The next-generation Alpine A110 will make its debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in prototype form. The French sporting brand has released the first image of the test mule that will be displayed as part of an 'Alpine moment' alongside several variants of the outgoing petrol model.
The prototype, named A110 Future, is underpinned by the same Alpine Performance Platform (APP) as the production car. However, it appears to wear the previous A110's bodywork, with wide wheel-arch extensions hinting at the new iteration having a significantly wider track.
The APP has been developed with weight reduction as a priority, with aluminum construction and 800V electricals. Notably, it features two battery packs, rather than one larger unit as is conventional for high-performance EVs. The two batteries are positioned over the front and rear axles, giving a 40:60 weight distribution. That is slightly further rear-biased than the petrol A110, which is split 44:56.
Alpine CEO Philippe Krief previously said the split-pack design was chosen so the electric A110 could sit as low as its petrol predecessor, while also bringing more than 211 miles of range. He added that it had been conceived to complete three laps of the Nürburgring Nordschleife without the battery derating. The positioning of the rear battery approximately where the petrol engine sits in today’s A110 also presents “an opportunity” to convert the EV to combustion power if needed, said Krief.
Alpine confirmed that the A110 will be powered by two rear-mounted motors with silicon-carbide inverters. This suggests a different set-up from the related Renault 5 Turbo 3E mega-hatch, which uses two in-wheel motors from UK firm Protean for a combined output of 533 horsepower. Krief told Autocar that the new A110 will have a curb weight on par with its internal combustion engine (ICE) rivals today, suggesting it will be around 3,300 pounds.
That's significantly heavier than the current A110, which is around 2,400 pounds, but Alpine has previously touted the potential of torque-vectoring technology to make EVs feel as agile as ICE equivalents. Although it's rare for car makers to present test mules, particularly on a stage as large as the Festival of Speed, Alpine’s decision to do so represents a significant step towards the launch of the electric A110 in 2027.
Source: autocar.co.uk
