Alpine's Lighter, More Powerful A110 Cup Is Here, And It's Going Racing

Alpine has unveiled its newest racing car, destined to compete in a one-make racing series across Europe next year.

We’ve been expecting this racer for a while. The A110 Cup is based firmly on the production A110, but it’s 30kg lighter thanks to some hefty interior stripping. Power is up from 247bhp to 266bhp thanks to a freer-breathing air filter and a racing-specific exhaust.

Power to weight is therefore a handy 253bhp per tonne. Performance is helped by a limited-slip diff at the rear, and a six-speed sequential gearbox operated by paddles behind the steering wheel. The cars, which will be limited to just over 20 in number, has been designed and produced by Signatech, which builds Alpine’s World Endurance Championship racecars.

It has traction control and ABS, but both can be turned off or even adjusted. Don’t tell the Advertising Standards Authority. Braking is taken care of by off-the-shelf Brembo kits. The six-piston calipers are machined from a single piece of magnesium each, and squeeze 355mm rotors at the front versus 330mm at the rear.

Interestingly, it maintains the standard air conditioning system, so if you’re at the front of the pack with a nice lead on the competition, why not just turn the A/C on and chill your beans a bit? Alpine says it’s mainly aimed at track driving experiences, where it might be nice to keep paying customers fairly comfortable. A second bucket seat can be added without further mods, for the same reason.

The six-round race series, called the Alpine Europa Cup, will see the A110 Cup offered solely to participants at a price of about £90,000. There will be six meetings at tracks like Paul Ricard, Silverstone and Spa, with two races per meeting. A season’s racing is estimated to cost around £90,000 plus taxes, with the prize money set at “more than £142,000.”