Alpine A110 review – design
No matter which way you look at it, the compact and retro-infused A110 looks stunning. A thoroughly modern design, but those in the know will spot the retro cues
The Alpine’s retro-modern design might feel familiar now it’s been on sale for a few years, but it still turns heads like few other shapes on the road. The tight surfacing and flared arches give it a real aggression on the road, despite the Alpine’s dinky proportions. The bodywork of the 2022 update is unchanged from the original model, but S cars are now available with a subtle aero kit that includes a front splitter and rear wing. The look is a little tacked-on in appearance, but for those after a more motorsport-like aesthetic it does hold its own appeal.
Otherwise, Alpine wanted to keep the aesthetics of the A110 as clean as possible, focusing the aero devices underneath the body, including a functional rear diffuser and some clever underfloor aero management at both ends that help generate the required stability at high speed while also reducing drag.
The result is that the Alpine looks simply sensational from almost any angle. For starters, it really is tiny – 4180mm long and just 1252mm high – and dwarfed by the likes of a Porsche Cayman and Audi TT. Its flowing design draws heavily on the original ’60s A110 but with enough injection of modernity to keep it looking fresh and relevant. It’s a lithe and slinky-looking car that turns heads as readily as supercars costing three or four times as much. On the road, its four-roundell lighting graphic is still a defining feature, and makes its presence obvious from a long way up the road.
Customisation options are extensive thanks to the introduction of the Atelier service a couple of years back. In addition to the standard suite of six colours (seven, if you include the Fire Orange only available on the A110 GT and A110S) you’ll find a further range of 22 shades, along with three extra wheel colours and five brake caliper options. These are available on the three 18-inch wheel designs, plus new for the 2022 model year is the option of a two-tone colour finish on the A110S, and an optional gloss-finish carbonfibre roof on the S and GT models.
In any trim, the A110 is a fabulous-looking little sports car, and despite raising the cost quite substantially the Atelier programme has really made the A110 feel like a high-end supercar in miniature.
