Last year, Renault resurrected its Alpine performance sub-brand’s A110, an iconic rear-engined, rally-dominating machine, as a modern mid-engined sports car with the same name. The result was something like a French Alfa Romeo 4C, with a similarly powerful turbocharged 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine mounted behind the two seats, a dual-clutch automatic transmission, and a feathery 2400-pound curb weight. Now Alpine is releasing two special-edition versions, the Pure and the Légende, and unveiling a new racing program.

The Pure model (pictured here in white) is billed as “minimalist,” lightweight and closest in spirit to the car that won the Monte Carlo Rally in 1973. The Légende is said to be a more luxurious take on the sports car and geared toward “long-distance touring” with six-way adjustable seats and a higher level of equipment. And then there’s the racer, which Alpine developed with its partner Signatech for GT4 competition against all comers in a fast-growing class (an earlier racer, the Alpine A110 Cup, was built for a one-make series).
With an unspecified increase in output over the base model’s 250 horsepower and aerodynamic measures to improve downforce, the A110 GT4 will appear during the second half of the 2018 racing season in Europe, while Alpine promises “full production” in time for customer teams to run the full 2019 season. Signatech will provide factory support to private teams. Those who have ...