The A110: A Unique Test for Performance Cars

I have been driving the A110 and I am completely convinced that it is a unique test for any performance car, sports car, and indeed any car. When you factor in the weather, it's something completely different to taking a car to a circuit. You want a car that's stiff, doesn't roll, but this is like an extreme version of what most British roads are like. Here, you really need a car above everything else that can breathe with the road. It has to have damping built-in to it to cope with those surfaces.

We love the way it drives. This isn't a car that needs firm suspension or to keep its mass in check because it hasn't got a lot of mass to keep in check, that's the point. You can have this relaxed damping, this softer ride, and don't be confused – it doesn't make it any less capable. It doesn't make it any slower around the road on our horrible poth-holed, cambered, funny-crowned roads in the UK. The kind of roads where you can enjoy your driving, you need a car that works with them, that breathes with them and this car does.

When I'm at the wheel, the A110 feels like a genuine lightweight sports car because it just won't weigh me down. There is no substitute for a lightweight car. The way this A110 dances through the road is absolute magic, and you cannot replicate that feeling with a heavy car. This car doesn't need all that tech; it doesn't need rear-wheel steering because it's light. It genuinely is light and that weight figure isn't at the expense of any sort of comfort. Because this is a super usable car.

The A110 here is a unique test for any performance car, sports car, and indeed any car. Anywhere you take this car, whether on public roads or on a circuit, it's going to be different from anything else out there. It's not just about raw power; the essence of this car is when you've got a long, winding road that stretches out in front of you and you can just place the car where you want and flow down the road. This is where the A110 excels.

The brakes are great, but when you hardly have to use them, then you know you're really in the zone with the A110. You can just get it into this lovely rhythm where you're making small movements and you're feeling the car move slightly. It's such a reward in driving experience for me. The A110 is going to be a future classic; I think it has all the ingredients necessary to be that car.

It's available in relatively small numbers, it's a unique character, it's an award-winning driver's car, it's got everything it needs and as we are at this real kind of crossing the road point with cars, and the switch to EV, I think it stands out as one of the last of the great internal combustion-engined driver's cars. This is the kind of driving I like; I'm not looking for a dragster; I don't need 800 horsepower and all that tech. This is a proper car. This is what driving is all about.

The Powertrain with the A110

When it comes to the powertrain of the A110, we know that from the mean Renault Sport before it's an entirely capable engine. The numbers look pretty good for a four-cylinder turbo – no problems there. However, if you look at the bigger picture of the car's relevance in terms of the Modern Performance car world and our roads, it's an entirely relevant car.

It's 250 odd horsepower, but what can you really enjoy on the public roads in this country? We all know that driving for fun to drive for enjoyment in the UK is harder than ever. Especially if you're near the built-up cities in this country. Driving on a road is about enjoying the car feeling what the car's telling you, and also being able to feel the car working.

I think the big problem with all of these extremely capable, clever modern supercars is that you're only accessing about 5% of what they can do. You don't get that full ability of the car if you're just driving at normal speeds; you're not really doing anything. Flip to the A110 and it's completely the opposite.

The engine responds well, doesn't have any turbo lag, even makes a nice noise to be honest – I like that noise for me. The best thing about this car is when you've got a windy road that stretches out in front of you and you can just place the car where you want and flow down the road. It's about flow; that's where the A110 excels.

The Brakes

Brakes are great, but when you hardly have to use them, then you know you're really in the zone with the A110. You can just get it into this lovely rhythm where you're making small movements and you're feeling the car move slightly. It's such a reward in driving experience for me.

Conclusion

The A110 is a unique test for any performance car, sports car, and indeed any car. When you factor in the weather, it's something completely different to taking a car to a circuit. You want a car that's stiff, doesn't roll, but this is like an extreme version of what most British roads are like.

When I'm at the wheel, the A110 feels like a genuine lightweight sports car because it just won't weigh me down. There is no substitute for a lightweight car. The way this A110 dances through the road is absolute magic, and you cannot replicate that feeling with a heavy car.

