Alpine confirms most hardcore A110 yet

There is a hardcore version of the Alpine A110 on the way and these graphics reveal several intriguing details about it. The A110 R – where R stands for radical – will be unveiled on October 4 at Suzuka ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix weekend. Optimised for the track, it will be the most extreme variant yet.

A very short press statement describes the car as ‘lighter, sharper and even more inspired by motor racing’. So what can we learn from these images? There is clearly a heavily vented bonnet, a prominent front splitter, new side skirts and a tall rear wing, all likely to be finished in carbon fibre to cut weight, plus a redesigned rear diffuser. That means more downforce than any A110 so far and, presumably, less mass. 

There appear to be new wheels, probably even lighter than the forged rims already available owing to carbon fibre construction (one of the wheels also appears to have an aero-optimised design), as well as racing-style six-point harnesses and new bucket seats. We can also see remote reservoir dampers, also inspired by racing, and might those be carbon ceramic brake rotors too? 

We will have to wait until next week to find out if the A110 R has any more power than the A110 S, but it’s known that the standard Getrag seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox is not officially rated for any more than 236lb ft of torque. Not until next week will we learn about price, production numbers and so on either. 

But based on what we can already discern, this does appear to be a no-holds-barred attempt at building a genuinely hardcore, Porsche GT-rivalling A110. And why not? The Alpine is compact, light, well-balanced and fitted with double wishbone suspension all round, giving it the fundamental attributes of a purpose-built racing car. It would be a real shame if Alpine never leant right into the potential that lies at the heart of the A110. But now we know it’s about to do just that.