America Needs The Alpine A110 R - Lightweight Driving Bliss
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- čas přidán 5. 05. 2023
- Alpine A110 R - The Underrated Sports Car Not Sold In America
#Sponsored by Alpine
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Alpine invited me to the Miami Formula 1 Grand Prix, ahead of which I was able to get some seat time in the Alpine A110 R, a light weight sports car that isn’t sold on US shores. The A110 R brings an appealing formula: small, low weight, relatively soft suspension with relatively long travel, and a relatively high amount of horsepower. All combined, it made for some fantastic laps at The Concours Club in Miami.
The video will talk through how weight was pulled out for the A110 R versus the A110 S, how the aerodynamic features have been modified and the balance shifted, and the driving differences between the A110 GT and the A110 R. Big thanks to Alpine for having me out - it was wonderful to hang with Pierre Gasly, Esteban Icon and the team!
@AlpineCars #AlpineCars #AlpineA110R, #AlpineA110, #AlpineA110GT4 #MadeByRacers, #DRVPNK @autonation
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I believe Gordan Murray said the A110 was a handling benchmark for his cars at GMA. That's gotta tell you something about how good this car is.
Gordon Murray said in a recent interview with Harry Metcalf (well-known British motoring journalist) that his personal daily driver is an Alpine A110. That is, I think, the ultimate recommendation.
@@acd1202 Yep. Its his daily. Frequently seen outside GMAs HQ.
It's a good handling car for sure. But practicality wise not sure it makes a good daily just because it works for Gordon Murray on his early morning blat to the office. If that's not a concern and the partner/wife has their own second car for groceries etc sure it will be brilliant.
It's his daily.
@@TheChannel1978well you don’t go For groceries daily, ir could be a daily driver and the wife have a separate car for the once a week groceries run. 😂
Thanks Jason for going through these hardships so we don’t have to. 😉
I would buy an A110 in a heartbeat if it were sold here in the US.
Would also give Toyota a reason to start working on a new MR2 if this sold well.
I would buy it if I had the money :D
Probably wouldn't pass US crash standards - too light
AVAILABLE IN THE US = Ariel Atom 4: Turbocharged 2.0 litre engine +350 BHP, curb weight 1,349 lb +/-, 0-62 mph = 2.8 sec.
Ariel Atom 4 = $83,750.
Alpine A110 R = $102,500.
@@someguydino6770 Ariel Atom is just a street legal go kart. It's not quite the same as a full bodied car. But the Atom is definitely one the the more obscure toys that Americans *do* have access to
In all my years of driving, I concluded that the lighter car is generally the more fun car. I owned an Audi R8 V10 manual which gave me so many rewarding experiences, but was still in the 1,500 Kg range. And now I drive a Mini with infinitively less power but also less weight, and I can say I love it nearly as much, courtesy of its light weight and planted, responsive dynamics. Light is beautiful!
As someone driving a fiesta st i can confirm. Acceleration and top speed are fun. But you just get used to it at some point. Tight handling is just always fun. Also in cheaper cars you can go all out and not be afraid of ending you and your cars existence.
@@Mr.Marbles I went from a Fiesta ST to an E46 M3 to a 2023 GR86. Not that the M3 was necessarily super heavy, but the 86 just feels so much more playful. More usable day to day too, find myself able to floor it far more often than with the M3. While I do miss that push from the S54 on highway on-ramps, in every other situation the 86 is just so much more fun. The ST was also a blast, but personally prefer the RWD of the 86 as it makes the car feel more excited, feels like the rear end wiggles around a lot which is super fun. Would recommend you try a 2nd gen 86/BRZ if you manage to find one!
I had a Mini once too…the most fun car to drive and the worst car to own…went through 2 transmissions before it was written off, amongst the power steering going out and the dash lit up like a Christmas tree😂
350z to mini cooper s (r53) here so definitely agree 👍🏼
@@davidsucks922 im 6“7 so finding anything small and sporty is a real challenge. Havent tried the gt86 brz yet, maybe ill fit. I just know that an mx5 is an absolute no-go 😂 alpine a110 also seems great.
As a French viewer of the chanel for a very long time, I am very happy to see this collaboration with Alpine. One of the best cars ever made at an affordable price. Must be better known in the United States. Congrats !