The A110 has all the ingredients necessary to be a future classic – it's available in relatively small numbers, it's a unique character, it's an award-winning driver's car, got everything it needs. This is the kind of driving I like; I'm not looking for a dragster; I don't need 800 horsepower and all that tech. This is a proper car.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enwhat makes a real driver's car in this ancient beautiful landscape we tackle some of the most demanding roads in the UK in an Alpine A110 to find out this is a proper car this is what driving is all about I think the history of Alpine is a fascinating one begun in the mids by Jean Rell he was a very interesting character a very clever man the original A110 called berlinette that appeared in the early 60s and the blueprint of that car is very similar really to the current car you know it was a lightweight car was rear engined small four-cylinder engine performance through aerodynamics and that weight figure that car was in production for a very long time I mean it went right through to the the late 1970s it's one of those classic cars come about where they kind of take part in all sorts of different Motorsports whether it's Clubman whether it's top level international events it's just one of those carss perhaps the finest Hour of the original A110 was its rallying career most famously when it won the 1973 World Championship that's notable apart from anything else because it was the very first World Rally Championship season fast forward many years Renault had bought the company in the early '70s Alpena now the sporting arm of Renault um at the time it was Rena sport that made that whole wonderful series of hot hatches that became Evo f over over many years now that team know how to make a car handle those cars have always worked really well in the UK so fast forward to the the uh A110 project I think that had to form um a significant part of of the trajectory that the car went down in terms of development decisions were made to really set the car up to work on these roads and I think you end up with a unique car because I just can't think of another car bar perhaps maybe an old Lotus El is that kind of thing that really has that same approach to to Dynamics so why have we celebrated this wonderful little car so much over recent years well you have to start with the lightweight everything comes back to that just over 1100 kilos curb weight because as face it the world's best automotive Engineers they can almost make cars walk on water they can take a massive 2 point something ton SUV and turn it into a performance car and it can do things which you just never would have expected it to be able to do great Undisputed however to do that requires these days you have rear wheel steering and your adaptive damping and all of that and even then don't ever be misled or confused by the fact that they will feel like a genuine lightweight sports car because they just won't there is no substitute for a lightweight car the way this A110 Just Dances through this road is absolute magic and you cannot replicate that feeling with a heavy car this car doesn't need all that Tech it doesn't need rear wheel steering because it's light it's genuinely light and that weight figure isn't at the expense of any sort of comfort because this is a super usable car so we B the A110 here because I think it's a unique test for any performance car any sports car and also when you factor in the weather as well it's something completely different to taking a car to a circuit for example there you you want a car that's stiff it doesn't roll and although this is I think you can say a rather extreme case it's like an extreme version of what most British be roads alike and here you really need a car above everything else that can breathe with the road it has to have the damping inbuilt to it to cope with those surfaces we love the way it drives this doesn't need really firm suspension it doesn't need to keep its mass in check because it hasn't got a lot of Mass to keep in check that's the point so you can have this relaxed damping this softer ride and don't be confused that doesn't make it any less capable it doesn't make it any slower around the road on our horrible poth hold cambered funny crowned weird roads in the UK the sort of roads where you can enjoy your driving you need a car that works with them that breathes with them and this car does that come up to this left-hander it's an S thread it through and again conent trotle a that is just so rewarding this is such a demanding Road just takes it in its stride that's the thing it just takes it in its stride so the question of the power train with the a 110 is a very interesting one the engine well we know that from the mean Renault sport before it's an entirely capable engine makes the numbers sounds pretty good for a four-cylinder turbo no problems there I think if you look at the bigger picture of of the car's relevance in terms of the Modern Performance car world and our roads it's an entirely relevant car it's 250 odd horsepower 49 brake horsepower but you can't look at that number without looking at the most important part of the car power to wait talk to wait what can you really enjoy on the public roads in this country we all know it's harder than ever to to drive for fun to drive for enjoyment in the UK especially if you're near the builtup um cities in in this country for me driving on a road is about enjoying the car feeling what the car's telling you but also being able to to a certain extent feel the car working and I think the big problem with all of these extremely capable clever modern supercars is that you're only accessing about 5% of what they can do you don't get that full ability of the car if you're just driving at normal speeds you're not really doing anything you're just piloting it so flip to the A110 and it's completely the opposite and that's why genuinely I think it rewards so much more than a car with three times the horsepower now of course the basic A110 has about 250 horsepower and we're used to much bigger numbers these days but the essence of this car it's not about raw power the engine is responsive doesn't really have any turbo lag even makes a nice noise to be honest I like that noise for me the best thing about this car is when you've got a wind road that stretches out in front of you and you can just place the car where you want and flow down the road it's about flow that's where this car excels the brakes are great but when you hardly have to use them then you know you're really in the zone with the A110 you can just get it into this really lovely Rhythm where you're making small movements and you're feeling the car move tuck in slightly go neutral it's such a reward in Driving Experience for me the A110 is going to be a future classic I think it has all the ingredients necessary to be that car it's available in relatively small numbers it's a unique character it's an award-winning driver's car it's got everything it needs and as we're at this real kind of crossing the road point with cars and the switch to EV I think it stands out as one of the last of the great internal combustion engined drivers cars