The Alpine A110S will cost £56,810

The Alpine A110 S will cost £56,810. That is ten thousand pounds more expensive than a regular Alpine A110, and ten thousand pounds is a rather large sum of money.

For that additional £10k, you do get more. More power, for starters. Alpine has juiced up that 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine to 288bhp, which is considerably punchier than the regular car’s 248bhp, thanks to a bigger turbo.

There’s more – as in better – acceleration, too, because 0-62mph now takes just 4.4secs, a tenth quicker compared to the £10k cheaper standard A110. There’s more stiffness courtesy of 50 per cent firmer springs, and 100 per cent stiffer anti roll bars. It’s been lowered by 4mm, gets wider, stickier Michelin tyres, big Brembo brakes as standard and an active sports exhaust.

Heck, even the ESC’s been retuned for “greater handling accuracy and improved grip”. A couple of options are available that give you less: an optional carbon fibre roof panel for £2,208 which saves 1.6kg of weight, and £1,656 carbon fibre backed Sabelt bucket seats, which also save some weight.

Option both of those, and you’re looking at £60k. For £60k you can have a lot of power – something like a four-door BMW M3, or an Alfa Giulia Quadrifoglio (nearly). But then, the Alpine’s charms have always been rather more finessed, and nuanced, no?