Alpine

A110

In 2021, Renault Sport Racing and Renault Sport Cars joined forces with Alpine to create a very special marque. And the Alpine A110 Legende GT 2021 is the two-seater sports car that was launched to celebrate the occasion with just 300 models available for sale.

The good

Looks, performance and precision driving

The bad

Pricey running costs

Tech Specs

Price from

£49,005

Combined Fuel up to

44.1mpg

0-62 from

4.4 seconds

max speed up to

162mph

co2 from

145g/km

Test Drive

Alpine A110 Legende GT 2021

If the ‘Alpine’ name doesn’t cause an element of anticipation and excitement, then motoring is probably not your thing.

That’s because Alpine was founded in 1955 and, this year, it joined forces with Renault Sport Cars and Renault Sport Racing under the all-embracing Alpine name – that is a clue to the type of cars they produce.

And to mark the event, there is a special edition model called the Alpine A110 Legende GT 2021, which has been designed specifically for European roads and is limited to just 300 models.

Combining all the performance ability of the A110S, along with the luxury of the Legende GT models, this vehicle is 1960s sports car ability brought into the modern era.

Priced at £61,655 (£64,807 with options), the A110 Legende GT 2021 is powered by a 292hp, four-cylinder, 1.8-litre turbocharged petrol engine delivering 320Nm of torque. That means it can sprint to 62mph from a standing start in just 4.4 seconds and maxes out at 155mph.

There is a rapid-shifting seven-speed dual clutch transmission which fires through the gears with steering wheel-mounted paddles for added driver engagement.

The rear-wheel drive, mid-engined car weighs just over a tonne and is beautifully balanced as it powers through the twisting B roads with excellent grip and perfectly weighted steering.

And for a little more fun, you can switch through drive modes called Normal, Sport and Track that alter the responses of the throttle, steering, gear shifts and exhaust sound accordingly. On the steering wheel there is a bright red button with ‘SPORT’ written on it – this is just too tempting to resist and that injects even more pace by offering a short-cut to the Sport driving mode.

The acceleration is blisteringly fast and if you are a little heavy with your right foot, expect to be pinned to the back of your seat – it is that quick.

The soundtrack of the car perfectly matches its characteristics with plenty of snap, crackle and pop, especially in the sportier drive modes.

On the downside, you will feel a little vulnerable on motorways, especially alongside huge juggernauts. In addition, like all two door, two-seater sports cars, the general all-round visibility is quite poor. There are however sensors and a rearview camera to help while reversing.

And running costs are not cheap either. Under WLTP testing the car can deliver a combined 40.4-41.5mpg with carbon emissions of 153-158g/km.

When it comes to styling, the Alpine has a muscular stance with lots of distinctive design cues. For example, there is a single chrome central exhaust pipe, pale gold Alpine logos, monograms and 18-inch diamond-cut Grand Prix alloy wheels with gold brake calipers along with French tricolore flags on the C pillars.

The interior is snug but offers ample room for two adults to sit comfortably. The sporty theme is also apparent inside with backlit doors that feature the Alpine emblem, along with glossy carbon fibre trim and a plaque on the centre console that shows the car’s unique build number.

On-board technology includes a two-speaker Focal audio system, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth, climate control and USB ports.

There is a small seven-inch infotainment screen, but the vital readouts are behind the wheel where you can see all the driving data, such as speed along with the hp and Nm in Sport mode.

When it comes to storage, there is no glovebox or door bins, but our car featured a storage pack costing an extra £468 that added a cargo net and storage box behind the driver’s seat. The boot can swallow 96 litres of kit, but there is a front trunk, or frunk as it’s become known, and that has a further 100 litres of storage space.

Safety features are good with the likes of cruise control with speed limiter, hill start assist, driver and passenger airbags, emergency brake assist with anti-lock brakes, a tyre inflation and repair kit, plus an electronic stability programme that can be deactivated for track driving.

All in all, the Alpine A110 Legende GT 2021 is a fabulous sports car and is a most welcome arrival when we are seeing such a transition to electric and plug-in hybrid models right now.