In a move that American revolutionary war hero Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, would certainly endorse, high mountain trying to conquer Pikes Peak International Hill Climb 2023.
The French sports car maker will do so with a massively revised version of the track-ready A110 R coupe. Appropriately known as the A110 Pikes Peak, this unique product was developed in conjunction with Signatech.
Downforce is generated by the car’s aggressive front splitters and deflectors, and the huge rear spoiler. An air intake on the roof helps direct air into the mid-engine, and also serves as a attachment point for the shark fins that split the aforementioned rear wings.
Closed wheels, large side skirts and a large rear diffuser complete the A110 Pikes Peak’s aerodynamic package.
Since both France and the US have red, white and blue flags, the car’s colors honor both countries. The tricolor stripe in the center of the bonnet pays tribute to the French flag, while the array of stars on the hood acknowledges the Second Amendment home.
The front headlight cluster of the A110 has been replaced with a thin LED strip. At the rear, the taillights now sit in three vertical bands: two along the sidebars of the rear spoiler and one located on the central ledge of the shark’s fin.
Alpine says the A110 Pikes Peak’s engine has been tuned to deliver 373kW (500 hp), while the weight has been reduced to 950kg.
For reference, the most powerful touring version of the A110 has a 1.8-litre turbocharged four-cylinder making 221kW and 340Nm.
The lightest road-legal model, the A110 R, weighs 1082kg and is said to be able to complete the 0-100km/h run in 3.9 seconds.
While Alpine hasn’t provided any indicative performance figures yet, the A110 Pikes Peak should be slightly faster than the fastest street-legal variants.
The Alpine A110 Pikes Peak will compete in the Time Attack 1 category, featuring modified versions of the road car.
Alpine’s attempt to overtake Pikes Peak will be fueled by Raphaël Astier, who won the FIA’s 2022 R-GT championship in a track-tuned A110 R-GT.
He has also competed on the Pikes Peak hill climb four times, winning Attack 1 in 2019 at the 2017 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Turbo, and then winning the Open in 2021 with the Porsche Cup. BBI Turbo 2015.
Astier will begin testing and fine-tuning the car next week, then will fly to Colorado to complete preparations for this year’s race on June 25.
THAN: Everything Alpine A110
