Bon Bomb

Weight loss, reworked suspension and increased downforce for Alpine's new A110 R promise explosive performance

MEET THE FOURTH AND MOST aggressive member of the Alpine A110 SPORTINGLY family: the A110 R. Conceived at the firm's Les Ulis technical centre near Paris, formerly the home of Renault Sport, it's a full production model, not a limited-edition 'special".

As both the name and look of the car suggest, the R is about increasing performance, particularly on track. To this end it is lighter, with a significantly revised chassis and extra aerodynamic capability too. It is not, however, any more powerful, matching the A110 S at 296bhp, essentially because the seven-speed twin-clutch gearbox is at the limit of its endurance already. Nevertheless, the Ris comfortably the fastest A110 so far, with 0-62mph achieved in just 3.9sec (0.3sec sooner than the S) and a top speed of 177mph (up 6mph).

The R's headline weight figure is 1082kg, some 34kg lighter than the S (when the latter is equipped with the Aero Kit but without the carbon roof option) and a standout achievement in a class that sees nothing wrong with a track car weighing one and a half tons. The weight loss has been achieved through a variety of measures, including the use of carbonfibre for the bonnet, roof and rear screen panel, the last of which replaces the regular car's glass window. The small vertical pane of glass that usually separates the cockpit from the engine bay has gone too, replaced by an aluminium panel that saves a further 1.5kg. Consequently there is no rearview mirror because there's nothing to see anyway.