Alpine A110 VS Lotus Elise - Fifth Gear Shootout | Fifth Gear
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- čas přidán 29. 03. 2020
- Jason is on track as the Alpine A110 takes on the reigning British champion, the Lotus Elise in a track battle against the clock.
#FifthGear #AlpineA110VSLotusElise
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This clip was taken from our most recent series, broadcast at the end of 2019 on Quest - bit.ly/3dEYSgs
Fifth Gear
That A110 is one sweet bit of kit....
Love it...👍🏼
Fifth Gear I knew who the winner is before I even started the video. Lotus would have won even with trailer behind it..We know what patriotism means.
That's great. You know what's not great? Getting rid of Tiff. He was brilliant.
I tested both, along with a Porsche Cayman and the 4C. Each has its merits. All are wonderful in their own right. I bought the A110.
I would have bought the 4C. But the Alpine is also a great pick.
How good does it ride? I heard it has surprisingly soft suspension. Even someone like Gordon Murray claims it's better than a Porsche.
srinitaaigaura First off, it’s not soft. It is still firm. Former than say an NC MX-5. It feels a lot like the Lotus Evora if you’ve driven one. Compliant and soaks up bumps the faster you go. It’s not an Alfa 4C, which is bone jarring on anything rough. But don’t think it’s going to feel like a 5 series touring car. Gordon Murray says it’s the best balance between dynamics and ride quality available today, surpassing the Evora. I don’t speak with his authority, but there is something magical about the body roll, the way the chassis speaks to you. Is it the fastest thing out there? No. But it’s still very quick, and really involving.
Cd B Totally get it. The 4C is stunning and an amazing car. I love the A110, but these debates about better or worse make no sense to me. They are both really wonderful in their own right. Just different.
I tested also nearly everything. And I bought the A110S. But without the A110S for sure I would select the A110 ... also incredible car!
The Elise is truly something special. With its weight and a manual transmission, just perfection.
Alpine didn't do so bad considering it wasn't built for track use
Thing is that the Alpine has been designed as a road car, not a track one.
Mike Wilcox You sell the Wrangler in the states so please don't mention crash tests. Renault was the first company to get a 5 star ENCAP.
@@user-js2dr9gv1u jeez what are u doing here? Do u even like cars?
The elise is very much a road car, Lotus have made much more hardcore cars for the track.
@@rdcrezz This version is more track focused though. And the Elise was always meant to be a track and road car. The A110, according to its designer was designed without caring about track times.
@@user-js2dr9gv1u are you serious? Because my sources says otherwise.
Lotus Elise: www.elises.co.uk/miscellaneous/safety/index.html
Alpine A110: Unknown.
It’s crazy how Fifth Gear can make brand new stuff look 15 years old!.... 😂
Touche'
They should bring back Tiff to make it not appear so old and tired!
Overreliance on the vintage filter that was all the rage in British media in the early 00s. No idea why they're sticking with it so much.
i'm sure the lotus is the better one to drive...but i think the Alpine is the one you'd want for every day use
As great as the Lotus is, I'd take the Alpine any day. As you say, it's better for every day use, looks nicer (in my opinion) and the interior is much nicer. The Lotus interior looks surprisingly dated [1:33]
@@mantiispsn6543 really?!! Shows how subjective looks are, to me it's just hideous - that front ends like some kind of nightmare spider 😱
@@thecoops2329 Yeah, it's a matter of opinion really. I know some people that love the looks, and others that hate it
They aren't that far apart really. The Elise, 4c and Alpine are all pretty similar. I use an Elise daily and it's fine, it actually has a good sized boot too! If you're over about 6ft or obese you'll struggle to get in any of them though as they are tiny cars.
But Lotus suspension is just better than everything else. It's firm without being harsh and the handling is equally as good. I think the mistake they made with the Alpine was using power steering, it didn't really need it and power steering numbs the feel quite a lot.