France has produces many fantastic cars with a different philosophy that other nationalities. As a cyclist happily paying Euros for each gram saved I'm all for low weight. There are so many environmental benefits.
And, just saying, the Citroen 2CV has its brakes on the inner side of the drive shaft... ;)
Base A110: ~$68K
A110 R: ~$120K
at French prices with exchange rate on May 9, 2023.
@@JohnPMiller didn't say it was cheap btw
@@baptistepcd4397 I know. I just wanted people to know that it's not Ferrari pricing, but it's also not Mazda MX-5 pricing. Alpine did a nice job with the new A110, which is better than the original in every way, but I'd still rather have an original A110.
@@JohnPMiller slightly below Lotus Emira. It's very similar to the motorcycle market, you can probably get a better, cheaper bike from Japan, but you will only get a European bike from Europe.
That's probably thte easiest decision you have ever made. It's great to see creators such as yourself getting these opportunities. I recently saw some F1 drivers on a podcast with some americans who honestly seemed to know as much about F1 as the kardashians. It was painful.
Haha, very grateful to be here, excited for the race!!
was it max & checo podcast?
@@EngineeringExplained mahle non magnetic electric motor for recycleability and cheaper cost, but needs transmission. subaru wrx high torque transmission, toyota normal first gear then cvt, for high torque
Supercool, even Gordon Murray drives the A110 as his daily. I hope you have a fun weekend!
Seeing someone who cares at Miami is nice. And I really hope Alpine and maybe Renault can come to the U.S.
Nissan can just pull a Toyota and just rebadge Renault/Alpine cars as NISMO Nissan/Ininiti cars and give them a kick back. I would buy an Infiniti A110 variant in a heartbeat!
@@anydaynow01 That’s not gonna happen. Alpine and Infiniti are two different brands and each have their identity. Personally, I cannot imagine this thing being sold under the Infiniti brand. Plus, Renault actually has plans to bring the Alpine brand stateside by 2027 or 2028, so there’s no need for any rebadging whatsoever.
@@this_dude5307 Nissan is part of Renault but I think the partnership is about to be over I’m not sure that’s what I heard.
@@yungboicontigo9278 The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance recently gotten an overhaul to make it more equal for all three of them. Ever since the alliance was formed, Renault had the most power over Nissan and Mitsubishi to an extent since Nissan owns a majority of them since 2016. To make it more equal for Nissan and Mitsubishi, Renault agreed to cut their stake in Nissan and give Nissan and Mitsubishi more independence and control of their own operations.
Bring back the LeCar!
One thing you forgot to mention is how beautiful this thing is… I saw the regular forms of this car when I was in Europe last year and fell in love immediately!
This video deserve 1 million views and the Alpine need to be sold in the US/Canada
thats no real car. buy F150.
@@redneckster6639 Average american joe dialogue
@@redneckster6639 🤓
You are so right, they have Infiniti over here, no reason they can't sell the A110 at those dealerships, or at least a Nissan variant of it.
@@redneckster6639 yeah like the millions of people that have been buying the f150 and never using it for it's purpose therefore guzzling very important ressources/fuel.... Shame on you!
Yes, America needs the Alpine. She is elegant, too. A true driver's car.
I have always enjoyed lightweight sports cars back in the 70s I owned Lotus Europa S2 low powered 82hp Renault engine but only weighed about 1500lbs. The car had almost no understeer and the rear could be steered with the throttle. The car was an absolute blast to drive.
Hey... does this A110R tend to cause lift-off or snap oversteer?... Since many cars made in MR tend not to be understeering, especially while making trail braking and lifting off the throttle, even the F1 cars do, that's why Hamillton sets his F1 car to be understeering bias to play it safe. Many people wreck their cars into the peace of trash because of this, even Max Verstappen has wrecked his car a couple of time in his F1 career.
Just finished getting my Lancia Scorpion on the road. It's not a particularly sophisticated sports car, and it's not fast, but it weighs 2100 lbs, and that alone makes it a completely different experience from almost anything else on the road right now.
Lancia Scorpion is a disappointment to me slow because the US version got the federalized 1.8 liter motor instead of the more powerful european 2.0. The car I'm most familiar with was autocrossed locally had a truely annoying habit of losing engine oil when it's oil filter unscrewed itself from the side of the motor. The cars owner made a habit of checking the filter, it loosened on numerous times. None of the 124 spiders with used the same engine seemed suffer the oil filter problem, it may be something to do with the east/west engine orientation. Please check your filter.
