Why the new Alpine A110S is the best kept secret of the sports car world

Renault relaunched the Alpine brand in 2017, and this is the face/tech lifted A110S that is the best kept secret of the sports car world. Why? Because it is a French Lotus that is bijou, feisty and incredibly fit for European roads. In fact, the 1100kg, 170mph, mid-engined turbo 16v A110 could be the today’s perfect sports car. Thanks for stopping by The Late Brake Show. Think of the S as the GT3 version of the 911 really. 19% stiffer damping, carbon aero pack (optional), special Sabelt buckets and 296bhp instead of the entry level car’s 252bhp. Torque is 340nm in the S and GT as opposed to 320nm in the entry level car. Same 1.8 16v turbo engine in the middle, just calibrated to be a bit more shouty at the top end of the rev range. All Alpines are aluminium and gloriously light, which translates to responsive controls, joyful body control, and the realisation that this is the formula for sports cars that so many manufacturers have forgotten. It doesn’t need a big