Better Than A Porsche And Yet Still A Flop? The Renault Alpine A310

France made a car that was cheaper, lighter and better handling than the Porsche 911, yet the Renault Alpine A310 sold in much lower numbers than the Porsche. In this test I explain the similarities between the A310 and the Porsche 911 SC and examine which car is best and why the A310 sold so badly while the Porsche was a success.
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[@Number27]

Patreon Supporters get advance viewings before official release and also a monthly exclusive roundup video of what I've been getting up to. If you want to support the channel please go to: www.patreon.com/number27

[@michaellongridge1523]

By

[@Greg_Chase]

I think they took 'styling cues' from the De Tomaso Mangusta! When I saw this Alpine, my first thought was "Is that an updated Mangusta?" Pretty amazing story!

[@bobroberts7029]

Would you fight me on c4b no rules?

[@brokeandtired]

Because even in its day it looked shit compared to a Porsche.

[@gregdales8627]

​@@brokeandtiredyou have no SENSE of design.porcas are ugly apart from the 944

[@SargentoDuke]

Misato actually bought it

[@AustralianCapitalist]

Misato milkers

[@paleoph6168]

​@@AustralianCapitalist🥛💦

[@fsfs555]

When I was a kid, I first saw the A310 (Misato's blue car) in the anime Neon Genesis Evangelion. I thought it looked awesome and I was thrilled to find out it was based on a real car. The early car used a weird 3-lug wheel which makes it difficult to source some spares. The PRV wasn't very good until they went even-fire in the mid-'80s, and they were actually pretty decent once they got a turbo. As such, I do prefer the successor A610. More than just a facelift, it's a better car all around.

[@ike780]

I saw that series a couple of years ago. I loved that they captured the Alpine so well in the animation.

[@johnobrien8773]

Thank you for figuring out why I have memories of this from anime.

[@peacefulreiki]

In the 80s, I was a rear passenger in an Alpine A310 when a rear tire exploded while we were driving over 200km/h. The driver felt the steering wheel shake but had no problem whatsoever to steer and bring us to a smooth and safe stop on the side of the highway. The driver was already very fond of his car, that day I think he totally fell in love with it 😁

[@pjakobs]

I grew up in a village that had something of a small sportscar scene back in the 70s and early 80s. The local fuel station was run by Manfred Hero, a local Rally hero who did make 2nd place in the German championship twice in his 911. There was a group of folks with a variety of sporty cars, Fiat X1/9, Porsches, Alpines, even a Matra Murena and a few more. In that group, the Porsches got the highest street cred for two reasons: a) due to Manfred and b) because they were a "man's car" - they were unforgiving when the rear came loose, easily spun. I believe to this day that this has led to Porsche drivers getting a positive image as "those who an wrestle the beast" - so in the end, Porsche benefited from having a worse car.

[@bikemike1118]

Interesting theory… but there is something to it. In addition - and probably more obvious - it’s the sexy organic and curvy looks that made/ makes the body of a 911 more/ very desirable. And Porsche is and was a true sports car brand whereas ‚Alpine’ is more of a derivative from a brand which mainly produced bread and butter cars. Maybe even a little less regarded as e.g. a Mercedes AMG or a BMW M-model. Although Alpine also had a great racing background and history - in hindsight. But in Renaults case they (in contrary to Merc‘ and BMW) had a unique body and construction only available from their Alpine department which is really honorable! Alpine even more a car for lovers and fans for its quirkiness nowadays than the (also nowadays ) much more mainstream Porsche! But again…there are reasons for the higher sales numbers of the Porsche! P.S. this comment was written by a former Porsche and Mercedes salesman from Germany - 😎

[@pjakobs]

@@bikemike1118 but in the 70s and 80s, the humble brother of the 911 was still on the streets and the conceptual as well as optical similarity was there, of course what I mean is the humble Volkswagen. There was also a Countach in the village (a white thing that in my memory looked like something out of a science fiction movie) and that owner did not mingle with the others. After all, the 911s of the day usually only had 150 to a max of just over 200hp before the first turbo. It was, at the time, an everybody's sports car. The ascent of Porsche to the league of true sportscars happened in the 90s, I would guess.

[@bikemike1118]

@@pjakobs well…in the 70s the 911 were had about the horsepower you described above. In the 80s they had about 230 horsepower. Porsche actually was newer an „everybody’s sports car“, at least not the 911 models. Sir, if compared to exotic cars like a Lamborghini Countach it was fairly common. But Porsche was always a real sports car usable (and reliable) every day…which in fact a Lamborghini never was! The step from the 80s so called „G-model“ to the late 80s/ early 90s 964 model was not that big…apart from a face lifted body and first time available 4WD. Porsche always had more evolutionary than revolutionary developments …and that is one reason they are highly valuable and searched for cars until today. Even the ones from the 70s and 80s …and also because - given decent maintenance- you could still use them „every day“ in the 20s of the 21st century.

