Alpine must survive
You can do your bit to help the French upstart.
It always annoys me when people say to me ‘If I were you, I’d…’ because it makes no sense. If they were me, they’d be me, and doing whatever it is I’m doing that they don’t approve of.
But if I were you, and you can, I’d buy an Alpine A110. If the company really is shut down, you’ll have a very rare car. If enough of you buy one, it’ll stay open, which is the result I’d like.
Here’s why Alpine deserve to survive. As we all slowly come to accept that the future of driving will be electric in some form or other, there is another way worth considering, at least in the interim.
It’s downsizing. This is considered an ethical and moral thing to do in all aspects of our life, and was a hot topic until recently, when it suddenly became one of those things that everyone’s forgotten about, along with plastic in the ocean and The Crown on Netflix. But it’s still there.
The Alpine is not, as many people suggest, a sports car. It is a downsized supercar. Of course the performance is more in the sports car league, but the sensations – and that’s what matters – are pure supercar: engine buzzing behind you, front end going a bit frisky, gears bangin’ through as you come out of the turn. It’s tremendous.
All this, remember, from just 1.8 litres and four cylinders, which is exactly why a lot of people would dismiss it. But as I’ve said before, so many times that I’m boring myself, cars are not spreadsheets.
Low power inspired low weight and smaller size. This yielded better responses, not to mention lower consumption, lower emissions, and lower insurance. The joy of driving a supercar has simply been reduced by around 30 per cent on a photocopier, and possibly enhanced in the process. It might be genius.
Obviously, it’s still not a cheap car, although it’s less than a third of the price of anything I’ve driven that gives comparable joy. The fuel consumption is not going to write any headlines of itself, but measured next to the level of indulgence, it’s miraculous.
I really can’t understand why this car hasn’t been the roaring success that the original MX-5 was when it came out in my childhood, or even the Audi TT when the first one appeared. I’ve seen two others when I’ve been out in mine, and one of them was being driven by someone I know.
Maybe it’s because no-one is trying it. You should. And then, if you can, you should buy one. The world will be a better place.
That’s what I’d do, if I were you. Obviously.
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Comments (142)
To bad we can’t buy Alpine cars in the United State’s, I’d really love to own one.
You still can import one, but it will be even more expensive, in Europe the a110 already cost a lot
It's about 40k usd
If I were you, I would promote the Alpine A110.
Because you just did.
hehe. If I were myself, I would too!
It seems to me people have a problem with paying more for less. They want more motor, more tire, more noise for their money. With vehicles such as this you're paying more for less size, less weight, less complexity. It's as if they can't grasp that they're getting more experience, more sensation, and to me, more fun!
👏👏👏
Hallelujah!
Put a proper transmission in it and watch the sales numbers go up! Giving it an automatic was this car’s problem, you want enthusiasts to buy something, it must have what enthusiasts want. I’m sorry but no matter what you call an automatic, it’s still an automatic. Better track times, quicker shifts, even better gas mileage mean nothing... I want a proper manual in my proper sports car.
👏 ^^
Done because the auto box they're using is lighter than a manual would have been. Plus, only one gearbox, one engine (different tune only) cuts down on manufacturing complexity.
Actually, May, if I were in a position to afford it, I would even if I don't really like it that much. The time has come when we see the romance in building cars slowly fading and small and distinctive brands are being drowned by generic cars and overpowered instagram show off cars.
I would probably buy a Lancia as well, though the Y isn't really my thing as well.