@@BlatentlyFakeName Actually the Alpine is quite "tall people friendly". The A110 had to fit the 6'7" CEO of Alpine and thus was designed to accomodate taller people
The real difrance is alpine is much more useble every day
Uhh... no
@@iainmacrae6982 uhh... Yes! I use mine as daily driver. I see Myself not squeezing into an Elise 5 times a day
My friend has a mk2 elise with the k series engine in and there is no way, that car can be used in comfort everyday...he's 6,2 and struggles getting in and out, Im 5,8 and I struggle getting in and out of it but it is massive fun.
I daily drive an '05 Elise with the 1.8 liter Toyota engine (and an added Harrop supercharger :))-it's been a blast for 15 years, but that A110 is no doubt easier to live with. At least with an Alpine, I might convince someone to come along as a passenger.
I daily an 06 Elise. And yes it scares passengers, but that's not what it's about :D
There is a technique to getting in and out, once you master it it's easy.
"...and this Elise weighs just 931 kilo's." My Series 1 Elise weighs LESS than 931 kilos INCLUDING driver and a passenger! LOL
alpine- pilot sport 4 UHP tires , lotus a052 semislick tires?
I prefer the elise for style and the manual gearbox and I d pick it over the Alpine but this comparison is biased in favor of the British car. The Alpine is almost as fast in its base model (this is not the s) with road tires vs the semi-slick track day tires on the elise. Everyone who goes on track know what that means! If you are gonna track them at least they gotta be on the same type of tire if it s not possible to have the same model. A semi-slick cheating tires means 1 to 3 seconds per lap depending on how long is the track. The Alpine is also on another planet in term of daily driving capabilities. It s a car vs a toy. I prefer the toy but I wouldn t daily drive it and being a pure track car only almost it loses to the much practical car even on track. At least on this track
The Alpine can be used everyday, the Lotus isn't practical. There is no refinement in the Lotus, and the Alpine has a decent multimedia and air conditioning. Also in Spain the 246hp version of the Lotus costs 69.701€, the 222hp goes for 53.507€ . You can get a base Alpine for 58.500€. For 69.718€ Alpine offers the more powerful 292hp version which would have closed the gap on the Lotus.
It depends on your lifestyle. I have used my lotus for a daily driver for the last 2 years. Never had an issue that I can remember. Loved every minute of it.
If you are a real sports car guy you don't care about multimedia 😉
@@achilleconte4385 I've sat in a Lotus Elise, and I can tell you it is very complicated to get in and out of. I am short at 164 cm, but when you open the doors, there is a very high door sill which is the problem. As a past Mazda MX-5 owner, I can tell you the MX-5 is almost like getting in a normal car but much lower. Well the Elise is good for those that do yoga at a level 3.
@@JuanGarcia-zq5tp ahahaha I trust you, but I'm 28 and an almost 365 days of the year cyclist with every kind of weather so I'm pretty used to the lack of comfort and will definitely love to be inside a Lotus as an everyday car 😃
There is a technique to getting in any out, once you figure it out it's easy. I use an 06 Elise as my daily :)
With the roof off you can just slide the chair back and stand up to get out.
Lotus Exige 430 Cup is my dream car
Same
Same too
Thanks for letting us know.
@@user-wf2wi5wc2k damn bro that's crazy but did I ask?
Maybe of the half of the world hahaha
That Alpine is staggeringly beautiful!
Difficult to choose between the two since I like both of them.
Should repeat the test with the A110S
This is the standard alpine and it's not that much slower . I'd rather get the Alpine a110s . Has more power 292 hp , handles better and it's not that much uncomfortable compared to the standard alpine . You can find an excellent review on auto express .
Handles better than the Elise? 🤯
@@aaa84gtshort answer ? Yes. Long answer ? just watch the review on auto express and you will understand . It's made by Steve , you'll love it .
