The Alpine A110 GT4 Evo race car (teased above) will compete in this year's Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on June 23. 2022 FIA R-GT Cup title-winner Raphaël Astier will be behind the wheel. This entry marks the French brand's first time competing in the historic event.
The model competing won't be a standard A110 GT4. Alpine's designers and Signatech racing engineers will make tweaks to the race car's aerodynamics. This teaser image shows the silhouette of a big wing and fin on the back.
Gallery: 2022 Alpine A110 facelift
The A110 GT4 Evo will be rear-wheel drive like the racer's existing version. It will compete in the Time Attack 1 category.
Astier has competed in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb four times. He previously set a class record of 9:23.721 in the Time Attack 1 category. For comparison, the Volkswagen I.D. R holds the overall record with a time of 7:57.148.
"I am extremely proud to be the driver chosen for this program and I look forward to bringing all my experience and knowledge to the brand's first-ever Pikes Peak participation," said Astier.
The standard A110 GT4 is an upgraded version of the Cup race car. It uses a 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that makes between 330 horsepower and 360 hp depending on the balance of performance in a given series. The power goes to the rear wheels via a six-speed sequential gearbox.
A recent report indicates that Renault Group is negotiating with AutoNation – the largest car dealer group in the country – to sell Alpine models in the United States. Nothing is official about this potential deal yet, and it's not clear when any of these performance vehicles might be available in the US.
Alpine reportedly plans to continue offering the A110 until 2026 when an electric model would replace it. The brand intends to introduce EV SUVs in 2027 and 2028.
This year is shaping up to be an exciting Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Ford is bringing its SuperVan 4 that makes nearly 2,000 horsepower from four electric motors. The vehicle hits 62 miles per hour in less than 2.0 seconds.
Plus, BMW is considering whether to bring the XM Label Red to the event. The automaker registered for the high-performance SUV to compete there but hasn't made a final decision about actually racing.
