With the azure-blue Alpine A110 S to Lake Como.
It was just over two years ago when, at around 2200 meters above sea level somewhere between Austria and Italy, I looked up at a blue French car and had to admit to myself that I had been looking for the wrong things in a sports car for so long. Back then, I was in an Alpine A110 GT and, thanks to its weight of just over 1100 kilograms, I could no longer escape the state of permanent grin. Now I’m standing in rainy Munich in front of a van loaded with an Alpine A110S. The flap of the trailer opens and it happens again:
A slight gleam in my eyes, the corners of my mouth turn upwards – the grin is back.
On the occasion of the Concorso D’Eleganzas on Lake Como, there is now the long-awaited “reunion”. Anyone who knows me personally knows how good my memories of my time with the A110 GT in 2022 were – and how often and intensely I rave about this vehicle.
Alpine now offers four versions of the A110. The basic A110 version with 252 hp, as well as the 300 hp A110 S and A110 GT. As the model name suggests, the differences between them lie primarily in the chassis set-up. At the end of 2023, Alpine presented the A110 R Turini, the most radical and uncompromising version. Our protagonist for the journey is the Alpine A110 with the abbreviation “S”. The color has also changed since the last trip to Italy. Our test vehicle is the “Bleu Azur” edition, limited to 110 units, which was unveiled on the occasion of the first Formula 1 Grand Prix in Miami in 2022.
Alpine A110 S
Engine: 1.8L 4-cylinder twin-turbo Power: 300 hp @ 6,300 rpm Weight: 1109 kilograms Acceleration: 0-100 km/h in 4.2 s V-Max: 275 km/h
Our journey takes us from our office in Munich, via Austria and Switzerland to Lake Como. A perfect mix of highway with top-speed passages, winding mountain roads, countless hairpin bends and a road along Lake Como from the north to the south to Cernobbio.
After a good hour on the highway, we reach the German-Austrian border, from here on we share the roads with an above-average number of caravans, trucks, racing cyclists and other, sometimes memorable, vehicles. The traffic situation in the Alps is an ordeal when you know how beautifully you could dance around the bends in your vehicle. During a full closure on the Fernpass, we take the time to get out and take another closer look at the Frenchwoman’s design.
“The traffic situation in the Alps is an ordeal when you know how beautifully you could dance around the bends in your vehicle.”
Visually, the A110 S impresses with its 1.27 meter flat, aerodynamic silhouette and its striking lines with the four eyes as a reminiscence of the Alpine models from the 1960s. Our A110 S also comes with the Aero package, consisting of a front and rear spoiler made of carbon. In addition to the look, this is primarily intended to provide more aerodynamic downforce and enable the A110 S to reach speeds of up to 275 km/h on the highway and race tracks. And yes, the downforce of up to 60 kilograms on the front axle and 81 kilograms on the rear axle is already clearly noticeable from around 160 km/h compared to the A110 GT without the aero package.
After a good hour, we continue, but there is little change in the heavy traffic. Luckily, a few kilometers further on, Switzerland is already waiting for us. Fortunately for us – with significantly less or no traffic.
“grüezi mitenand“
In the Swiss town of Susch, we turn right against the navigation, the urge to finally be able to move the Alpine in its natural habitat is too great. The Flüela Pass lies ahead of us and takes us to over 2300 meters above sea level. And after the first two hairpin bends, the detour pays off – how much I have missed those 1100 kilograms from France.
Despite the rather adverse weather conditions, the Frenchwoman offers surprisingly good traction. With the systems switched off, you can play with the oversteer and let the rear end dance at the exit of the bend. Briefly correct the steering and get back on the gas. The precise, smooth steering, in combination with the weight distribution of 56% at the rear and 44% at the front, quickly creates confidence and ensures an unmistakable, unique driving character. Coupled with the sound of the intake, which is positioned less than 40 centimeters from our ears at the rear window triangle, we are suspiciously close to a permanent grin.
When do you still drive modern cars these days that weigh barely over 1100 kg? Rarely. In comparison: the competitor from Zuffenhausen weighs around 300 kg more. With temperatures of around 8 degrees, wind and recurring rain, we turn the distinctive four headlights of the Alpine back downhill towards Susch and continue on our actual route to Lake Como.
We take it easy on the rest of the Swiss route, because the A110 S can also be quiet and comfortable. When we arrive in St. Moritz, we count 6 hours that we have already spent in the Sabelt sports seats due to traffic jams in Austria and detours. “They can do both,” I reply in a parking lot just before the Italian border – they offer both good lateral support on bends and comfort on longer journeys. We are a long way from exhaustion or the jitters of spending another 2-3 hours in the Alpine A110.
We roll through the last villages on Lake Como with a modest grin on our faces. What strikes us is that the Alpine is a real eye-catcher for many passers-by, even on the car-tested Concorso weekend in Cernobbio. Anyone who has ever been to Lake Como on that weekend in May knows the caliber of vehicles on the road there. So it is all the nicer to realize that there are people who understand the Alpine principle and that modern sports cars are not defined by utopian performance figures.
The Alpine A110, whether S, GT, R or as a basic version, is more than just a sports car – it is a tribute to the golden era of motorsport and at the same time a technical masterpiece of modernity. For nostalgics and connoisseurs of driving pleasure alike, it offers a perfect symbiosis of past and present. The Alpine A110 S is the ideal companion for anyone who appreciates the pure driving experience.