Alpine’s A110 mid-engined sports car is to contest the 101st running of the Pikes Peak hillclimb on June 25 2023. This factory-supported project was instigated by the French Signatech team, which will run the car at the event.

Based on the A110 GT4 Evo, the A110 Pikes Peak is powered by a modified version of the production-based GT4’s 1.8 litre, direct injection, 16 valve dohc I4 turbo, which is rated at up to 360 bhp (according to GT4 Balance of Performance).

Described as the most extreme A110 to date, the car has been designed as a collaboration between the Alpine design office team led by Raphaël Linari (design manager) and Signatech where the effort has been led by Lionel Chevalier (technical director) and François Letort (project manager and specialist on the electronics side).

The car has been designed for the ‘Time Attack One’ category. Painstaking lightening has reduced weight from the 1080 kg of the GT4 Evo to only 950 kg. Extensive aero work includes a ram air intake over the roof to force air into the engine, which is said to result in nearly 500 horsepower at maximum speed.

Letort reports: “we worked extensively with Oreca to specifically adapt the engine-gearbox assembly to the challenge of the gradient. With a start at an altitude of 2,800 metres and a finish at 4,400 metres, the demands on the power supply are huge, as we lose 100 millibars of pressure as soon as we climb 1,000 metres. The aim was to keep the same amount of power input throughout the climb without going overboard.

“We have been working hard to ensure that the performance is always the same, which has required a lot of work on this significant power increase compared to the capacity of our engine. The large turbocharger received special attention to eliminate any lag phenomenon and throttle response time. Also, our partner Elf was deeply involved in providing us with specific fuel and lubricants to enable us to maintain an optimal level of performance at any altitude.”