With the first deliveries of the A110 Premiere Edition imminent, Alpine has revealed the road car’s track-going counterpart, and detailed the new one-make race series it will run in.
Christened the A110 Cup, it’s a fully fledged racecar set to compete across Europe next year. Paying homage to the original Europa Cup - which ran between 1985 and 1988 using the Alpine GTA V6 Turbo - the new Alpine Europa Cup will take place over six rounds, with two races per round, at circuits including Paul Ricard, Hockenheim, Silverstone and Spa.
To create a machine suitable for the task, Alpine turned to Signatech - which already runs Alpine A470s in the FIA World Endurance Championship - for help. Signatech has had its say on the design, development, production and even sales of the A110 Cup, and the results read like a who’s who of motorsport parts suppliers.
The A110 Cup is powered by the same 1.8-litre turbocharged motor as the road car, but thanks to a new air filter and a specially designed exhaust, power is up to 270hp (vs 252hp as standard) while torque remains the same at 235lb ft. That engine is mated to a six-speed sequential gearbox specially developed between Signatech and 3MO, and managed by a state-of-the-art Magneti-Marelli ECU.
Underneath you’ll find six-piston Brembo brakes with ventilated discs; four-spring, compression- and rebound-adjustable, Öhlins shock absorbers; a self-locking limited slip diff; and a choice of Michelin tyre. Inside, meanwhile, a Sabelt bucket seat with six-point HANS-compatible harness, multipoint roll cage, and automatic fire extinguisher ought to keep you safe.
The target according to Alpine is to, "provide the drivers with as much enjoyment as possible, whether they are beginners or experienced." But with kit like that, and development and testing carried out by Alpine’s WEC LMP2 champion Nicolas Lapierre, they’re obviously still taking it very seriously. Which is good.
Alpine’s Deputy MD, Bernard Ollivier explained: "We wanted the A110 Cup to be a genuine race car, a particularly refined machine equipped with high-end features geared towards performance... The organisation of the competition will also meet Alpine’s demanding requirements, featuring rigour and professionalism on the track, but a fun and friendly atmosphere in the paddock."
So what’ll that cost you? Well, the A110 Cup is available for €100,000 (around £90,000). Once you’ve bought that, you’ll need to pay a deposit of €20,000 (£18,000) and the running costs for the season, expected to be under €100,000. Alpine noting that those keen to take part should register their interest soon, as spaces will be limited to little more than twenty cars for the first season. We can certainly think of far worse ways to spend the money...
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