The Impact of the A110: Why it’s coming to an end?

With the exception of Bugatti, Alpine is the only manufacturer in France that genuinely builds good sports cars. Most notably their legend from 1963, the A110. A nimble, light and beautiful sports car that won the 1973 World Rally Championship.

Such was the impact of the A110 that when Alpine was brought back from the ashes in 2012, their first aim was to revive the A110 name. Their all-new A110 was revealed at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show and for the last seven years, it has set the hearts of every petrolhead on fire.

The A110’s primary goal was lightness and delicacy rather than sheer horsepower like most cars at the time. With its lightweight aluminium construction and 1.8L 252 horsepower engine, it weighed a smidge over 1.1 tonnes. The result was a mid-engine two-seater that felt more delicate and light than anything made by Lotus yet was substantially more refined.

Small wonder, many famous motoring icons like the McLaren F1’s chief designer Gordon Murray and Top Gear/Grand Tour legend James May each ended up purchasing an A110. The range varied from the standard A110 all the way up to the near 300 horsepower, hardcore, A110R. Yet all maintained a clear focus on driver involvement.

Sadly as the world moves to a fully electrified future, the demand for lightweight, delicate, lower-powered and driver-focused sports cars is niche. Alpine themselves, like so many other manufacturers, have announced their future will be fully electric. The A110, also, no longer meets the EU GSR2 homologation standards.

So at the 2024 Paris Motor Show, they unveiled the A110 R Ultime, the final encore. The most powerful, fastest, most expensive and most rare version of Alpine’s 6-year-old icon. Is this car a worthy send-off?

Engineered to Race

This A110 variant isn’t just constructed to deliver driver thrills. It’s built to demolish a race track. Hence why the boffins at Alpine went to town using their recent experience in Formula 1 when building the Ultime.

Whilst it still uses an aluminium construction overall, the A110 R Ultime uses an extensive amount of carbon fibre. Key components such as the roof, bonnet, rear window, seats, and even the rear wing are constructed from carbon fibre to reduce weight and enhance performance.

The A110 R Ultime’s wheels are now constructed of forged aluminium. The result of all this is a 34kg weight with a dry weight sum of 1120kg. It also now features a bespoke braking system with 300mm AP Racing discs and high-performance brake pads to ensure maximum braking.

In addition, the 7-speed dual clutch has been uprated, the car now sits on bespoke Ohlins adjustable dampers and features sticky Michelin PS2 Cup tyres to substantially improve grip. In addition, Alpine’s aerodynamic team has managed to gain 160kg downforce over the standard A110 R through active aerodynamics and larger cooling ducts.

The Ultime has even gone under extensive testing at the Nürburgring. The chief test driver was none other than Alpine’s own F1 driver, Esteban Ocon. And all these advancements come into play when you put your foot down.

Peak of Performance and Exclusivity

Like every A110, the Ultime utilises a lightweight and compact 1.8L turbocharged 4-cylinder engine. However, Alpine’s boffins have fitted a larger bespoke turbocharger, a launch-control unit and an all-new Akrapovič titanium exhaust system.

The result is an impressive 345 horsepower (49 more than a regular A110R) and 310 lb-ft of torque. The result is 0-62mph in 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 177mph. Yet even more impressive is the power-to-weight ratio of 308 horsepower tonne, more than a Bentley Continental Speed.

What we have here then, is a car that is a far cry from its base model brother. And being so custom-made, Alpine have decided to make the A110 R Ultime very exclusive. Only 110 will ever be made (perfectly going in conjunction with the A110 name). This also ensures the Ultime will be a highly sought-after classic for the future.

French Craftsmanship Meets Ultimate Customization

Yet despite its rarity, the lucky buyers of the A110 R Ultime will find themselves involved in a great deal of customisable options. Buyers can choose from 27 exterior colours and four Alcantara interior shades. Even exterior components, like the carbon-fibre bonnet and rear spoiler, can be custom-coloured to suit the owner’s taste.

Or for that bit more exclusivity, one could purchase 15 of the La Bleue variants of the Ultime. These have nine additional Alcantara colours and ten additional leather options, thanks to collaborations with luxury brands Sabelt and Poltrona Frau. Now all this customisation and bespoke engineering doesn’t exactly come at a reasonable price.

Outrageously Expensive: What is its main rival?

The standard A110 starts from under $72,000 and the hardcore R variant is around $126,000. Now the Ultime is totally bespoke, exclusive and highly engineered even over the standard car. So here’s a question? How much do you think it’s worth? $150,000, maybe $160,000. Nope, sit down and prepare to be shocked.

The A110 R Ultime starts from…$290,000 and if you go for one of the 15 LaBleue variants, that’s an even more absurd $360,000. (Right have you cleared up your spilt tea). That is double of price of both a 911 GT3 and a Cayman GT4 RS. It’s way more than a Ferrari 296, McLaren Artura or even a Lamborghini Temerario.

For a small 4-cylinder sports car that starts at $72,000, that’s madness. Worse still it doesn’t appear to have a chief rival. The Porsche GT4 RS is soon to be dead, and comparing this to any of the plus 300K supercars is like comparing a bespoke M&S handbag to the many made by Louis Vuitton and Chanel.

With the exception of one, Maserati’s raucous GT2 Stradale. Like the A110R Ultime, it is also a bespoke lightweight construction of a truly unique car. They both feature weaponised turbocharged engines, both are constructed of carbon fibre, both use dual-clutch gearboxes, both are real wheel drive and both cost nearly $400,000.

Obviously performance-wise, the Stradale destroys the Ultime. But that being said the Ultime seems more enhanced for cornering. It’s a classic David and Goliath battle and hopefully both these track-weapons will come to the Middle East. Where we at F1rstMotors hope to do a serious comparison test (hopefully the new GT3 will join in).

A Final Tribute for Bespoke Racing Cars

There’s no denying the price of the A110 R Ultime is its major blunder. Because everything else about this car has been thoroughly exquisite. From its unique construction to its bespoke features to its improved performance, exclusivity and being developed by an F1 driver, the Ultime is a truly special car.

But mostly what it represents is a finale to the days when manufacturers cared more about the feelings of the driver rather than the CO2 out of the exhaust. A time when manufacturers built performance cars for passion rather than for necessity. The Ultime is not just the end for Alpine’s legendary A110, it’s the end of passion-driving engineering. That time is now over and you have to admit, it is exceptionally sad.

F1rstMotors Facts and Figures

Manufacturer	Société des Automobiles Alpine SAS
Model	A110 R Ulime
Year of Release	2025
Engine	1.8L turbocharged 4 cylinder
Horsepower	345 hp
Torque	310 lb–ft
0–62mph (100km/h)	3.8 seconds
Top Speed	177mph (284 km/h)
Weight	1,120kg (1.1 tonnes)
Power to Weight	308 hp per tonne
Gearbox	7–speed Dual Clutch
Driven Wheels	Rear Wheel Drive
Rivals	Maserati GT2 Stradale, Porsche 911 (992.2) GT3

Source: AlpineCars