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Alpine A110 by Renault


GranTurismoEra

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Interesting 4 pot, rival to cayman and possibly 4c. Faster than the Z. 250 bhp in a 1.8 weighing 1000kg roughly. Auto only. From £50,000 pounds. Recieved good reviews. 1 has caught fire, but dont let that put you off :D. 2 on private sale in uk at 9k over list..with only 100 miles...What do you think?

 

Edited by GranTurismoEra
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Looks a cracking little car, cant wait to see one in the flesh, but as per my new car prices thread, how on earth does a 4 pot 1.8 turbo end up with a price tag of £50k plus, at least the 4c is a carbon tub and under a ton, not even Lotus are managing that these days.

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guess we can say inflation or just to keep it exclusive. Jaguars 4 pot coupe is also 50k. I rather get a 2011/2012 gtr.. just about maintenance costs and if its manageable. 

 

I reckon this is where Porsche are in a different league with their rear wheel cars. The alpine was kicking out a lot although traction and stability were off. I think this car is more around the 35 to 45k range. I think its heavier than 4c by 200 kg

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I have had my eye on gtr's for a while now and appreciate its not a cheap car to run, but then its £40k for a good one and if anyone has £40k to spend on car, i would like to think they can afford the up keep, even if it is a bit more than another £40k car.

 

Current prices are just insane, whichever way I look at it i just cant get my head around it, i appreciate Porsche are the cream of the bunch and a very very nice place to be inside and technologically right up there, but a good spec top of the line Cayman is £70k plus, thats an awful lot of dosh for a 4 pot turbo, but then a Civic Type R is probably £40k with a decent spec, maybe i am just old :lol:

 

So regardless of my views of cost, i reckon there is definitely a place in the market for stuff like the A110 and 4C, personally would much prefer to see either of those driving past me than another Cayman or Boxster and no matter how good or how much better either of those two are, not everyone wants a Porsche, great to have the choice really :)

 

 

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yeah my bro bought a 911 non turbo £79,000. Had the same 350 BHP as the Nismo. I think it is what it is. You pay for the history, prestige, badge and know you will get a certain quality. Doesn't guarantee 100% reliability. Thing is people get the top spec Porsche and its hard to tell them apart from your caymans and boxsters if your not a car person. But variety is good

 

Ive always said with all these finance deals available GTR is within reach for someone who previously couldnt afford it, Finance makes dreams come true. 

 

In regards to the GTR better off waiting and getting a 2012 onwards. Maybe even squeeze a 16 plate 17 shape in a year or so at around £60k. Only live once 

 

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  • 4 months later...

nah, lol. I was looking through the glass it was 4 feet behind the glass :lol:. Next time I'm up there ill stop by. I want to speak to them about the Z. I said to the lady the Z not selling is it. She paused and smiled. And said the Alpine is selling more. 

 

They had 3 blue ones and 1 white one. Although Nissan and Renault were open. Alpine doors were shut. 

 

If I can get there when they are open then ill take pics and post them up!

 

Edited by GranTurismoEra
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They ticked a lot of boxes for me..........apart from one major one - dealer back-up, or shall we say the lack of.  That is why I now have the Cayman.

 

Stumbled across a demo day at Goodwood recently - obviously for interested/buying punters, and have to say they sounded good and looked to handle well by those happy to really push on in them.

Pic of one I took on the day:

IMG_3492.JPG

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I saw one at the Renault Nissan dealership a month or so back. Was going to post my thoughts but didn't want to come across a bit negative on here so refrained

 

My breakdown with regard to its looks on the forecourt:

 

PROS

Really nice brake calipers painted in blue. They were dirty yet almost sparkled through the rims 

Interior looks pretty nice inside

Blue paint def makes the car stand out even more.  

Rear elegant and different 

 

CONS

Front end with the quad lights looks a little odd. Even though the car is trying to stick to its heritage I feel that the front end really does not compare well to other cars in the segment., Too hard trying to be different and just doesn't work

Its smaller then I thought; might be better for driveability but it def sacrifices road presence as a result. Would be even more noticeable in traffic with other cars 

It does not "look" like a £50k car . It will get you noticed but it looks like something you can pick up for £30-35k

 

CONCLUSION

Its not really sexy (Alfa 4C), not really muscular (Nismo 370z, GTR), not really clean, (TT, 911) and not really sporty cute (MX5, abarth, elise s1). Its an amalgamation of styling inspirations that don't really work 

Edited by hmale4yu
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Funnily enough I saw an original A110 last year (2018) at a rally event my mate was doing, it was absolutely tiny, so I guess this is in keeping, although side by side I bet the new one looks huge. Much like the new Supra I am looking forward to seeing one in the flesh, I love the look of the front, but not convinced about the rear, I dont think it works as well as the original in that regard. 