this is the kind of driving I like I'm not looking for a dragster I don't need 800 horsepower and all that Tech this is a proper car this is what driving is all about I honestly believe that awhat makes a real driver's car in this ancient beautiful landscape we tackle some of the most demanding roads in the UK in an Alpine A110 to find out this is a proper car this is what driving is all about I think the history of Alpine is a fascinating one begun in the mids by Jean Rell he was a very interesting character a very clever man the original A110 called berlinette that appeared in the early 60s and the blueprint of that car is very similar really to the current car you know it was a lightweight car was rear engined small four-cylinder engine performance through aerodynamics and that weight figure that car was in production for a very long time I mean it went right through to the the late 1970s it's one of those classic cars come about where they kind of take part in all sorts of different Motorsports whether it's Clubman whether it's top level international events it's just one of those carss perhaps the finest Hour of the original A110 was its rallying career most famously when it won the 1973 World Championship that's notable apart from anything else because it was the very first World Rally Championship season fast forward many years Renault had bought the company in the early '70s Alpena now the sporting arm of Renault um at the time it was Rena sport that made that whole wonderful series of hot hatches that became Evo f over over many years now that team know how to make a car handle those cars have always worked really well in the UK so fast forward to the the uh A110 project I think that had to form um a significant part of of the trajectory that the car went down in terms of development decisions were made to really set the car up to work on these roads and I think you end up with a unique car because I just can't think of another car bar perhaps maybe an old Lotus El is that kind of thing that really has that same approach to to Dynamics so why have we celebrated this wonderful little car so much over recent years well you have to start with the lightweight everything comes back to that just over 1100 kilos curb weight because as face it the world's best automotive Engineers they can almost make cars walk on water they can take a massive 2 point something ton SUV and turn it into a performance car and it can do things which you just never would have expected it to be able to do great Undisputed however to do that requires these days you have rear wheel steering and your adaptive damping and all of that and even then don't ever be misled or confused by the fact that they will feel like a genuine lightweight sports car because they just won't there is no substitute for a lightweight car the way this A110 Just Dances through this road is absolute magic and you cannot replicate that feeling with a heavy car this car doesn't need all that Tech it doesn't need rear wheel steering because it's light it's genuinely light and that weight figure isn't at the expense of any sort of comfort because this is a super usable car so we B the A110 here because I think it's a unique test for any performance car any sports car and also when you factor in the weather as well it's something completely different to taking a car to a circuit for example there you you want a car that's stiff it doesn't roll and although this is I think you can say a rather extreme case it's like an extreme version of what most British be roads alike and here you really need a car above everything else that can breathe with the road it has to have the damping inbuilt to it to cope with those surfaces we love the way it drives this doesn't need really firm suspension it doesn't need to keep its mass in check because it hasn't got a lot of Mass to keep in check that's the point so you can have this relaxed damping this softer ride and don't be confused that doesn't make it any less capable it doesn't make it any slower around the road on our horrible poth hold cambered funny crowned weird roads in the UK the sort of roads where you can enjoy your driving you need a car that works with them that breathes with them and this car does that come up to this left-hander it's an S thread it through and again conent trotle a that is just so rewarding this is such a demanding Road just takes it in its stride that's the thing it just takes it in its stride so the question of the power train with the a 110 is a very interesting one the engine well we know that from the mean Renault sport before it's an entirely capable engine makes the numbers sounds pretty good for a four-cylinder turbo no problems there I think if you look at the bigger picture of of the car's relevance in terms of the Modern Performance car world and our roads it's an entirely relevant car it's 250 odd horsepower 49 brake horsepower but you can't look at that number without looking at the most important part of the car power to wait talk to wait what can you really enjoy on the public roads in this country we all know it's harder than ever to to drive for fun to drive for enjoyment in the UK especially if you're near the builtup um cities in in this country for me driving on a road is about enjoying the car feeling what the car's telling you but also being able to to a certain extent feel the car working and I think the big problem with all of these extremely capable clever modern supercars is that you're only accessing about 5% of what they can do you don't get that full ability of the car if you're just driving at normal speeds you're not really doing anything you're just piloting it so flip to the A110 and it's completely the opposite and that's why genuinely I think it rewards so much more than a car with three times the horsepower now of course the basic A110 has about 250 horsepower and we're used to much bigger numbers these days but the essence of this car it's not about raw power the engine is responsive doesn't really have any turbo lag even makes a nice noise to be honest I like that noise for me the best thing about this car is when you've got a wind road that stretches out in front of you and you can just place the car where you want and flow down the road it's about flow that's where this car excels the brakes are great but when you hardly have to use them then you know you're really in the zone with the A110 you can just get it into this really lovely Rhythm where you're making small movements and you're feeling the car move tuck in slightly go neutral it's such a reward in Driving Experience for me the A110 is going to be a future classic I think it has all the ingredients necessary to be that car it's available in relatively small numbers it's a unique character it's an award-winning driver's car it's got everything it needs and as we're at this real kind of crossing the road point with cars and the switch to EV I think it stands out as one of the last of the great internal combustion engined drivers cars this is the kind of driving I like I'm not looking for a dragster I don't need 800 horsepower and all that Tech this is a proper car this is what driving is all about I honestly believe that a\n"