They're pretty flawed out of the box. We have spent a lot of time sorting issues they had from the factory, in addition to restoring a few things, and the car runs and drives well at this point.
LOL... I am a Lancia fan and had to search what Lancia is that... a Montecarlo... that's 037's father... a Rally Legend... it beat the Quattros with just 2wd in 1983... last 2wd to win World Rally Championship...
@@luiscarlosvieira3966 Sort of father. The Montecarlo is great in its own right. It's a great looking car. It's a personal favorite of mine. Because it's a realistic car. An 037 or, say, Ferrari 288 GTO is not.
Cool in-depth review as always - I have owned my A110 for almost 2 years now and it is quite the drive, very nimble, very quick especially between 80-120km/hr. Very rare here in Australia, only 110 of them were ever imported, needless to say I never see another. Cheers from Brisbane.
I probably couldn't afford this if it came to Canada, but I can afford to dream. Thanks Jason.
I can't even afford to dream. I'm still paying off a loan on a daydream I had three years ago.
For people wondering why the Alpine is not available in the US, it will be soon. Alpine signed a deal with AutoNation a few weeks/months ago to distribute it. Hence this event in the video and the sponsoring of AutoNation on the car in the Miami GP, it is part of the marketing strategy to introduce it I guess.
Anyway I'm glad to see the car on this channel ! I loved the technical explanations, as always ! 👍
2 electric SUV’s?! No A110? Why do they tease us so!
Forthcoming Alpine models are already planned and will be... full electric. Forget about lightweight.
@@michelq29 there will be an Alpine a110 e-ternite which is an electric a110 with 350hp and only 200kg more than the petrol one still being as light as a cayman or more and fully electric
Hi @@aitorgallego98, A110 E-ternité is only a running concept-car created for marketing, as far as I know. And it's announced added weight is +268kg which is... +20/+25%! Futur production models are, like... 2000kg electric suvs and other things like that.
that's awesome this car is sweet
I've always admired these. New and old.
Hello everyone and welcome!
The fact that this is the top comment rn makes it so much better 😂
Great to get your perspective on the A110. It's a shame you guys don't get it over in the U.S. I was not aware that the choice of gearbox was down to packaging constraints. I was under the impression that it was down to limited funding forcing the team to choose one transmission over the other. Regardless of their reasons though, I think they made the right choice going with DCT. Renault aren't exactly known for producing great manual gearboxes. For me, the A110 is the spiritual successor to the outgoing Lotus Elise. It follows Colin Chapman's lightweight philosophy more closely than the Emira.
Exactly yes!
If you check the Renault Mégane RS Trophy-R and it's Nurburgring Record you will realize that when it comes to performance the Renault group knows what to do even with a manual Gearbox.
Next episode will now be the Pike's Peak with a specific car upgrade.
Most likely it's for both reasons. The stars lined up.
C'mon, the alpine A110 is already the espiritual sucessor of a car... the '63 alpine a110. It is myth on its own, it won the first WRC!
Unfortunately Alpine announced that they will be coming to the U.S… but they’ll only sell electric crossovers here. It’s the biggest slap in the face to enthusiasts Renault has ever given, and the fact that they brought the car we actually want to a track event to hype up their future crossovers that have nothing in common is insulting.
To quote Alpine A110 owner and legendary automotive design Superstar, Gordon Murray, “Lightweight is everything!” Signed, I'm Green With Envy, Jason...2 thumbs way up!!!
Congrats for the channel and the honor of being invited to an F1 event! A lot of people's dream!! Great job you do! 😎👏🏼
Thanks! Has been a fun weekend thus far. 🙌
10:00 there you're seeing the effect of the stiffer rear anti roll bar. Usually people say harder roll bar equals less grip on the axle but it depends on the roll axis. If the front roll center is higher than the rear roll center, the resulting axis is inclined. In this configuration the car is very responsive in yaw and quickly oversteers. If you stiffen up the rear anti roll bar, the rear center of roll rises, making the car less responsive in yaw and thus more planted.
I don't see how stiffening the rear swaybar would make the rear roll center rise, as the roll center is based on the geometry of the control arms, which is unaffected by rollbar location or stiffness. I think you're talking about overall axle roll stiffness and changing the roll couple distribution...
