Alpine reveals most powerful ever A110

• New Alpine A110 R Ultime revealed
• Quicker and more powerful than the A110 R Turini
• Limited to just 110 models
• Costs from £222,000 to buy outright

Alpine has unleashed the new A110 R Ultime - the most powerful version of the A110 ever created.

The A110 is Alpine’s answer to the Porsche 718 Cayman and the entry-level car’s 1.8-litre engine develops 252 bhp, 320 Nm of torque, and can accelerate from 0-62 mph in 4.5 seconds.

This R Ultime edition - limited to just 110 models - ups the power to 345 bhp, the torque increases to 420 Nm, and it’ll throttle from zero to 62 mph in just 3.8 seconds with Launch Control engaged.

It also makes the A110 R Ultime quicker and more powerful than the track-focused R Turini.

The R Ultime comes with a modified turbo, a new gearbox, an Akrapovic titanium exhaust system, Ohlins adjustable dampers, and bespoke brakes.

Aggressive exterior styling, including a huge rear wing, leads to 160 kg of additional downforce compared with the A110 R Turini, which makes it ‘ultra-high-performance and ever more agile on corner entry, cornering, and acceleration’, says Alpine.

The Alpine A110 R Ultime is priced from an eye-opening 265,000 Euros - or £222,000 - without local taxes. That makes it almost twice as expensive as a Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS.

And if you order the A110 R Ultime in ‘La Bleue’ configuration you’re looking at even more dosh - around £276,000.

Elsewhere in Alpine news, the French firm has been making something of a splash at the Paris Motor Show, where the new A110 R Ultime was being shown-off.

Also on display was the astonishing Alpenglow Hy6 (above) - a prototype supercar that features a hydrogen-powered combustion engine that delivers 740 bhp.

That unit is a ground-breaking 3.5-litre V6 which burns hydrogen in the same way other combustion engines utilise petrol or diesel. Emissions are radically reduced while you still get a bona fide ‘racecar’ feel.

An Alpine spokesperson tells us: “The two leading solutions for hydrogen-powered propulsion are the fuel cell (which produces electricity to power an electric motor) and the internal combustion engine powered directly by hydrogen. Alpine has opted for the latter, as it combines several advantages of a race car, not least the very similar feel of the engine for the driver and a sound that is entirely in keeping with Alpine's racing philosophy.”

The Renault brand - which oversees Alpine - is also developing ‘dual-energy’ technology, with an electric motor powered by a traditional battery and a hydrogen fuel cell.

And there’s one other Alpine car to tell you about - the A390_β fastback (below) - which Alpine describes as being ‘like an A110 with 5 seats’.

The A390_β is a concept for now but the fully-electric, all-wheel drive SUV is due to be put into full production in 2025, and the manufacturer reckons it’s 85% true to the vehicle that’ll ultimately make it to the road.

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