The Alpine A110 is a criminally underrated sports car but fortunately, it has proven to be popular enough and the next-generation will debut this year with an electric powertrain but it will also be developed to accommodate an internal combustion engine, according to reports. “We will offer the first true EV sportscar to the market.
The Alpine A110 is a criminally underrated sports car but fortunately, it has proven to be popular enough and the next-generation will debut this year with an electric powertrain but it will also be developed to accommodate an internal combustion engine, according to reports.
“We will offer the first true EV sportscar to the market. It will be true to Alpine’s DNA and outperform the best of today’s combustion sports cars, thanks to the Alpine Performance Platform (APP). Beyond this, by remaining agile and flexible, Alpine will to be able to react in real time to market evolutions; our strategy is as adaptable as it is robust,” said Alpine CEO Philippe Krief to Autocar.
The new A110 will be launched as an EV but could end up being fitted with a petrol engine, likely a turbocharged one, just like the current version. An ICE engine is not confirmed but Alpine needs to be ready, especially given the fluctuations in emissions and powertrain legislation in recent years, especially in Europe and in the United States.
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Not one of the first names to pop up in a conversation revolving around sportscars, the A110 has time and again proven to be a favourite amongst driving enthusiasts. The current version is a lightweight (aluminium) mid-engined layout and sports a turbocharged 1.8-litre inline-four making around 252-345 PS. A seven-speed dual-clutch sends it all to the rear wheels.
Among its many admirers is none other than legendary automotive designer Gordon Murray himself, who daily drives one. In fact, his team at Gordon Murray Automotive stripped down the A110 to benchmark it for the GMA T.50, the spiritual successor to the McLaren F1.
Furthermore, the flexibility allows the A110 to possibly be sold in other markets, where demands for electrification as not as substantial. Nonetheless, Europe remains the focus for now.
Alpine’s APP will still bless the new A110 with a weight distribution of 40:60 front to rear, primarily due to two separate battery packs. Suspension components will me constructed from aluminium.
The reports continue that it will have a dual-motor, rear-drive setup. This could borrow the in-wheel motor configuration seen in the Renault 5 Turbo 3E. Additionally, active torque vectoring is included to maintain the lightweight feel. The driver should be slotting into the cabin in a low-slung, Formula 1-inspired position.