@@jsquared1013 Okay, that was a bit oversimplified. But only looking at the geometric roll center also is an oversimplification. Of course a stiffer anti roll bar initially only increases the roll stiffness, but only if the stiffness equally increases on both axles. If the rear stiffness increases, but the front stiffness doesn't it gets a bit complicated.
Imagine a car with a rear anti roll bar that allows absolutely no difference between both wheels. Now, if the car rolls, the roll axis is in the middle of the front axle, but on the rear axle, the roll axis goes through the outer wheel and rolling lifts the inner wheel off the ground. This is just an example of how the anti roll bar can affect the roll center without changing the geometry.
Great video. Thank you Jason and Alpine.
Thanks for all your great videos! Glad to see the new Alpine has a mid- engine design instead of the rear engine of the original A 110.
I fell in love with this thing once I first heard the A110 was returning. I barely knew the original, mostly through Rally games, but this thing is just plain gorgeous and fun. The French really nailed this one.
I had several Miatas (currently have an nbfl) and always been the fan of lightweight minimalistic purpose-built cars (Lotus, Ariel, S7 replicas, etc.). Had a chance to track test the Alpine and man... it is extremely forgiving, almost foolproof. Tried to push it hard but the limit was way above what I could squeze out of it. Shame the price went up almost 150% in the last two years, so my next choice is a GR86 or GR Yaris. Still looking forward to the next track testing day here (with several cars including an mach-e). You're lucky to have it tested in the US, as in Australia they've banned it (not enough side-impact resistance).
What's crazy is those cars seem "heavy" and down on power compared to this Alpine. I would totally take a Gr Yaris or Gr Corolla though, I think they are the perfect daily driver, and the AWD is nice to have.
C'est faux l'Alpine est en vente en Australie et le Japon
Great vid... Your thoughts exactly mirror my own. I owned a Matra Murena (mid-engined French 3 seater) for almost 40 years and loved it but had never found a car to replace her as the lightweight sports cars such as the Elise was just too compromised for daily driving. When the Alpine was revealed to the world, I ordered one instantly and it was the easiest decision I have ever made. So so capable on mountain roads yet so forgiving and super comfortable. Even the fuel economy destroys all its competitors. Simply the most enjoyable sports car I have ever driven.
Thank you !
The Alpine A110 is one of my favourite car for that reason.
Ive seen the regular A110 here in France a couple times, didn't think i would but they sound and look amazing.
Nicer version of a Twingo. MDR!
Just joking but yeah, the R seems quite cool.
I wonder if the Gendarmerie drives the R versions too.
always thought the front looked weird in pictures, but in person it really is a good looking car
@@dynlenoir of course no they drive "police version" of the base a110, A110r is a track car
Alpine's are such great cars. I have an old 88 GTA V6 Turbo and its freaking awesome to drive. So light weight, amazing handling and still quick even today.
Hello, you explain everything so well. You were definitely trained as a Mechanical Engineer, the same as I (TTU BSME 1987). You have truly mastered this material and have a gift for explanation. I wish that I had had you as a teacher; you are the real deal!
Nicely done video Jason. Very good appraisal of a great sports car and you never descend into unprofessional fawning - I like that of you. Go Jason!
Another great engineering post ..Weight 👍 is energy.
I'm lucky enough to own an Alpine A110 (the GT, not the R), but I can confirm, this is just an incredible car!! Love it!!
Man I absolutely love your content. It is simply amazing! And the production quality is amazing!
I dream of a collaboration of you and JP Performance with you visiting JP in Germany... Man that would be so sick!
The Alpine is more interesting than I expected. And your presentation of it is excellent, as always.
The A110 is my wish list sports car. Its got the looks, the performance, and reportedly great handling and control.
This or a Lotus Elise, and toyotas ugly little GR is also a rocket.
Very happy to see you tasting the greatness of Renault Group Products. It's in your hand to make them get back to the US. I'm counting on you :)
🤞🤞🤞
I really like the A110, Happy to see a bigger youtuber from the states giving it some attention I would love to own one myself.
This was a great video. Thanks for sharing fun and exciting content! Rock on! 😎😃
In addition to be sporty and great looking, this car is fuel efficient! Only 5.5l per 100km on highway. Thanks lightweight and aerodynamic!
That's actually better than my Honda City...