I would'nt say the a110s handles better than the non S TBH. It's a lot stiffer, has wider tyres and has a raft of options that make it more suitable for track driving. Breakaway is more sudden and its lost a fair bit of plyability, not as nice on the road imo. Engine is good though. You don't really feel the extra power but on track it's a lot more rev happy.
@@maxmuller4551 You prefer a average driver, probably like "Doc Q" or a professional driver? Think about it
They picked this one because its in the same price range. Plus I doubt the S would out handle the Lotus unless they somehow got rid of that extra bulk.
It's the Elise that I'll be going for, but I'm so glad to see Renault come to the field with such an elegant, agile car. There's no doubt that the Alpine would be the car to take your misses to a fancy restaurant or a night at the theatre. It makes most modern Ferraris look utterly vulgar.
I love the looks of the Alpine
Very impressive for something light that no contest kills the Lotus and Alfa as a road car :) Vive le Renault
Love the Lotus, and with me being British rightly so.....Buuuut, I'd pick the Alpine, Just think it's a cooler looking car, the engine note is a bit more naughtier than the Lotus and I imagine the Alpine would be a lot easier to live with day to day.
It's hard to tell on a video but the Lotus does sound better. Even the stock setup is much louder too.
The Lotus feels a lot more exciting to drive, the handling is sharper, the feedback is better, etc. Test drive it and you'll see what I mean
The A110S would be a better matchup here on the track. More track-focused by design, with more power and stiffer suspension, would definitely beat the Elise on laptime
Put the same type of UHP Tires on the Alpine as the Lotus has and the game changes
What tyres do each have?
@@pastorofmuppets8834 seems the Alpine had PS4 and semi slicks for the Lotus, the gap of 0.4s could have been erased with PS Cup 2 tyres
And the Michelin PS4 OEM of the Alpine are designed to make it slide easily.
lotus is a manual... that's slower than an automatic..
The Elise doesn't have semi slicks either. Currently they come with Yokohama V105s.
This, is the real comparaison that matter: Lotus Elise 0:32 and Alpine A110 0:53.
"Massive understeer". The Lotus way outhandles it for sure. And a supercharger response. In reality, these are quite different cars, cannot really compare. Lotus is still a lot more practical than most people think, however. It still rides well for a car that handles that good. So I can see where Top Gear came from. Both these cars are pretty light and down to basics. Alpine is a slightly bigger car. If you are younger, more nimble, you can still get in and out of the Lotus just fine. And for the older, practice makes it a lot easier and more fluent. A small price to pay. How much time do you actually spend getting in and out of a car, and how much time do you spend driving it?
0:00 Lotus's historic virtues
2:40 Lotus lap
3:30 Alpine's deficiencies
4:30 Alpine lap
5:38 Conclusion
5:50 Le fin
exactly
If the suspension was tweaked to take the understeer out, would it feel/respond as well as the Lotus?
It seems biased... "we beat the French" priding on the Lotus.
Seeming that Caterham were also involved with the initial development of the Alpine, as it was originally going to be a similar arrangement to what subaru and toyota had with the BRZ/GT86, its hardly a 100% french product anyway.
@@cameronmilne3590 Just like the Toyota Supra is a BMW Z4
Apparently Alpine and Lotus are working on an electric sports car. Which will have sister models like the gt86/BRZ arrangement.
I had one of those Lotus Cup cars, it’s basically a track car and therefore not really comparable to the Alpine. Lotus is epic but rattled and not comfy on a long journey. Pretty great show by the Alpine all things considered!
I can’t wait to see Lotus release new versions of the Elise and Evora!
Should compare the latest lotus with one from 1996.
Lol the Rover 1.8 could stall
@@hybridAbsol The 1996 Elise is only 700kg
@@whizzo94 thats not the problem, the problem is the engin itself, its from a Rover, first gen Elises uses Rover 1.6 and 1.8, not the best engine selection if you ask me, they should have use the MR2 engine in the first place
@@hybridAbsol Don't agree. The K series was a brilliant, powerful, incredibly light engine. It hasn't proved particularly fragile in the Elise as the car was featherweight and owners pampered them. The famous headgasket problem, since pretty much cured with experience, was mainly a problem when used in saloons whose owners probably didn't know where the bonnet catch was. Don't think the 1.6 was used in the Elise, it was in the MGF though.
