Preparations are accelerating and Alpine now reveals the first images of its A110 specially prepared for the event.
The Alpine A110 is coming to the United States! But…before you rush over to the nonexistent Renault/Alpine dealer, we should mention this two-piece giant wing to which the French sports car brand has attached its mid-engined coupe has been developed for the sole purpose of racing at Pikes Peak this year. It’s touted as being the most radical A110 since the model’s rebirth in 2017 courtesy of a crazy aero pack.
Alpine’s first entry in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is a joint effort with racing team Signatech to develop a bespoke A110 that will race to the clouds on June 25. The hardcore machine has already been tested at Lurcy-Lévis and will be subjected to two additional evaluations in southern France before heading to Colorado Springs for the challenging event. The route is 12.42 miles (19.93 kilometers) long and has no fewer than 156 turns. The departure takes place at 9,400 feet (2,865 meters) above sea level and the cars climb 4,720 feet (1,440 meters) to the 14,120-foot (4,303-meter) summit.
What’s so special about the A110 Pikes Peak? Well, just look at it.
Designed to cope with the subtleties of the 19.93 km race to the clouds, the Alpine A110 Pikes Peak is a true masterpiece of aerodynamics and engine design to meet the challenge of Pikes Peak. Thanks to a close and fruitful collaboration among the Alpine design office teams led by Raphaël Linari (design manager) and those of Signatech led by Lionel Chevalier (technical director) and François Letort (project manager), the car, the most extreme A110 to date, has been converted into a formidable racing machine.
Among the most impressive features are the intensely pronounced splitters and deflectors on the ends of the spoiler, not to mention the imposing rear wing to generate downforce in the 156 corners of the course. The radical work done on the Alpine A110R also appears via the side skirts and diffuser of this one-off model, while an inlet appears on the roof to force air into the engine, resulting in nearly 500 horsepower. Specific work has also been done to reduce the car’s weight to only 950 kilograms.
The Alpine designers have thus fully embraced their choice of extremes, demonstration and visual impact while maintaining some original proportions to ensure the car remains eligible for the Time Attack 1 category, which is depicted in the inclusion of a ‘Le Mans-style’ shark fin on the rear window that literally cut through the massive rear wing.
The lights have also received more aggressive treatment. Two exceedingly thin laser-cut bars replace the two circles at the front. Meanwhile, the light functions of the rear lights have been shifted into three vertical segments on the side rails and central ridge, as a nod to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, while also reinforcing the perceived width of the car, highlighted by other details such as bespoke wheels.
Translation …. Vroom!
Under the hood, the engine as it now pumps out nearly 500 horsepower (373 kW). In the road-going version, the turbocharged 1.8-liter gasoline unit shared with the Renault Megane RS produces as much as 296 hp (221 kW). Torque isn’t mentioned, but the street car offers a maximum of 251 pound-feet (340 Newton-meters) sent to the rear wheels.
Alpine has managed to remove even more weight from the A110 as the Pikes Peak version tips the scales at just 2,094 pounds (950 kilograms). It’s even lighter than the featherweight Mazda MX-5 990S special edition launched in Japan in late 2021 while having nearly three times the power.
“The A110 Pikes Peak brings out the wildest side of this iconic car,” said Raphaël Linari, Alpine Chief Designer. “It is agile and light by design, but with its specific aerodynamics and extreme proportions, it has become a genuine racing beast. This legendary event was an endless source of inspiration to push our creativity and enhance the A110 while integrating the constraints associated with performance. This project was completed in a decidedly short timeframe, thanks to the close collaboration with Signatech’s technical teams. We look forward to seeing our creation challenge the American powerhouses on their home turf. I want to thank Jun Okazaki and Victor Sfiazof, the two designers who worked with me on the design of this car. Not to mention the great collaboration with the Signatech team, who are as skilled as they are passionate.”
If the Pikes Peak challenger has whetted your appetite for the A110, there is a glimmer of hope the Porsche Cayman rival will be offered in the United States. Parent company Renault is having discussions with auto dealer group AutoNation to sell the sports car in the US.
