Four-cylinder sports car gets Ferrari price tag: French automaker Alpine sends off its iconic A110 coupe with the brand's most powerful version yet, the Alpine A110 R Ultime

Alpine’s final version of its A110 Coupe will be its most powerful (and expensive) yet, as the French automaker fittingly bids ‘au revoir’ to its flagship model at the Paris motor show this week.

The A110’s final instalment will be known as the A110 R Ultime and it will pack a 257kW/410Nm thanks to the tweaked turbocharged 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine.

With a new turbocharger and titanium Akrapovic exhaust, the Ultime's outputs climb 37kW and 80Nm over the A110 R Turini and a chunky 72kW over the original car.

The Ultime also features a new six-speed 'DW6' dual-clutch automatic to accommodate the extra torque, hardier brakes with AP Racing discs, staggered 18-inch front and 19-inch rear lightweight forged alloy wheels and a stiffer chassis configuration with adjustable Ohlins dampers.

Together, Alpine says the upgrades deliver a 0-100km/h sprint time of just 3.8 seconds, shaving 0.2 seconds off the Turini’s time.

The A110 R Ultime, offered in Atelier and Atelier-Sur specifications, will also be the most customisable A110 ever.

Customers of the Atelier will have a choice of 27 colour options for the exterior, alongside four Alcantara shades for the interior and other custom details.

The Atelier Sur spec adds nine more Alcantara options and 10 shades of leather with the option of finishing the interior materials with embossing, embroidery or leather braiding.

Just 110 examples of the Ultime R will be produced at an astonishing price tag of €265,000 ($429,852), more than double the €105,000 ($170,334) price tag for the standard Alpine A110 R.

But, if you’d like to get even more exclusive, there’s the additional option of the La Bleue specification, of which just 15 units will be produced.

It comes hand-painted in a gradient colour scheme of Vision Blue and Abysse Blue, with upholstery to match, in exchange for an eye-watering price tag of €330,000 ($535,211) — or $133,750 per cylinder.

That makes it the second-most expensive French car ever produced (behind the Bugatti Chiron), as well as one of the most expensive four-cylinder cars in history.

The A110 R Ultime made its debut at the Paris Motor Show 2024 alongside the electric A290 hot hatch and electric A390 SUV, both of which are expected to go on sale in 2025 as the brand marks the beginning of its EV era.

Alpine is planning to release seven new EVs before 2030 as it seeks to re-establish itself as a premium car brand in Europe following its resurrection in 2017 under the ownership of Renault.