@@johnwh1039 the 1.6 option was a less powerful option, not all Elise came with 200hp, some even produced lesser power while handling remains the same, lower spec gets at least 110hp while the mid range gets around 160hp, 190-200hp for top range model
This is a good comparison. I like both of them.
In a real-world the horsepowers are a little bit short for me but they are a super small little cars that good money can buy... I love it
Are they on the same tyres?
big difference as you can nearly use the Alpine as a daily which is quite impossible with the Elise. Both very nice cars anymay
The Lotus love affair goes on! I have a 1975 Elite. Mostly I love it, often I hate it.
Why
@@happygorilla8518 When I HAVE to work on it I hate it. When I CAN drive it I love it.
@@TTTzzzz ahhh ok i get ya
Based on this test I would take the Renault Alpine every day.
Why not the 110s??
I own a Alpine A110S and I use it ... every day! A friend of mine has a Lotus Elise and useable only on the track. So, what is better? Decide for yourself. I did.
carpediem1140 Road-Alpine Track-Lotus simple really! 👍🏻
I agree! Most people use Their car 99% of the time one public roads. So the choice is easily made.
Well I personally have no issues taking an Elise as a daily, you just have to get used to it. I know it's your opinion, but viewing Lotus as track-only racing car is quite wrong. Even the Cup 430 is comfortable enough on the road. Alpine doesn't have a manual gearbox either, so it's less charmful. I'd say an Elise (especially Cup 250) is a better sports car, a toy in other words. But (and this is where my weird taste kicks in) even for a daily driving I'd go for an Elise, but this time Sport 220 only.
6 mins for comparing two quite different cars is a bit odd. Adding to this is their choice for the comparison.
It should be
1. Elise Sport 220 vs Alpine A110
2. Elise Cup 250 vs Alpine A110S
Video was nice, especially because there aren't many Lotus contents out in the YT. But personally I think it could have been better thought-out. Still, have to be grateful for giving a content, don't I?
@@James-oo1yq No. Alpine TRACK & Alpine ROAD ... A110S is more track then you know ...
@@left_ventricle That's your decision. Fine for me. Did you test all of the mentioned cars? Can you afford one? Only if you really buy it and spend money for it, then you really decide ... otherwise it's just blowing in the wind ...
Alpine renault🔝🔝💜
Thought it was pointless to pitch a track focused car vs a road car but I guess the difference in weight and transmition made up the difference. A road and track test comparaision would have been nice.
biggest gripe with the lotus elise is the steering rack... might have been fixed on the later cars but the Elise 1st gen and 2an gen that iv tested had the slowest steering rack on a sportscar iv ever tested, you had to cross your arms in every other corner. not the same on the Exige 430 though so very well might have been changed over the last years.
No mention of the massive tyre compound difference between the 2 ? Standard PS4 on the Alpine and R DOT on the Elise...An Alpine with a little bit of chassis work destroy the Elise and even an Exige Cup 430...
From the beginning, driver reports test just as it was a war between two countries, this deserves these two cars ...
I tested both, Alpine more efficient and usefull. Elise 2zzge 8500 rpm : best sound ever for 4 cylinders , more fun to drive and more sensations.
With same tires, alpine will be faster. Better chassis,And the A110s is faster. Alpine is more in TT or Cayman range. But Lotus is more extreme, for hardcore players only. And that's why we love it!!
@Sam Ros why celica!? The orignal berlinette A110 was born in 1960...way before the celica you must think about. And the new A1110 is a modern version of the old one. With the same purpose: be light and easy to drift.
yannick adeline Driven both, I’d love an A110S with manual. I personally don’t care about laptimes, and that’s why I love an Elise. Un-assisted steering heaven.
