Advantage of low weight
A considerable portion of Renault blood flows through Erik Robys’ veins. Then an Alpine is the ultimate asset. When you speak to him like that, he seems like a walking encyclopaedia; the Belgian knows everything about the A110. He just doesn’t know the exact power yet. That’s why he reports to the dynamometer.
‘My father worked at Renault in Vilvoorde, which is why I contracted the Renault virus,’ says Erik. “This A110 is not my only car, our everyday family car is a Scénic. First I wanted a Mégane RS, preferably one as fast as possible. However, when I got wind of a new Alpine on the market, I went for it. I have owned this car since 2020.” Erik has some foreknowledge about what awaits us at the measurement. “From what I’ve heard, the outcome is very variable. Sometimes they don’t deliver enough power, but they do provide a bit more torque. If that is the outcome, I would be very happy with it, because I always have the advantage of a light weight.”
Renault engine in the Alpine A110 but that of the Megane RS
As special as the Alpine is, the engine is so ordinary. It is in many other Renault products and is not built by Alpine itself. It simply comes from Renault stock, although it is also used in the Renault Mégane RS. That is completely justified historically, because almost every Alpine simply has a Renault engine, although it is always a potent one. Although Erik is quite a purist, we still hear him ask dynamometer chief Ghisbert van Ginhoven whether it is possible to load the software of the S version. However, Ghisbert knows that he has an ECU from another brand and that this is therefore not just possible. This beautiful Pure version escapes the tuning ghost nicely.
Gearbox can handle 400 Nm
“Moreover”, warns Ghisbert, “I know that the gearbox can handle 400 Nm. In the Netherlands they are working on converting an Alpine into a racing car, so I heard.” The measurement is over in a curse and a sigh. For the sake of completeness, Ghisbert measures the Alpine in the two driving positions. The Sport mode does provide a lot of extra spectacle in terms of the exhaust sound, but it does not release any extra power. When we see the results, it appears that Erik’s A110 is very healthy, but the number of extra horsepower is not too bad. The amount of extra pulling power is somewhat disappointing, but in any case Erik writes a plus everywhere. Then it’s time for him to return to Belgium; with his acquired knowledge he still has a nice journey home ahead of him. And in an Alpine A110 the route can’t be long enough, we thought…
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl