A rare check in on TM but thought I can contribute to this. Have owned a Premiere Edition A110 for over 6 years, it being one of the first in the UK. Bought without a test drive, which felt brave at the time. Not now. Easily the best decision I’ve ever made car wise. For as long as I can, I’m never selling it.

As a road-biased sports car it has been fantastic. 4 Alps trips, 1 for over 2 weeks for my wife and I, and several Scotland trips. Even on the most recent trip this year, it’s a rare sight even on the continent and generates such a positive reaction from almost everyone. The ownership experience has changed a bit in the UK from the earliest days, and the dealership I used (Manchester) was once brilliant but now is far, far from that. But Alpine UK appears to be getting more engaged once again and other dealers have better, deserved reputations. In these regards it’s much like my experience of Morgan too.

Early ones suffered from windscreens that used to crack and door trims that rattled, and there have been fuel pump and arch bubbling issues as someone above said. However - and touch wood here - mine has suffered none of those. A few minor things like the window seal peeling away and a creaky door hinge, a few recalls as is the norm, but it has been mechanically faultless. Infotainment was improved from what I have, but it always did the job - just lacked CarPlay / Android Auto if you care about such things. Newer ones have those of course. The biggest issue I have using it like I do is both the front and rear boots get warm. Very warm in the case of the rear, meaning some creative packing is needed. Again not too dissimilar from the Morgan but a world away from a 911, or even Cayman.

The Sabelt buckets are the best seats I’ve had in any car. They can’t easily be lowered but there are 3 heights that the dealer can set for you. The engine is so much more characterful than the BMW in the Plus Four, but also has a gearbox with ratios that are genuinely useful and engaging in the road. It can be playful or be a chilled cruiser - going through the Netherlands I can see 50+mpg on cruise control, much to the annoyance of my Porsche owning friends. Then in the mountains it is genuinely rapid. Alongside the Plus Four and my GR Yaris, driving the A110 for the first time in a while always needs a few moments of recalibration about how quick it pivots around its axis. It feels light and nimble in a way the others don’t. The standard suspension is a very interesting setup - as is the geo. Initial damping is firmer than you might expect, but with softer spring rates that result in a lot of lean. The S and R will of course suit different tastes, but I think the extra playfulness of the standard one is key to the way you should drive the A110. It’s fun. Although the life110 geo settings aid stability, especially at Autobahn speeds. Beyond that I’ve done very little more to mine, but as stated above Dave Pook and Matt at Spires certainly know how to set them up well. He has some very trick components available too.

The Ultime version feels so far removed from what the A110 is about, but I still love it. It highlights that they are all thoroughly engineered; I’d recommend reading the Inside the Machine book by David Twohig, who was the chief engineer who took over the project and got it launched.

All this said, I’m very impressed at how well the new Nitron-equipped Four can cover a tricky road with traits similar to the body control of the A110. When considering all other aspects there’s only 1 of the 2 I’d keep forever though. And it would be the one made in Dieppe.