with no need for adaptive dampers.
With the chassis working so effectively to generate cornering grip, the engineers have been able to fit relatively modest tyres. The Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres measure 205/40 R18 at the front and 235/40 R18 at the rear.
They are mounted on forged 18-inch Otto Fuchs wheels, which reduce unsprung weight. The modest tyres, meanwhile, ensure the A110 has very progressive breakaway characteristics. This makes the car fun and rewarding to drive even at low and medium speeds for drivers at all levels of ability.
A pleasure to drive and comfortable everyday
The A110’s 44:56 weight distribution – perfect for a rear-mid-engined sports coupé – is helped by the fuel tank being located immediately behind the front axle line. This means the A110 is perfectly balanced in cornering and the driver feels at one with the car at all times. With its very pliant ride quality and suite of driver aids – including ABS, traction control and stability control – the A110 remains useable, safe and comfortable day-to-day.
The 100-litre storage space in the front is generous enough to accept a pair of airline carry-on cases side-by-side, while the 96-litre rear storage compartment can accommodate two full-face helmets plus an overnight bag.
Supplied by renowned brake specialists Brembo, the A110’s 320mm brake discs with four-piston aluminium callipers on the front axle provide strong and durable stopping power.
The stability control system, meanwhile, features an intermediate Sport mode, as well as a Track setting that allows a little more wheel slip before intervening, giving a more engaging yet secure drive. For track use, the ESC system can be disabled fully regardless of the selected driving mode.
The three driving modes are Normal, Sport and Track. As the driver switches up through the modes such parameters as throttle response, steering assistance, gearshift speeds, exhaust sound and stability control intervention are all adapted to deliver a sharper, more thrilling and more emotional driving experience.
The 10-inch digital TFT display within the instrument binnacle also changes with each driving mode, favouring the rev counter, gear display and gear shift lights in Sport and Track.
Turbocharged performance
With its active central exit sports exhaust – standard equipment on the Australian Premiere Edition – the A110 combines day-to-day civility in Normal mode with a stirring, authentic sports car soundtrack in Sport and Track modes.
The turbocharged 1.8-litre direct injection four-cylinder engine – customised by Alpine with specific intake, exhaust, and turbo systems plus bespoke calibration – develops a maximum power output of 185kW at 6,000rpm, with 320Nm of torque from just 2,000rpm.
The responsive, energetic in-line engine delivers its power to the rear wheels via a wet clutch seven-speed Getrag dual-clutch transmission, which features Alpine-specific ratios.
The gearbox offers fast shift speeds and combines a manual function – in which the driver can change gears using the aluminium paddles – with an effortless automatic mode.
The brake-based electronic differential function, often referred to as ‘brake vectoring’, delivers superb traction even in slippery conditions.
The car’s excellent power to weight ratio (169kW/tonne), plus a launch control function, enables the A110 to sprint to 100km/h in 4.5 seconds. Its top speed is electronically limited to 250km/h. The lightweight construction ensures excellent fuel efficiency (6.2l/100km combined cycle) and low CO2 emissions (137g/km), too.
Functional aerodynamics
With a flat underbody and functional rear diffuser, the car’s carefully crafted aerodynamics eliminate the need for a rear spoiler. This preserves the A110’s elegant, timeless silhouette. Air inlets in the front bumper, meanwhile, create a curtain around the front wheels, improving air flow and reducing drag.
Another one of the car’s important characteristics is its very small frontal area. Compact dimensions and relatively narrow tyres mean the A110 generates minimal drag. This improves both acceleration at higher speeds and fuel efficiency.
High level of standard equipment
The limited edition A110 Australian Premiere Edition comes very highly specified as standard. There is no options list – and the colour choice is simple – Alpine Blue.
Included on each A110 Australian Premiere Edition are lightweight 18-inch Otto Fuchs forged aluminium wheels, an active sports exhaust, Focal audio system, carbon fibre interior accents, brushed aluminium pedals and footrests, leather-trimmed Sabelt one-piece sports seats, a numbered Australian Premiere Edition (XX/60) plaque on the centre console and tasteful Tricolore badges on the rear pillars.
David Twohig, Alpine’s Chief Engineer, comments: “The A110’s agility is all down to its lightweight construction and double-wishbone suspension. Those two aspects are at the heart of what makes the car such a pleasure to drive. Keeping the weight below 1,100kg means we can get away with using a relatively small engine and reasonable wheels and tyres, all of which helps to keep the weight down even further. It’s a virtuous cycle.
“The same is true of the double-wishbone suspension front and rear. We don’t have to fight the roll of the car in cornering, which means we can use relatively light springs and anti-roll bars. That means the car rides really well even on a very bumpy road. The sensation in cornering is like that of carving on skis – the harder you push, the more grip you have.”
Laurent Hurgon, Chief Test and Development Driver, adds: “What is most important for me is that you don’t have to be a racing driver to enjoy the A110 and you don’t have to drive very quickly for it to be thrilling. It is also very comfortable to drive every day. For more experienced drivers, though, its performance is at a very high level.
“The A110 is a road car, but because it is so light and agile it is very good to drive on the race track as well. You can use this car to drive to work, to have fun on some mountain roads and also on the circuit.”
Design and Interior
- A110 Australian Premiere Edition inspired by classic Alpines
- ‘X’-shaped LED taillights underline modern engineering and performance
- Generous cabin space despite compact exterior dimensions
- Highly specified cabin ensures everyday comfort
Inspired by the original A110 Berlinette, Alpine’s most iconic model, the A110 forms a link between the brand’s heritage and its future. Led by Frenchman Antony Villain, the design team set out to capture the spirit of Alpine in the new car while also creating a design language that would stand the test of time.
