Alpine A110 almost as loud as a HSV GTSR W1

THE Alpine A110 will produce a rorty engine note at idle almost as loud as the HSV GTSR W1, Wheels can reveal.

The Federal Government’s Green Vehicle Guide has this week published fuel use figures for the A110, which is due in Australia midway through next year. “Yeah, interesting,” you say, but scan a bit deeper through the data and there’s a juicy little nugget of information we learn: aside from the A110’s 185kW/320Nm turbocharged, fuel-injected 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine - mounted transversally behind the seats - sipping an official 6.2L/100km on the combined cycle, at idle it will emit 94dBA of noise.

How’s that compare? HSV’s hero sedan, the supercharged 6.2-litre GTSR W1, is rated at 98dBA, which is around the same level of noise as a lawn mower makes. A Maserati Granturismo S’s 4.7-litre V8, meanwhile, is rated at 113dBA.

The A110’s lower figure still sits it in esteemed, aurally appealing territory. According to the Green Vehicle Guide, other vehicles to make the same amount of noise at idle include the Aston Martin DBS, the Bentley Continental GT Speed, the Lotus Elise, the 6.2-litre V8-engined versions of the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG, and older versions of the Porsche 911.

However, it’s what it out-sounds that starts to look impressive. The A110 beats honed performance vehicles including most of the more pedestrian HSV range, the V8-engined BMW M3, the Porsche Boxster/Cayman S, and the twin-turbo beer-budget supercar, the Nissan GT-R.

Australian versions of the A110 will feature what Renault describes as an “active lightweight sports exhaust”, meaning it will potentially be able to provide one engine note for pussy-catting around town, and another for tom-catting on a twisty section of road. Other bits of kit in store for Australian buyers include 18-inch forged alloy wheels, fixed-back Sabelt sports seats, a Brembo brake package with two-piece rotors, alloy pedals, carbon interior trim and high-end audio system.

The A110s will send its drive to the rear wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

The Alpine A110 will be Mazda MX-5 light when it arrives here. Aluminium monocoque construction means it weighs just 1080kg when empty, helping it to sprint to 100km/h in 4.5 seconds on its way to an electronically-limited 250km/h top speed.

Alpine claims a weight distribution of 44:56 front-to-rear, which, in combination with its double-wishbone front and rear suspension, bodes well for cornering capability.

Renault Australia has not yet set a price for the A110, but has indicated that it expects it to fall somewhere between $90,000 and $110,000 – which would put it in competition with the $97,990 Lotus Elise Sprint 220 and the $89,000 Alfa Romeo 4C.