Jacked-up concept aims to be as much fun off-road as on. We Approve.
It might leave you asking “what the?” but the rally-raid Alpine A110 SportsX concept certainly has our attention. And it’s but the latest in a growing trend of jacked-up sports coupes that the industry seems to be gauging public appetite for. This tribute to the 1973 Monte Carlo Rally-winning A110 isn’t slated for sale as yet, but such is the rapid prototyping flexibility in Dieppe that it’s not inconceivable that it could be made production-viable.
The SportsX concept is based on the A110 Pure, with the body and track widened by 80mm over the standard Alpine to fit the beefier rubber. To help the two-door coupe cope with rough terrain, the ride height has been raised by 60mm to afford vital ground clearance. Vision out the back of the mid-engined sports car is hampered somewhat by the fact that a pair of skis are strapped to the rear glass. But then, like the extra body cladding, they tell the world you live an active lifestyle.
To help the SportsX cope off-road, ride height has been raised 60mm
We first saw Alpine designer Laurent Negroni’s sketches of the SportsX appear on Instagram, and it was followed by the car appearing at the International Automobile Festival of the Invalides in Paris. There’s no word on mechanical changes, but the A110’s 185kW would probably be more than ample on dirt and snow.
If you’re after something more, 150,000 euros will net you the 223kW A110 Rally R-GT racer. Snow tyres, skis and a lifter kit are down to you.