The twin front headlights, sculpted flanks, distinctive bonnet spine and wraparound rear screen are clearly borrowed from the A110 Berlinette, while the LED running lights and ‘X’-shaped LED taillights, with dynamic turn indicators, hint at the car’s modern day engineering and performance.
The single, graceful line that flows from the very front of the car to the rear, meanwhile, is a signature Alpine design feature. With very few technical restraints to work around and an open design brief, the designers were able to realise a beautiful, elegant shape that’s instantly recognisable as an Alpine.
The car’s clean, uncluttered silhouette has been achieved by working in parallel with the engineering team. A completely flat underside and functional diffuser mean there’s no need for a rear spoiler. And although the exterior dimensions are very compact, contributing to the car’s agility, the cabin still offers enough space for taller drivers to sit comfortably, even if they’re wearing a helmet.
Access to the high-quality cabin is among the best in the sports car sector thanks to the low and narrow sill, while the interior itself reflects the A110’s lightweight construction. The floating centre console and exposed seat brackets give a sense of purpose and lightness, while the leather-trimmed Sabelt sports seats keep weight to a minimum. The Focal stereo, meanwhile, uses speakers that incorporate patented flax cone technology, giving a pure and detailed sound, while the aluminium pedals and passenger footplate mirror the car’s lightweight aluminium construction.
Each A110 Australian Premiere Edition comes fully-equipped as standard, underlining the car’s day-to-day usability. Satellite navigation, climate control and cruise control ensure the A110 Australian Premiere Edition is as effortless in everyday use as it is fun to drive. The Alpine Telemetrics, meanwhile, allows drivers to record lap times on track days and store performance driving data.
The A110 Australian Premiere Edition also comes equipped with MySpin mobile phone connectivity, which ‘mirrors’ the driver’s smartphone to allow safe and simple use when on the move, further underlining the car’s day-to-day usability.
Antony Villain, Head of Design, Alpine, comments: “As a car enthusiast, designing a new Alpine was a dream opportunity. The A110 Berlinette is such an iconic car that it was natural to use it as a reference for the new model.
We wondered; if the A110 never went away, if this new car was the sixth or seventh generation A110, what would it look like? It was important to make the link to the past, but the design also has to look to the future of Alpine and reflect the car’s modernity.
“The first thing I did when we started on the project in 2012 was to organise a workshop. I took my team to visit the Jean Rédélé Collection in Paris, where 30 or so classic Alpines are stored – A110s, A310s, Le Mans cars and so on. I asked my designers to sketch each car very quickly, in just 30 seconds. The idea was to capture the main features of an Alpine, to discover the DNA and mood of the brand.
“That’s how we identified the important elements – the headlamps, the spine over the bonnet and the sculpted sides, and also the single line that runs from the front to the rear and the very low tail section with the wide wheel arches, which gives a very specific stance. All of those features are on the A110 today, which helps to make the car a true Alpine.”
Australian Premiere Edition
Unveiled on stand 305 at Motorclassica, the Australian Premiere Edition launch celebrates the arrival of the Brand down under. Limited to just 60 examples, the Australian Premiere Edition boasts all of the driving prowess of the Alpine A110 combined with an impressive level of standard equipment.
High-performance front and rear Brembo bi-material brakes are fitted as standard and devised to cool quickly even in dynamic conditions. The active-valve sports exhaust with engine noise tailored to the selected driving mode and speed is designed to enhance the driving experience in the cabin. The Sabelt one-piece bucket seats with lightweight design in leather and microfibre tip the scales at just 13.1kg each and enhance the A110’s lightweight design.
The impressive standard equipment list includes 18-inch Fuchs forged wheels – forged to enhance strength and reduce weight. In addition, there are rear parking sensors, blue Alpine logo in the centre of the steering wheel, blue Alpine brake callipers, aluminium brake and accelerator pedals with matching footrest and Focal audio system.
The Alpine A110 Australian Premiere Edition will have an RRP of $106,500 excluding on-road and statutory charges. Each vehicle will have an individually numbered plaque to celebrate its debut in Australia and deliveries will commence in October, 2018.
Alpine Range: Pure and Legende
Arriving in early 2019, will be the Pure and Legende. Each with their own distinct personalities, these models broaden the scope of the A110 sports car. Beneath the surface both versions share their lightweight aluminium structure, turbocharged powertrain and suspension settings with the Australian Premiere Edition, meaning they remain true to Alpine’s core principles of absolute agility, thrilling performance and handling precision.
The A110 Pure is destined to live its life on winding mountain roads while the A110 Legende is the grand tourer of the range, with effortless everyday usability pushed to the fore.
A choice of six colour finishes will be available on the Alpine Legende and Pure range. Both models are now available to order and will commence deliveries in Q1, 2019.
Dealerships
Alpine will be sold in Australia through an exclusive network of dedicated Alpine dealerships. The first dealership is Brighton Alpine which will have a dedicated showroom alongside its existing Renault facility on Nepean Hwy, Brighton VIC.
All Alpine dealers will be staffed by highly trained, specialised and knowledgeable consultants. Further announcements about the network will be made in due course.
Reservations
Customers can reserve their Alpine A110 production slot either by contacting Brighton Alpine directly or by downloading the Alpine application. Interested buyers can contact Brighton Alpine on (03) 9070 6199 or Alpine Australia on (03) 8595 2922. Alternatively they can email info@alpinecars.com.au.
About Alpine
Alpine was founded in 1955 by Jean Rédélé, a young man passionate about motorsports. The Alpine name became legendary when the Alpine A110 ‘Berlinette’ won the 1971 and 1973 Monte Carlo Rallies. Today, Alpine is back with the new A110, a sports car faithful to Alpine’s timeless principles of compactness, lightness and agility, with one promise: driving pleasure.