@@left_ventricle
I'm agree! . My car has no abs, no steering assistance, not heaven brake assist. And no need to talk about traction control 😁
dunno what the rubbers are... but as far as i remember lotus elise uses much sticky one..
Lotus are lovely cars to drive but the build quality is Kit Carish at best and they aren't really everyday cars. Great for a quiet B road blast for a couple of hours but you wouldn't want to live with one on the daily commute on the M62 into Leeds everyday come rain or shine...
Lotus is the best 😍✌️🔝
Most people on here think the A110 looks good right, but which is the two car will age more beautifully.....? 🤔
So... basically, the only advantage the Lotus had was the initial 0.5 second 0-60 acceleration to start the course, and after that, the Alpine holds its own, even being 20% heavier with the same power.
Its a short circuit, that's quite a big margin for that sort of circuit.
@@cameronmilne3590 you've missed my point. It looks as if they'll be tied on lap two.
I wouldnt mind either one.
I want both but here in France the A110 is the choice as Lotus back up is thin.
A bigger track could have different results for the turbo yes?
..... but I would still buy the Cup car.
Didn't the civic type r lap this circuit in 46 dead. Different day and driver but still.
Jason was clearly having more fun In the Alpina!
a110 I think it should get better turn in with a more aggressive suspension alignment, maybe it’s just set up for street sporty driving while Lotus is intended as street legal track car.
Looks like lots of people in the chat know nothing about a lotus
Sad
Because people are moaning and wanting their cars to equip with flashy/shining display infotainment system, heated seats , leathers and etc... that's just making the car havier and violating the philosophy of adding lightness
they don't know lotus had a financial struggle at that time making it hard for them in investing the transfer from aluminum chassis to new carbon chassis...its supprise how they manage by being innovative. They manage adding more power and decrease the weight of their cars despite all of financial situation.(bi g HP tends to have big engine..also adding supercharger or turbocharger making it havier).
Now lotus have a new funding support behind their backs they can move into new technology without breaking the philosophy...now we wait, people will come back to lotus in matter of time. Even if they don't know or appreciate the innovation of lotus engineering all these time..that show how arrogant people are
Yep. If (like me) you don't care about gimmicks the Lotus is a great car, one of the best you can buy in any price bracket. You get the performance without the bloat.
Best car manufacturer ever
Renault employees, or even some remainers who seem to bash anything British these days. I said, "some" remainers, I realise most of them are fine people!
@@user-js2dr9gv1u becuz americans are clumsy drivers thats why
Is it just me or has the colour gotten better? Still got a long way to go in picture quality anyway
I want both.
Could anyone hear the 2nd cam kicking in on the lotus? Sounds like he didn't get close to 7k rpm let alone the 9k "limit".
Cool
Alpine A 110 I love you 😄😎🇫🇷💪
Alpine is fantastic but props to the lotus how many cars can say they’re still that good after 25 years basically the same bar cosmetics and engines
yay
Looking at the Elise makes you think, where is all that 60k going to? This pricing is ridiculous.
Great Lotus Elise..
I wish honda made a car to compete with the Lotus
Me too! Bring back the high reving NA engines
One for daily and one for the weekends
Lotus Elise Cup 250 of course
It is more like 3 tenths of a second in it.The Lotus is a fantastic track car but at the end of the day, the Alpine isn't that far behind and most probably a better daily driver if one wishes to use it as such.
Should'a used the A110s
Then we should have used the Exige Cup 430... these cars are close enough to matter. The A110S develops so much more power that its not really a fair comparison.
Brit being bias.
Never in doubt🤥
I’ve heard so much praise for the A110, I was surprised to hear that compared to the Elise it’s a little dull.
Everything is dull after driving a Lotus ;)
The Lotus have Yokohama Advan A052, electronic diff lock Bosch, Bilstein dampers, Eibach springs, AP racing brakes, same horsepower, and doesn´t have A/C or stereo... Have a lot of professional stuff and just only 0.33 seconds faster...
