First of all by way of an introduction, the back-story leading to my new car choice.
Having made the decision to sell my Macan Turbo while current residual values were at record levels, the question was which car to replace it with. The 13 months and 8700 miles ownership of the Macan, while being practical, comfortable, and powerful, and as I liked to quote, "a lovely car to drive”, it failed to extinguish my hard-wired desire for a sports car which satisfied my need for agility, quick change of direction handling, and a tactile connection with the road that only a true sports car can provide.
I had registered an interest in the forthcoming Lotus Emira, but the ever extending waiting lists and unproven build quality control and reliability concerns, caused my enthusiasm to wane with each passing month. I decided at that point to move on to pastures new.
Having owned 5 Cayman models from the base 2008 987.1 2.7 5-speed manual, leading to a new 2010 987.2 3.4 Cayman S 6-speed manual, followed by the superb 2012 Cayman R 6-speed manual. I passed by the 981 model range, preferring to stick with the Cayman R until the launch of the 4-cylinder turbo 718 Cayman S PDK. This proved a real eye-opener with its big, flat, torque curve and revised chassis giving the car dynamic capabilities at least as good, if not exceeding, that of the iconic CR. So impressed was I by the 718 2.5t, that I had no hesitation moving on to the amazingly capable 2019 718 Cayman 2.5t GTS PDK. All my Caymans were driven extensively both on road and track. The wonderful Cayman R was campaigned during 2014-15 for my successful 2 year return to competitive motorsport following a 27 year absence. To my great relief, it proved I hadn’t lost my touch. I won another 5 trophies and awards in circuit sprints and hill climbs to add to my existing collection of silverware spanning the three decades of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. It was especially satisfying at my advanced time of life having many of the competitive rivals in my class more than 25 years my junior. As a direct result of this motorsport experience, I grew to completely master the Cayman R. I felt totally in command of it. Man and machine in perfect harmony. It was an absolute gem of a car. It’ll come as no surprise that of all my Caymans, the two joint favourites are the sublime Cayman R manual, and the immensely capable 718 2.5t Cayman GTS PDK. My car had the optional 9.5”x10.5” wider 20” alloys shod with Michelin PS4S tyres, -20mm sports suspension, and Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes. It’s one fast car in this spec, believe me.
As I am now into my 70’s, I felt now was the time to move back to a sports car while still being relatively slim and fit. The only requirement being it had to be a PDK or similar due to my right hand weakness disability. With the current Cayman 4.0 range failing to appeal, I was initially considering a used 6-cylinder or 2.5t 4-cylinder PDK Cayman. Then something happened that turned my attention to a completely different brand. My good friend and contributor to the Cayman forum AndrewT, happened to mention if I would be interested in the Alpine A110 as an alternative. Coincidently, Andrew and I had both booked an Alpine Thrill experience at Thruxton race circuit last year. Unfortunately the subsequent covid lockdown scuppered that opportunity. Nevertheless the seed of enquiry had been sown in my mind regarding this rather specialised lightweight sports coupe. Browsing the used Alpine websites revealed strong residuals with even the base 246bhp A110 Pure model still fetching north of £40K, with the more powerful A110 S model topping £50k. Enquires on the official Alpine website revealed the limited edition Legende GT model of which only 300 copies would be produced. This numbered limited edition example had the more powerful 292bhp 1800cc 4-cylinder turbo engine mated to a close ratio DSG gearbox. Other cosmetic and dynamic enhancements included leather trim with contrasting stitching, 6-way sports comfort seats, pale gold Alpine insignia, storage pack, Alpine telematic package, sat nav and infotainment pack, a numbered plaque, sports exhaust, larger Brembo brakes with gold callipers, unique black and silver 18” alloy wheels, and a lowered ride height. The Legende GT is available in only two colours, Abyss Blue Metallic and a special paint colour Mercury Silver Matt, the latter colour being particularly appealing. It was with considerable surprise that I discovered Alpine Centre Manchester had one of each colour available for delivery within a couple of weeks. The two cars were the last available new Legend GT’s in the UK out of a total allocation of only 30 RHD cars in UK spec. Production has now closed on the Alpine range. Following a positive telephone conversation with an Alpine A110 owner in Aberdeen, I considered this too good an opportunity to miss and placed a deposit with Alpine Centre Manchester to reserve the Matt Mercury Silver car the very next day. Delivery was scheduled for September 30th, with transport delivery provided to my home in the Highlands. The sports car quest was now job done. Although I had not driven the A110, I knew in my heart and head that this was the ideal car for me at this time of my life.
Current fuel and transport shortages permitting, the car is due to be delivered to my home near Inverness tomorrow, Thursday September 30th. Photos will follow in due course. The subsequent appraisal will cover build quality and cabin ambience, and my initial first impressions of the car. Over the next four weeks I shall post reviews based upon my driving impressions compared to the Cayman, and also the practical experience of taking the Alpine A110 on tour to Derbyshire and Cheshire towards the end of October. Just to be clear, this review will not simply be an advert for the A110. I shall endeavour to be as honest and objective as I possibly can. The Cayman as the benchmark mid-engined sports coupe, sets a very high bar in both performance dynamics, and cabin quality comfort. The Alpine A110 Legende GT has a very hard act to follow. The comparison will hopefully provide interesting reading to Cayman owners, if only to illustrate just how good a sports car it is.
Brian