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15 hours ago, Jetpilot said:

Not just Renault?

In my personal experience of French cars generally and going back over 20 years now since ownership, I was never convinced of the build quality.

 

That said, I would expect (hope!) the extra effort has been put in with that price tag.....but time will tell.

 

Here is the current Alpine dealer network in the UK:  https://alpinecars.com/en/our-alpine-centres/

 

Given it is a specialist product for Renault, having set up dedicated centres, tells me other Renault dealers would not be geared up to service/repair work - rather like the limited Nissan Performance centres with the 370/GTR's.  How many times on here have we seen your everyday Nissan dealer either rejecting 370 work (as I experienced) or making a hash of it.  Some exceptions yes, but for me the limited number of specialist Alpine dealers was an issue and also residual values. Takes a dedicated enthusiast or those with money to splash around at will, to take one on I suspect.

 

But would be good to hear feedback about ownership a year or so down the line.:thumbs:

Edited by Ebized
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The renaultsport lines were generally well put together at their Dieppe factory and that's where the Alpine is assembled so it should be fine in that regards.

 

Ebized its basically the Megane engine so for servicing Id expect any Renault dealer would be sufficient.

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The originals were so beautiful, you can see the quirkiness of the originals design but more in common with a Megane than the original A110.  Plus the originals are cheaper, how does that work?

 

See this link for a 1964 that sold for less than £40k

 

http://www.silverstoneauctions.com/alpine---dinalpin-a110-berlinetta-2000

 

How beautiful is that!

 

 

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On 31/12/2018 at 17:22, Ebized said:

They ticked a lot of boxes for me..........apart from one major one - dealer back-up, or shall we say the lack of.  That is why I now have the Cayman.

 

Stumbled across a demo day at Goodwood recently - obviously for interested/buying punters, and have to say they sounded good and looked to handle well by those happy to really push on in them.

Pic of one I took on the day:

IMG_3492.JPG

Nice car for sure. Lack of dealers? Im sure depends what part of country youre in. Must be more than Honda NSX dealers lol

 

Maybe engines are similar and could go to a main Renault dealer.  but engine is in a different location in car I think. Would you trust an average tech with your £50,000 pound Renault?

 

I saw a production video. These seem to be predominantly hand built. I could be wrong. Probably why its coming in at £50k plus

 

 

Edited by GranTurismoEra
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On 31/12/2018 at 18:32, hmale4yu said:

 

Its smaller then I thought; might be better for driveability but it def sa

It does not "look" like a £50k car . It will get you noticed but it looks like something you can pick up for £30-35k

I think this and the Supra will be similar in size. Smaller and compact. 

 

Regarding price you are right I always thought they looked like a 35- 40k car. 

 

I thought they were only making 1750 cars. Renault are opening up dealer networks in 2 countries outside the EU including Australia and Japan.

 

This is where they are heading. Price wise

 

Renault probably see it as their flagship model. Plus this car has been getting positive reviews and relatively new, no reason to reduce the price just yet. Cant have this at same price point as highest spec megane which is probably 30k?

 

Road presence is up in the air. I was suprised how big the 370 was when  I first saw it up close last year. Weight and handling are huge factors. But I am also suprised how capable the Z is with all its weight on the track. The Alpine kicks out a lot more and seems more drifty around corners albeit easier handling. but weighs like 300-400kg less. It definitely isnt a slow car. 

 

Looks wise, I think its refreshing to see something different (curves, archs, circles). Too many Germans with safe straight lines and boxy designs. I like the old school approach at the front with extra lamps. Back end is unconventional like the gtr 50....no risk no reward. Its different

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14 hours ago, GranTurismoEra said:

main Renault dealer

 

£50,000 pound Renault?

 

 

 

13 hours ago, GranTurismoEra said:

Renault are opening up dealer networks in 2 countries

 

Renault probably see it as their flagship model. 

 

I am sure you know this and perhaps this is where the problem is, its not a Renault, its an Alpine! No different to  Infinti/Nissan, Lexus/Toyota, even Bentley/VW, if people can get away from the Renault thing does £50k seem a lot these days?

 

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