For Americans, that's about 43 mpg.
It really shouldn't be impressive for a car this small and light, yet it is. I see no technical reason why a Miata shouldn't get 50 mpg, but then they'd have to make 6th a super-tall highway only gear and journalists who test road cars on the track would complain that it's useless. Corvettes used to get 30-35 mpg on the highway with a big V8. IMO, the "close-ratio gearbox" fad is making sports cars and motorcycles worse to use on the road.
@@rightwingsafetysquad9872 you beat me to the corvette. C5 vettes were getting into the 30s on the highway easily. And I agree that gear ratios are getting way too short. It's done to make slow cars feel fast but it wrecks fuel economy.
@@wigletron2846 IMO, if you have a 6+ speed transmission: First should be super short to make starting off easy, perhaps so short it's not useful in a drag race. Top gear should be super long to maximize fuel economy around 80 mph. Everything in the middle can be as close ratio as desired to make it fun. At least Zac Courts at Revzilla agrees.
@@rightwingsafetysquad9872 there is nothing "fad" about close-ratio gearboxes, that is how performance cars have been designed for decades on decades. It's better for performance, period. The complaints on modern cars is actually usually the opposite: overly tall low gears (1st-3rd) to pass California's asinine/archaic drive-by noise test. You can still have a close-ratio gearbox with a tall top gear for highway cruising mpg.
A worthy successor to Alfa Romeo 4C.
Edit: This is probably the best car that that is manufactured right now.
Love it when the engineers are allowed to optimize for what I want in a sports car.
MAN! DUUUUUUUUUUUUDE!!! No waaaay!!! You talking about Alpine! and Joking with Gasly on the paddock!!!! It's amazing see you grow soo much over these years! Love you man, a truly example that you can be succesfull doing an amazing job without shennanigans or big butts! Love you man!!!
Very nice to see that Alpine understands that light weight is the most important performance feature. 8 lbs. per HP is excellent and makes up for some of the fun lost in an automatic transmission.
My bike gets 3 lbs per hp.
@@aluisious you can't compare bike and car
They do need a stick shift manual though, eventually it will be the differentiator between soulful ICE manuals and soulless EV "automatic" cars.
I had a 1972 A110. What a blast, even though it was considerably underpowered compared to the modern version, or my current Corvette C8... One factor that made it so much fun is that the Michelin racing tires made for it were cheap (good thing considering they lasted maybe 5,000km) I totally agree with your assessment of what makes a lightweight car fun to drive. That makes them much better learning tools as well.
So much insight into car engineering trade-offs packed in 11 minutes! It's also great to have a live example of the differences between European and American car cultures
Thanks for the video Jason. Alpine has always done cars for pleasure and performance with light cars. I have never seen one of these and would like to see one in real one day.
Lightweight car, that's the same reason why I love the MX-5 Miata 😊
But weak chasis about torsional rigidity for be a roadster, and front engine.
@@llavero5 Nah. I sold my M2 and kept my ND MX-5. They're that good.
"Weight is the worst enemy of any car" - Colin Chapman, founder of Lotus Cars.
Hmm The Exige. "She will be mine.. oh yes"
NO...marketing is the worst enemy. We live in a fat world thanks to marketing, for food, for sodas and the, for cars...
Thanks a lot. I was blissfully unaware until now.
I'm gonna get my Alpine in March. Can't wait.
I have a lightly modified A110 GT. Same power as the R but with creature comforts. Slightly lowered and stiffened, It feels shockingly quick in a straight line and is immense fun to drive. 😊
How does it ride? The NVH? I mean I have no reference point other than my Honda City 😂 which handles like a somewhat sporty sofa (the latest ones are boats, but the earlier gen 2 one I have has a great ride handling balance for a family sedan) and weighs about the same as the Alpine. But I guess the Alpine will be much sharper in the turns significantly quicker with nearly 2.5x the horses.
wow, I didnt think there would be cars like MR2 in this day n age.
Nice!
ALWAYS had a soft spot in my heart for Alpine!
Man, videos like this really make me want to get into some sort of car modding.
100% agree, needed in the US!!
Would you (or could you) shell out the $60K+ for one if they did?
Iv heard from my friends over the pond that this is one of the best handling modern cars
Litterally my favorite car to come out in the last decade. Definitely a strong contender if I ever move to Europe.
