Alpine aims for Pikes Peak glory with new A110 racer

Alpine will attempt to tackle the famous Pikes Peak hillclimb for the first time in a new specially-prepared version of its A110 sports car.

The ‘Race to the Clouds’, which takes place in Colorado, USA, is an intense hill climb which undertakes 12.42 miles of steep, winding track. It’s a yearly event that sees cars of all types race to the summit of Pikes Peak, which takes place on June 25.

It’ll mark the first time that Alpine has entered into it, too. To take on the challenge, the French firm has created a specially equipped version of the A110, incorporating a number of tweaks and changes that should help it tackle all 156 corners of the course.

Called ‘the most extreme A110 to date’, the model incorporates extended splitters alongside deflectors on the ends of the spoiler that aim to increase downforce. There’s also an inlet on the roof which forces air into the engine, helping it to produce ‘nearly 500 horsepower’, according to Alpine. Plus, weight-saving measures have meant that the racer weighs just 950kg.

François Letort, Alpine A110 Pikes Peak project manager, said: “The Alpine A110 Pikes Peak pushes the boundaries of our imagination, far beyond anything we could have envisioned in the early stages of the project.”

The original proportions of the standard road car have been maintained so that the A110 Pikes Peak can enter the Time Attack 1 category, though it still gets a massive rear wing and a more aggressive design for the headlights which now use a single LED ‘bar’ instead of the usual circle. The rear lights have also been moved into three vertical ‘segments’.