In James May’s ongoing review series, in which he turns his critical eye on the vehicles he owns, the latest is a bit left-field, a bit contrarian, a bit bloody-minded, even, like the French people who made it: the Alpine A110.
The Alpine A110 is a widely admired car, but the point May wants to make is that most people misunderstand the little performance car. Despite its small, four-cylinder engine and its 248 hp (252 PS/185 kW), the A110 isn’t a sports car. It’s a downsized supercar.
“The engine is behind your back, the handling is very frisky, the luggage capacity is very poor, the rearward visibility is extremely compromised,” explains May. “This is exactly the experience of driving a McLaren or a Lamborghini, it’s just been reduced by about 25 percent on the photocopier.”
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And unlike those cars, thanks to its small engine, the Alpine A110 can be small and light. In fact, the car is roughly the size and weight of a 1980’s Porsche 911. As May puts it, because the car is light, the benefits come rolling in.
“Because it’s light, you don’t need so much power. Because you don’t have as much power, the tires don’t need to be as big, so the steering feel is improved,” says May. “Since the effects of excess weight are compounded in a corner, the handling also improves. The fuel bill comes down, the emissions come down, the insurance bill comes down.”
And because it’s small, and light and the tires are a bit smaller, May argues that 248 hp is plenty. The Alpine, then delivers all of the important experiences of a supercar, without any of the negatives. What’s not to love?