Alpine A110 R 70 Tricolour Edition marks the petrol car’s final year

Alpine A110 R 70 Tricolour Edition

The images above offer an early look at the new limited-production Alpine A110 R 70 Tricolour Edition. It looks rather striking, doesn’t it? Created to mark Alpine’s 70th anniversary, production is limited to 70 cars in Bleu Caddy, 70 in Glacier Blanc and 70 in Rouge Sismique. Each version receives a corresponding interior, a visible carbon-fibre 70th-anniversary roof logo and colour-matched 18-inch carbon-fibre wheels.

Alongside the 210 Tricolour Editions, Alpine will produce 560 ‘standard’ A110 R 70 models. These will be offered in 10 paint colours, with an Akrapovic exhaust and 70th-anniversary emblems on the wheel arches, sills and headrests. As you may recall, the R - rather than the wild new R Ultime - already has 296bhp and 251lb ft of torque, as well as firmer springs, carbon-fibre wheels, bucket seats, extensive Alcantara trim and all of the carbon-fibre exterior additions.

The petrol Alpine A110’s final year

However, these editions are not the most significant announcement. In unveiling the special models, Alpine has also confirmed that the existing petrol-powered A110 does not have long left. Uh oh.

"Alpine turns 70! 70 years of passion, excellence and innovation that we intend to build on for the next 70 years,” said Alpine CEO Philippe Krief. “We will celebrate this anniversary throughout the year with all our customers, clubs, fans ... past, present and future.

“To mark the occasion, our iconic A110 is available as an exceptional limited edition, the A110 R 70. It is part of the new A110 range, which will be available for the next 12 months before passing the baton to the future electric A110.”

So, that is confirmation: the compact, lightweight French sports car will become electric. This outcome had been expected since Alpine revealed its convertible A110 ‘E-TERNITÉ’ prototype in 2022, although it still stings. That prototype featured the 60kWh battery from the Megane E-Tech, delivering 261 miles of range, while its 268bhp motor produced a 0-62mph time of 4.5 seconds. Not bad. At 1,378kg, it was not especially heavy either, which leaves some cause for optimism.

Alpine A110 GTS prices and specification

Anyone wanting a petrol Alpine will therefore need to buy within the next 12 months. The line-up will continue to begin with the regular 248bhp A110, priced from £55,160 in the UK. Looking to spend more? The A110 S is being replaced by a new 296bhp A110 GTS.

Alpine says the GTS will take the place of both the GT and S variants, effectively occupying the ground between them. It combines the S’s sportier chassis with an upmarket leather cabin and a Focal Premium audio system. A new optional GTS aero kit, inspired by the R, will also be available.

In the UK, the GTS starts at £67,311, whereas the A110 R 70 costs a frankly alarming £103,345. Even so, could that be worthwhile for one of the final A110s?