Renault Alpine’s performance arm will go purely electric in 2025, but until that happens there’s still life left in the old combustion engine. Launching on October 4, the A110 R will represent the meanest derivative of the mid-engined coupe yet. We are shown that it will also be the fastest of the group, reaching 285 km/h (177 mph). That’s a bit more than the current A110 S with its top speed of 275 km/h (171 mph).
Ok, 177 mph isn’t too impressive in the grand scheme of things. However, let’s not forget that the rear-wheel-drive French sports car has a (relatively) small engine. Namely, it uses the same 1.8-liter turbocharged mill found in the Renault Megane RS. When you think about it, in Europe in 2022, a 1.8 isn’t so small when the vast majority of small and midsize cars sold have three-cylinder or four-cylinder engines with smaller displacement.
The adjacent teaser video shared on social media also reveals that the power will remain unchanged. The digital instrument cluster displays 300 hp in the upper right corner and 340 Nm (251 lb-ft) on the left side. These output figures match those of the 2022 A110 S, which has been made slightly more powerful compared to the previous model year.
The extra miles per hour were likely unlocked after tweaking the automatic transmission gearing. As a reminder, the A110 uses a seven-speed dual-clutch unit developed by Getrag. Alpine has already revealed that the track-focused R will be even lighter, which is remarkable considering current versions weigh between 1,102 and 1,140 kilograms (2,429 and 2,513 pounds) depending on trim level.
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It’s unclear if this will be the swan song of the A110 before the model is phased out ahead of the electric vehicle era which is expected to begin in the middle of the decade. Alpine is working on three electric vehicles: an amplified version of the Renault 5 revival, a GT X-Over crossover and a sports car co-developed with Lotus on a dedicated platform.
After its world premiere next week, the Alpine A110 R will then head to the 2022 Paris Motor Show where it will be on display from October 17.
