Alpine has revealed the special-edition A110 R to mark the 100th anniversary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, as the historic endurance race prepares to get underway this Saturday.
Based on the track-focused R variant of Alpine's A110 sports car, the Le Mans special edition features a custom paint scheme, as well as carbon-fibre detailing and new additions to the interior.
The model was unveiled at the 24 Hours of Le Mans track today and was driven by German Formula 3 driver Sophia Floersch, with 100 Alpine owners in attendance.
"The A110 R Le Mans is the most radical A110 celebrating the most radical competition," said Emmanuel Al Nawakil, Vice President of Alpine Sales, Network and Launching.
The company will begin taking orders for the car from June 8. Prices will start from €140,000, with an exclusive production run of just 100 units.
Styling changes
The most immediate difference from the standard A110 R is the exclusive Le Mans-themed livery. A blue and white double line has been applied across the bonnet, roof and rear wing, complemented by a set of blue fins.
The car's wheels are also made from carbon fibre and given a blue piping strip around their diameter to accentuate them.
The carbon fibre rear window is fitted with a shark-style fin, a nod to the Alpine A480, the French marque's Le Mans contender that took a podium finish at the 2021 race.
Le Mans badging can be seen on the front spoiler and side sills of the special A110 R. Each example built will be fitted with an exclusive numbered plate featuring a special Le Mans signature.
Interior
The interior setup is largely the same as in the A110 R, though the Le Mans edition is fitted with Sabelt Track bucket seats embroidered with the official 24 Hours of Le Mans signature.
Elsewhere, the layout of the Circuit de la Sarthe - where the 24-hour race is held - has been laser-engraved onto the car's sun visor - an addition that Alpine describes as "the ultimate nod to Le Mans."
New technology
While the special edition is mostly mechanically identical to the A110 R, it does come with a Road & Track chock - a recently patented new suspension feature devised by Alpine itself.
Designed with the twists, turns and straights of the Sarthe circuit in mind, the chock can lower and stiffen the car by five per cent, allowing for better stability and handling on the track.
Combined with a specific suspension setup, the car's performance and stability are claimed to be greatly improved around the circuit, especially on the long Mulsanne Straight and the more high-speed and technical corners of the track.
Alpine and Le Mans
Alpine's first Le Mans effort was in 1963, though out of the three M63 cars entered by the marque, all were unfortunately forced to retire. In 1964, there was a noted improvement as Alpine finished its first 24 Hours, taking 17th and 20th place overall.
However, Le Mans success remained elusive, even though the company's partnership with automotive giant Renault saw the team become a dominant force in the sport.
In 1978, there was a bitter tussle between Renault-Alpine and the might of Porsche for the honours - a tussle that the French team would ultimately win.
Recently, Alpine announced a full Le Mans Hypercar entry for the 2024 running, amidst the news that the company - now owned by Renault - would be switching to an all-electric line-up in the future.