A lightweight, nimble, rear drive car with dual wishbone suspension? Oh yes please! Most people have never driven in such a car and it’s a wonderful experience. Typically very alive and connected feeling. My first car was like this but woefully underpowered and unreliable since it was a FIAT. But it was so much fun to drive. Wish this car made it stateside.
I live in a country where the latest flavors of Alpha 4C, Alpine A110, and Lotus Elise were available when I was shopping a couple of years ago. The Elise was 400-500 lbs lighter, had the manual transmission, and a quick-responding supercharger instead of the more popular turbocharger. But if it hadn’t been available, the Alpine seemed the obvious choice.
Yes, love the philosophy behind the car. Would like to see one in person, as I'm not totally sold on the looks. And it's a shame you can't get a manual, but in the US, can't get the car at all. Not a lot of choices for truly lightweight cars here.
It looks much better in the metal (and carbon), especially in darker colours where you get to to see the line from roof to window to boot / trunk more clearly.
For real my dude. I've wanted one since b4 the release. Your a man of good taste...Doogie
Such a cool car with a hell of a reputation when it comes to rallies. Great video, thank you x
BTW, Gordon Murray daily drives an Alpine A110. Yes, that Gordon Murray. The guy who made the McLaren F1, the Rocket (which I would really love to drive), and the new T.50. My take is that I would want it with a manual gearbox (same problem as the Alfa Romeo 4C...) but I would be thrilled to have one. For now, I'm just finishing up adding a FM turbo to my Miata, so maybe that is the best you can do without spending Elise money.
All other supercar makers : We are benchmarking against the Bugatti Chiron!
Gordon Murray : We are benchmarking against an Alpine A110...
Best marketing of all time when the Godfather himself approves.
Thank you for talking about these kind of cars despite the stigma.
Absolute dream car for the very reasons you mention :)
This is what the new Lotus cars should have been!
Toyota engine with performance that excites :)
The upcoming Emira with the AMG 4 cylinder is almost exactly like the A110 :)
@ChadGeidel merc 4 cyl is powerful not reliable. Will be a pass.
@@ChadGeidelThe Emira is quite a bit bigger and expected a little heavier also. Good competitor but not the same. In some tests the Emira V6 lost from a base A110 on the fun factor.
It does seem like the perfect formula. The A110 is Gordon Murray's daily which is about all the endorsement you need.
As always your classes inform and amaze me.
Excellent review. Old Alpine A110 is some of my favorite RWD cars in Dirt Rally 2.0. I really dig the combination of low weigh+lower horsepower. Up until the latest CSGO major tournament I didn't even know that A110 exists till this day and wasn't just a one-off gig.
One detail I appreciate is compliant suspension. So many sporty cars do a lot of things right and then ruin the on-road experience with overly stiff suspension that provides no performance benefit on average pavement and makes the drive feel like a chore if it isn't glass-smooth pavement. I'm looking at you Focus RS.
This is exactly how I feel about the two cars I drive, I have a polestar tuned volvo v60 which has amazing power and sticky tires, but is a bit heavy (though it is still faster in an overall course,) while I also have a base 2010 mini cooper clubman which has a gutless engine but is just a blast to drive in comparison. Can't wait to finish the head job on the mini so I can get it out on the road again.
As they say "It's always more fun to drive a slow car fast than to drive a fast car slow!"
Big fan of Pierre, super jealous, what an experience!
Jason, Nice you got to drive the A110. I have owned modified X1/9’s and driven the Lotus Elise and the Alfa 4C extensively. I currently have a Homebuilt Seven that is 1400lbs wet and about 150HP. The playfulness of lightweight cars cannot be imitated.
That is a fabulous hoot of a car!
That suspension design philosophy isn't so far from that followed by Gordon Murray, ie it should be a road car. And we know what his are like.
Well done Alpine!
Gordon Murray's cars are stick shift though, just as this car should have been. They will learn with time though, if it is ICE, the owner wants the stick shift manual engagement!
@@anydaynow01 good point. Jason mentioned that the reason for the dual clutch was packaging, which I can understand. That must have been a pretty big reason because so far as I know a dual clutch transmission is often heavier than a manual. I wonder if they did give up weight for packaging?