The Alpine is a just fantastic and is not make for track times atack, that is the crazy part...
The reality is, this test is BS, both cars are great but very different. The Lotus would take a very good driver to extract the best from it. In the video it didnt look pushed at all. The alpine has a modern chassis with an autobox - Be much easier to throw around a track. A proper driver will always pick the Lotus regardless of overall performance.
@@chriss4432 The Lotus is a track times car and not more... the Alpine with just a tweaks can be faster than the Lotus and still more usable
great
Alpine every day of the week for me!
Weight is the key!
The Alpine is a very good car! Congratulations to Renault and Alpine!
Of course there is now the S-version which is more focused.
But on such a car you want to have a manual gearbox! And when it has to be an automatic (like with the Alpine) the paddels MUST be on the steering wheel, not on the column!!!
And you have to consider, that the upshifts on the Lotus take -even with the best driver- 0.3s at least in comparison to a quick automatic gearbox.
So I think (we can't see or here it on the video) you shift propably 5 times up, so that makes (at least) 1.5s/lap.
With this in mind, the Lotus is 1.9s ahead.
So I think this great Lotus is -as nearly as it makes no difference- as fast as the new Alpine S.
Ok but they really are not comparable, Lotus is hardcore, tuned for track, Alpine was normal one. With how little difference there was A110S would almost 100% win this and even that is less hardcore than Lotus. It is similar philosophy with low weight but way different execution, one is track tool and the other one is sports coupe.
You are wrong on the 0-60 for both car, the Alpine get to 60 quicker in 4.7 second, and the Elise in 4.9 second
That Elise is more like 4.2 seconds. The cup spec is under 4 seconds. The S2 111R from 2005 was quicker than 4.7
The A110 seems like a much more usable and comfortable car while still being almos as good as the elise.
This demonstrates why modern auto boxes are better than manuals, the Alpine shouldn’t be anywhere near this close to the Elise, all those milliseconds saved changing gear gets you closer to the superior car. I’d still rather have a manual in this type of car though.
I will take the one with non-turbo engine and manual transmission. Don't mind the brand.
Lotus is the best but omg look this alpine
😍🙈
head says alpine, heart says Lotus
25 year old platform not 20! I know, my S1 Elise is 1999 and certainly wasn't the first
He missed a vital point, the Lotus being a lot lighter, will not wear tyres and brakes out as fast as the Alpine. So its cheaper run on track !
Alpine #1
Alpine is the best!!
Yeah but it's not though, is it?
@@GryphLane Apple to oranges here. A110s is the car to test
Now compare with the Alpine A110S
Were is the Alfa Romeo 4c?
Maybe a fairer track comparison would've been the A110s rather than the road biased A110..
But on roads and in the real world I’m guessing the Alpine is a much better form of transport 🚙
I would’ve liked to see how the Alfa 4C would’ve done against these two cars. Of these two I would choose the Lotus, prefer the supercharger to the turbocharger. Add the Alfa to this group, and I would take the Alfa.
You prefer supercharged to turbocharged but you'd pick the Alfa 4C?? The Alfa is turbo...
The Alfa is a joke! Trust Alfa to fuck up what they had....
Best Lotus Elise vs average Alpine and the Alpine almost wins despite its much higher weight. Then you get better qualities, security, looks and tech. And it's a much better car to live with outside of the track. Anybody in his right mind would go for the Alpine.
No one in his right mind buys a Lotus. That's what makes us so much fun.
Going on appearance I'd take the A110 or the Exige, the Elise sadly looks very dated and... is. For the difference in performance I know these times come with smiles whichever you're driving, so I'd much rather opt for the better looking one, which in my opinion is definitely the A110, although for my money I'd go for the A110S actually
alpine all day!!!
Elise aero would have worked much better with a hard top on.