Alpine Has Some Interesting Plans for the A110 Name

The Alpine A110 is a dandy of a sports car, and a new report reveals that more versions of the A110 could be on their way. French news outlet Downshift is reporting that Alpine is developing a more potent version of the A110 to go with a drop-top model, an SUV, and an all-electric version of the same SUV. If all three models come to fruition, the full lineup of models would serve as ideal complements to the model’s existing lineup. The high-performance A110, in particular, would become the third variant of the A110 coupe, joining the standard A110 and the A110 Premiere Edition. The convertible A110 has been given a 2020 launch timetable with the rumored SUV model following two years later.

The ongoing rumor mill surrounding the Alpine A110 is fascinating. It would’ve been understandable if the A110 failed to live up to expectations because we haven’t seen it in a long time. But with the help of Renault, the A110 didn’t just live up to the hype; it far exceeded it by becoming a true performance nod to the brand’s long and esteemed history.

Naturally, that success has spurred rumors that more versions of the A110 are on the horizon. We’ve heard whispers about a convertible version before, even going as far back as when the coupé model was unveiled. This rumor merry-go-around keeps churning, though, even after Alpine managing director Michael van der Sande downplayed the possibility of the model coming to life. But DownShift is now saying that not only is a convertible version of the A110 going to happen, but it’s arriving next year. If it does arrive, expect it to share the same mechanicals as its coupé counterpart. That would include the same 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 252 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque. The mechanicals involved in the roof setup would naturally make the convertible heavier, and that could affect the model’s performance time. As it is, the A110 Coupe can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in about four seconds. If a convertible version arrives with the same amount of power and torque but is packing a bit of extra weight, it’s possible that it can hit the same benchmark in about 4.2 seconds.

Apart from the convertible model, Downshift is also reporting that a more performance-oriented version of the A110 is cooking in Alpine’s oven. This model, rumored to be called the A110 Sport Chassis, is the one that’s making me most excited, especially after the A110 Premiere Edition left a little to be desired. Sure, it was limited to just 1,955 units — a reference to the year Alpine was founded — and it featured a handful of cosmetic additions, but it featured the same power and performance figures as the standard A110. That’s not a certainty, by any means, but it’s the same output that’s produced by the recently launched Renault Megane RS Trophy’s own 1.8-liter four-pot engine. ON top of that, the A110 Sport Chassis is also rumored to feature a ton of standard features, including satellite navigation, climate control, cruise control, Alpine telematics, and MySpin mobile phone connectivity. A lighter, more powerful, and tech-packed Alpine A110 sounds like a great idea, right?

From there, we move to the other model of interest: the SUV version of the A110. This is the model that we know very little about at this point. The French publication did say that Alpine will use the Mercedes GLA-Class as the basis of the SUV with the goal of competing against the Porsche Macan. It gets better, too, as Alpine is rumored to have not one, but Downshift SUVs in the pipeline, with the other model tapped as an electric version of the same SUV that the automaker will develop with the folks over at Mercedes-Benz.

All these rumored models carry certain levels of excitement and expectation with them. It’s anybody’s guess which ones will eventually see the light of production day, but if Alpine is considering turning the A110 into a lineup of models, we’re not going to stop the company from doing it, especially if the results live up to the standards set by the A110 Coupe.

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