Petrol-powered Alpine A110 discontinued, successor on new platform takes its place

The Alpine brand, part of the Renault Group, will unveil a prototype of the new-generation Alpine A110 sports car at this week's Goodwood Festival of Speed, or more precisely, its electric version in coupé body style, which will be the first to hit the market. Versions with internal combustion engines will also follow, but later, and a roadster plus a stretched coupé with a 2+2 seating layout are also planned.

On 1 July, the Alpine brand reported the completion of production of the petrol-powered mid-engined A110 coupé, which had been built since 2017 and enjoyed strong demand thanks to its superbly tuned chassis and elegant, lightweight body. This model, successful in every respect, could have continued in production, adapted to meet Euro 7 environmental standards, but Renault Group management decided back in 2021 to switch Alpine entirely to electric vehicles. Today those plans have been scrapped, and new ones have yet to be formulated, but the electric Alpine A110 is already almost ready, and it has been decided to launch it for sale despite very questionable market prospects. The only cause for hope is the forthcoming petrol version of the new Alpine A110 — although it is still unclear exactly when to expect it and what kind of combustion engine it will use (it will likely operate as part of a hybrid powertrain).

The total production run of the modern petrol-powered Alpine A110 amounted to 28,701 units, and taking into account the classic version of the model, built at the Alpine factory in Dieppe (France) from 1969 to 1977, the total output of the A110 model reached 35,450 units, with hand-built assembly of the classic Alpine A110 having begun as early as 1961. More than 58% of Alpine A110s produced were painted in various shades of blue, while 33% were finished in the canonical French brand colour, Alpine Bleu.

The new Alpine A110 will also be produced in Dieppe, based on the APP (Alpine Performance Platform) unveiled in March. In the new generation, the Alpine A110 will represent an entire family of compact sports cars: in addition to the standard two-seat coupé, there will be a two-seat roadster and a stretched touring coupé with a 2+2 seating layout.

The electric versions of the new Alpine A110 will feature an 800-volt architecture, two electric motors on the rear axle, and a battery split into two blocks. These blocks are positioned above the front and rear axles — a solution that has allowed the driver's seat to be lowered as much as possible. The rear battery block is noticeably larger than the front one, and the weight distribution will be roughly the same as that of the discontinued petrol coupé — 40:60 in favour of the rear axle. The body and chassis are made of aluminium. The suspension is coil-spring, with double wishbones "all round".

At the Goodwood Festival of Speed, which this year runs from 9 to 12 July, the Alpine A110 Future prototype with an electric powertrain will be presented. The full premiere of the new sports car is expected later this year — possibly in October at the Paris Motor Show. The electric Alpine A110 will reach the market in 2027.