Alpine is preparing in the greatest secrecy an extreme version of its A110, presumed to be called RS. And the first unofficial times taken on the Nürburgring are more than promising, since this prototype would prove to be faster than the formidable Porsche Cayman GT4. Enough to dream of a future duel at the top between these two sportswomen!
Esteban Ocon at the controls of the A110 RS on the Nordschleife
Alpine's development team recently took to the Nürburgring to test a mysterious track-oriented A110 prototype. And for the occasion, the French brand called on Esteban Ocon, its Formula 1 driver, to support Laurent Hugron, the chief test driver of Renault/Alpine.
The two men spent several days on the north loop with this same prototype, seen several times before. But this time, our spy photographer didn't just shoot the car: he also timed the A110 on the 20.8 km route, with Ocon at the wheel.
7:18.77: a great time for the A110 RS
And the time recorded by our informant is impressive: 7:18.77. That is to say a time lower than that achieved by Porsche with the Cayman GT4 in 2019 (7:28), but higher than the canon time of the GT4 RS in 2021 (7:09.3), since lowered to 7:03.12 thanks to Manthey Racing parts.
Of course, we will have to wait for official figures from Alpine to know if this A110 “RS” or “Trophy-R” (its final name remains to be confirmed) still has room for improvement. But this first unofficial time already sets the bar very high!
Less than 1,000 kg and more than 350 hp for the Alpine A110 RS?
To achieve such performance, this Alpine A110 RS would have to become even lighter compared to the A110 R (1,082 kg), with a mass that could fall below the symbolic bar of 1,000 kg. That’s almost 400 kg less than the Cayman GT4 RS (1,415 kg)!
On the engine side, if the A110 RS wants to compete with the 500 hp of the Porsche flat-6 4.0, it will need to extract at least 350 hp from its 1.8 turbo 4-cylinder. Quite a challenge, when we know that the A110 R maxes out at 300 hp, despite engine developments, weight reduction and work on aerodynamics.
An A110 RS for more than €110,000?
Alpine has not yet communicated on this future A110 RS, but its presentation should not take long. One thing is certain: it will not be given away! Already priced at more than €105,000 (£89,990), the A110 R displays a serious price gap with the A110 S. A gap which should further widen with this RS version, probably sold for more than €110,000.
But the game may be worth it, if this Alpine A110 RS manages to beat the Porsche Cayman GT4 RS on the track. Enough to offer an epilogue in apotheosis to the thermal A110, before the transition to electric from the Dieppe brand!
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