Unofficial stopwatch times suggest Cayman GT4 RS is faster again despite Alpine having F1 driver Esteban Ocon on hand
https://www.carscoops.com/author/chris-chilton-cc/
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by Chris Chilton
1 hour ago
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Alpine’s R&D team is back at the Nurburgring testing its mystery hardcore A110, and this time it’s roped in F1 driver Esteban Ocon to help out Renault/Alpine’s chief test driver Laurent Hugron with the driving.
The pair spent a couple of days at the ’Ring with the same track-focused prototype we’ve seen a few times before, but this time our spy photographer didn’t only reel off a load of images, he was also able to time the A110 around the 12.9-mile (20.8 km) track while Ocon was behind the wheel.
Our multi-tasking snapper’s stopwatch showed 7:18.77 minutes, making it faster than the late, great Porsche Cayman GT4, but slower than the still-kicking and even greater GT4 RS. Porsche’s test team recorded 7:28 in the regular GT4 in 2019, and 7:09.3 in the GT4 RS two years later, and cut that time to 7:03.12 with the help of some Manthey Racing parts this summer.
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Of course, we’ll have to wait for Alpine to publish its own figures to know if there’s more to come from the hot A110, which could be badged RS or Trophy-R, just like the old Renault Megane, itself a one-time Nurburgring record holder. The current A110 range-topper, the A110 R, weighs just 1,082 kg (2,385 lbs) and there’s talk of the new model coming in below 1,000 kg (2,205 lbs), which would make it far lighter than the 1,415 kg (3,120 lbs) Cayman GT4 RS.
Related: Alpine A110 Prototype Spied With More Aggressive Aero
But then the GT4 RS generates 493 hp (500 PS) from its 4.0-liter flat-six, so even if the Alpine does weigh in at 1,000 kg it is going to need at least 350 hp (355 PS) to match the Porsche’s power-to-weight ratio. The most Alpine has so far extracted from its turbocharged 2.0-liter engine is 296 hp (300 PS), and you get the same number of horses in both the A110 S, GT, and R, the R’s upgrades being more about cutting weight and improving the suspension and aerodynamics.
The new Alpine flagship will go further again in every area, and our spy photo team spotted that this prototype was equipped with a slightly different rear spoiler and brake calipers than seen on previous test cars. Alpine hasn’t released any teasers about the car’s impending arrival yet, but we have a feeling it’s not too far away. It won’t be cheap, though. The £89,990 ($110,000) A110 R already commands a stiff 45 percent premium over the A110 S, and this new model is guaranteed to be more expensive again.