Also, gear shifts for mid engine cars are difficult. The one in the MGF was cables, and I found that uninspiring. Lamborghini's managed it by bringing the gearbox in under the cabin and then putting the drive back through the engine again. Toyota MR2 was cables too I think and Okay I found. Lotuses?
Gordon Murray's have very carefully machined gearshift linkages designed in conjunction with the gear box to ensure there's no slop and to get a good feel. That's the best way, but it's a pricey thing to put in a car.
So I also wonder if the difficulty of getting a good shift persuaded Alpine to go dual clutch. Better to have a good dual clutch than a rubbish manual?
@@marcelromijn2227 Perfect, thank you! I'm impressed with the fun-focused gearing.
Someone has done well to keep the advertising and accountant departments away from the engineering - a breath of fresh air.
I don't understand why Alpine refuses to sell the A110 here in the US, but they plan to sell their electric SUV here in a few years. Why not get people to discover your brand with the amazing A110 before you move to electrification? Petrol heads would definitely buy the A110 if it was sold in the US, even if you only bring a few of them here, but please make it happen!!
I’m guessing the a110 won’t meet crash safety standards in the USA.
@@aluisious don't worry about that, European standards are quite demanding.
I think Alpine/Renault fears (and imo rightfully) that they could only fill a very small niche in the american market, which is by en large dominated by excessively big and heavy vehicles, especially in the premium segment. Here in Europe you can spot some of those american market vehicles (like a RAm or recently and Escalade) from time to time and compared to "normal" sized cars, like an A110, a Cayman or another small coupes/hatchbacks, those american vehicles are just complete MUTANTS. Furthermore, the (already limited) american sports car market seems to be largely dominated on the one side by excessively powerfull, yet relatively cheap models like Mustangs or Dodge's and/or already very popular foreign brands like Porsche, Mercedes, BMW, Toyota, etc. Honorable mention goes to the Corvette C8 aswell, it's a genuinely impressive car and value for money.
But all of this means, that there is probably only a very small (potential) market for another boutique foreign brand (which pretty much noone has heard of before and probably will forget about immediately afterwards) with a very particular/limited offering, that might not find enough actual customers in the end, to justify the required huge investments into US-certification, eventually required changes, and a distribution/service network.
It would probably be already a huge improvement, if US-regulators would start to crack down on some of those highly regressive and outdated regulations, that favor those big and heavy trucks/SUVs and bring vehicle and make street/vehicle regulations more compatible with the rest of the world and in addition open the US market for such nieche foreign products. But that probably won't happen anytime soon or ever, bc american Politics tends to be highly protective of their domestic market/manufacturers and therefore maintains some really high barriers for entry, which makes it that much harder for brands like Alpine to even attempt it. Harley Davidson is a really good example of how selective American protectionism has been deployed to carve out a certain domestic market environment, in order to give a life line to an ostensibly stagmanting and declining company/industry, which on its own just wasn't as innovative and competitive enough to survive in the global market.
In this state of affairs, it doesn't really matter that the american market and its domestic industry is still following some of those increasingly anachronistic paradigms of big/heavy/wasteful products/life-cycles as primarily status symbols, rather than arguably much more sensible/practical solutions for daily use. Same reasons, why station waggons and compact cars in general are near extinct in the US. In the end, Uncle Sam as the proprietor of the premier global currency, can and will go to some extraordinary lenghts to protect domestic industries when disadvantaged in the global market, and do so often even without demanding some real changes (especially in corporate governance away from short-term profit seeking to long terms sustainable practices) from those companies. Hence, putting any real demands/stress on "American manufacturing" can become very quickly politically toxic and is therefore usually avoided like the plague.
@@lennoxbaumbach390 Well said, and it also doesn't help with the increasing popularity of F1 in the USA that Alpine is slipping down the order. One of the grips Alonso and Prost had with Alpine/Renault is executives and bean counters didn't want to spend the money to be championship contenders, they just wanted their name on the grid and that was enough. To sell the A110 or other Alpine vehicles (or Infiniti rebadged cars) in the USA they need to be contenders in F1 at the pointy end.
@@aluisious If the Fiat 500, Alfa Romeo 4c and Smart Fortwo did then I’m sure the Alpine would be fine lol
Fantastic car and fantastic video!
The more I look at this car, the more I love it! Lots of character!
French brands that are not in the US such as Alpine, Renault Sport and Michelin are so underrated. I miss my Renault Megane RS.
Michelin not in the us?? They only do tires and they sell in the US.
renault sport doesn't exist anymore they have been replaced by alpine
They do have Infiniti dealers here, I'm sure they can work out an agreement!
@@anydaynow01 yeah it's a bit strange they never did, but now Renault is not in the best terms with Nissan.
@@uleertel Wow i thought they were ban since France didnt go to Irak and Americans don't buy French brands.
Drove the GT, it was fab. Carbon wheels would be nice, though.
As nice as carbon wheels are for performance - less unsprung mass and flex and all that, on the road they’re a bit dangerous. Because they are so stiff and because they don’t bend like alloys, they can fracture, crack or shatter from things that wouldn’t normally effect the integrity of an alloy. I know on the terrible UK roads things could go south very quickly
@@chaphammersmith9540 True, valid points.
Beautiful review!
this has been my dream car for years, so cool to see them ragging it round the bends in the alps during the monte rally
Such a beautiful car is a rarity in the 2020s. The R checks so many boxes for me, although the twin clutch would make it a really difficult decision. It's faster, but if the car's all about fun, two pedals are not fun. Still, I wish they would sell it here!
I just got a twin clutch car after driving manual transmissions for 60 years. The twin clutch shifts faster and smoother than I ever did. The only loss is the tactile feel of actually moving gears with the shift lever.
@@soaringvulture A twin clutch should DEFINITELY be able to shift faster and smoother than any single clutch manual, whether it's a human shifting or even an automated single clutch. The twin clutch can literally be in two gears at once...99% in 1st gear, 1% in 2nd gear, then 50/50, then 1% in 1st and 99% in 2nd, then 100% in 2nd. The single clutch can only go from 1st to neutral to 2nd. The twin clutch in just mechanically superior. But that's not FUN.
Would you (or could you) shell out the $60K+ for one if they did?
@@TucsonDude Yeah, I think that price point is about right for that much car. If they brought it here AND offered it as a manual, I'd be all over it for $60K - $65K. Same but in twin clutch? Again, I'd have to drive it and decide if I really enjoy it without a third pedal.
The weight of these electric vehicles will make us miss light cars even more in the future. Sad that even Lotus has left the lightweight ethos, but people don’t care about driving, they want SUV.
Alpine is working on an electric line, and it includes a SUV. (and a Renault 5 like)
We'll see if they work as hard to keep the weight low (relatively speeking)
Most people are not car enthusiasts. SUVs are for the boring masses.
great to see a condensed comparison to all the variations
I hope your enthusiasm for lightweight cars is shared with future designers and more make it to production and arrive on US shores
The typical middle aged American driver’s additional weight over their European counterpart would more than wipe out all the R carbon weight savings. 😢
This pearl of wisdom could only have come from a truly gifted person, bravo.
I love this car! Sad that we don't get anything cool or interesting in the US any more because everyone only buys giant city bus-sized SUVs
Happy to see you enjoying Miami GP and the Alpine. I hope you greeted Pierre screaming "Pieeeeeeeeeeerre Gaaaslyyyyyyyyyyyyyy"
Wow, what an amazing car.
In France, Alpine and cayman have the most lap records on small tracks. It's amazing to see them passing anything (also megane RS) even in turs.
Light is definitely a plus (yes power helps too). Some of the most fun driving I've ever had was at the wheel of a Geo Metro (RIP, due to winter) in the mountains of West Virginia.
SOO many people have not yet discovered the joys of cornering. I hope to be a lightweight, RWD, sports car driver for life!
When I first saw an onboard video of Alpine A110 R going around the Nurburgring I was blown away, thoughts of "what is that!" and "I want one!" came to mind; looks like a blast to drive.
Love these cars
I love driving my 03 Corolla around. I’ve taken a lot of weight out of it and it weighs in a little under 2,400 Lbs. I’ve also worked on the engine (1ZZ-FE). Ported heads, lighter engine stuff, intake, tune. It’s probably around 120 HP but it’s a torquey little engine. 5 speed manual. No ABS, cable driven throttle body. It’s a blast to drive around town in. Not the fastest car by any means but it puts a smile on my face.
This is a dreamcar!
EE and F1 🥰 two my favourite things
Hey, have u seen the yangwang u8? Im already hyped for your explainaitions on the 360 turn and floating features of that car and many more.