No doubt I’ve waxed lyrical more than a few times before about the wonderous Alpine A110. Truly the pinnacle of a lightweight, focused, and fun-filled sports car, Alpine has only made it even better as time went on. From super-lightened and hardcore special editions to GT4-spec racers and rally cars, the A110 hasn’t stopped evolving. Today, I’d argue that it’s now reached its zenith, with the new Alpine A110 R Ultime. Alas, it’s a limited edition model, with only 110 units ever being made, and they’re disappearing quickly, so you better be fast! Moreover, the A110 R Ultime costs an eye-watering €265,000, and that’s just for the ‘base’ version.
Step it up to the ultra-special La Bleue configuration – limited to a mere 15 examples – and it’ll cost you a whopping €330,000. As absurdly pricy as that might sound if you’re looking for the craziest and sportiest road-legal Alpine A110 that money can buy, this is it. The A110 R Ultime has more power, improved aerodynamics, sharpened handling, and more personalisation than ever before. Alpine even collaborated with Poltrona Frau – yep, the furniture makers – and with the folks over at Sabelt to create the most luxurious interior possible for an A110. You can pick and choose between leather or Alcantara, with tonnes more that you can customise.
The Craziest Road-Legal A110 Ever Made
Of course, I’m all about that engine and performance, which the A110 R Ultime has more than enough to satisfy any petrolhead. Underneath, you’ll find a tuned version of the A110’s engine, now cranking out 345bhp and 420Nm of torque in the A110 R Ultime. These are some healthy upgrades, achieving peak power at 6,000 RPM and sprinting from 0 to 100km/h in a mere 3.8 seconds. On top of that, with all those weight savings that Alpine managed to squeeze out, the A110 R Ultime has a mightily impressive power-to-weight ratio of 3.2kg/hp, putting it up there with proper supercars. Naturally, there’s way more to it than just adding more power.
For starters, the turbocharger has been modified, now updated with a new turbine as well as a new compressor. Additionally, the transmission offers increased torque capacity, and it’ll come paired with a high-performance Akrapovic titanium exhaust. It’s not just lighter, but it ought to sound pretty good, too! Elsewhere, you might notice the Ohlins adjustable dampers, where you could also fine-tune the suspension settings, either for more comfort or handling. And, if you’re going a tad too fast, a set of AP Racing brakes, with their huge 330mm discs and track-focused brake pads and enhanced cooling ducts, should stop you on a dime. So, what else?
The End Of The Line For The Alpine A110
Well, perhaps you might fancy the Michelin PS2 CUP tyres on the A110 R Ultime, great for your track days, with top-notch grip and agility. Aside from that, it also comes with very lightweight forged wheels – 18 inches at the front, and 19 inches at the rear. These should also go well with the plethora of upgraded aerodynamics compared to the ‘regular’ A110. Alpine claims that you will get an extra 160kg worth of downforce at top speed compared to the A110 R Turini. That’ll be nice to experience on the track, I’d bet. If you are lucky enough to be bestowed with all that dosh in your pocket, there’s a huge amount of personalisation that you can pick from.
There are two trim levels – Atelier and Atelier Sur-Mesure. The former has over four Alcantara interior colours, as well as 27 different paint options. Meanwhile, the posh Atelier Sur-Mesure trim lets you collaborate with Alpine themselves to create a fully bespoke cabin, with an array of additional Alcantara and leather options, as well as an abundance of carbon fibre trim that you can add to your A110 R Ultime, too. The La Bleue trim, on the other hand, has this unique gradient finish with two iconic Alpine colours – Alpine Vision Blue and Abysse Blue. Hopefully, those lucky owners will drive their A110 R Ultime, instead of just storing it in the garage.