[@ChelimYrneh]

@@pjakobs Funny o mention the VW - I was thinking just that for the first time, that he 911 is really like a "squashed" Beetle ! ( in shape ; ) Also - as I was watching the video I was thinking of my old Fiat X19, ( UK reg YAC 515X ) and if Jack would have reviewed it ! : )

[@tommusikauswahl1066]

It is so much easier to Drive a 911 SC on the Limit then a A310, and i know it, bcs i have both of them :) So much for you "man´s car-theory" ;)

[@asgerms]

I love how open-minded you are about the cars and always giving the car a chance to speak to you.

[@bernhardtsuballa5341]

Yess I agree! But he said the Porsche 911 would have a snob factor... So in Central Europe 90% of all Porsche 911 drivers are early retirees or retired. So when I see a Porsche 911, I don't look at it. The probability of spotting a pretty female passenger in the car is close to 0!

[@camtoufan3704]

Huh, car whisperer?!

[@piotrmalewski8178]

Not much it can tell if you drive it 30mph on public road. I stopped watching reviews like this years ago, because most reviewers either can't drive, or can't test how a car drives. I open this and here's another dissapointment. I think he even got how the frame is in the car the other way around. The part he indicated with arrows when talking about the front, clearly has a space for gearbox, so it must the rear. There you go, just another noob wannabe car journalist who does no sports driving in sports cars, and doesn't even get the basic facts right.

[@RUfromthe40s]

@@bernhardtsuballa5341 maybe you´re confusing it with ferrari, in the 80´s anyone could by a Porshe ,only the problem of drinking more fuel but a afordable car the numbers we see today on older or even 60´s porshes i remenber buying them for prices like 200€´s or a bit more or most of the times a bit less , it was seen as a old VW bug with a more sportive look, like the Karmman ghia or the Volkswagen porshe with a 2.0L Volkswagen engine, this the main model released in 72

[@Tuberuser187]

@@RUfromthe40s Porsche got its "snob factor" in the 80s, it was a favorite of the "greed is good" generation of "Yuppies" with their bad attitudes and brashy suits as they decorated the ditches, trees and lampposts with their 911s.

[@mickrs]

After 2 times a 911, I have the Alpine a310 ph2 as my daily now for seven years. I do agree with most of your comments about the 2 cars. But the Holley conversion isn't an improvement per se. It is over 40 year old solex carbs. But I chose to overhaul the original set up and that works like a charm. Now it's almost as fast as my old 3.2 Carrera, but it sure is a better steer. And if the gearbox is in top condition, it is very precise.And as it turned out over the years, even more reliable than the 911...

[@65PCH]

Someone on the French Alpine forums did some actual tests on the Holley conversion. At least on their car, they got *less* power using the Holley than the standard setup and the fuel consumption was *worse*. The standard setup does seem to present challenges, but my mechanic seems to be able to persuade them to work properly.

[@arcanondrum6543]

I remember the Alpine and wanted one and I remember people warning me away. They should have warned me away from "German Engineering", maybe that's fine and all the problems come from manufacturing but I doubt it. I remember talking to a mechanic who had two choices for changing a fuel filter on a Mercedes Sedan : Drop the transmission or remove the Dash and access it via a small hole.... just wow!

[@dab9742]

Yes, as a healthy donkey goes faster than a lame thoroughbred... 😁

[@rdallas81]

​@@arcanondrum6543 some of the best engineers and design's came from Germany.

[@gregdales8627]

They're all rubbish and useless cars

[@andrewmoorhouse687]

Whatever the pros and cons, it’s hard to deny this is a more unusual and interesting car than a 911. The David and Goliath fight continues with the A110 vs Cayman today; a case of history repeating. In terms of the channel, you’re finding really interesting cars Jack and I think your presentation goes from strength to strength. Great video.

[@iamkyleme]

never heard of the a110 until i read your comment, way cooler than a cayman though, shame i never head of it before :) cheers

[@449Raphael]

So, the Porsche you find on every corner and nobody notices anymore. Also way more ugly. This is something boutique special. But the Venturi atlantique 300 is more desirable and almost impossible to find. And for a Venturi 400 you pay a million dollars.

[@Keckegenkai]

@@iamkyleme too bad about the auto only. makes it not as cool as a manual porsche atleast for me.

[@Sir_Opus]

@@iamkyleme Same here, though I think the 2022 A110 looks like some sort of ugly hot wheels car...

[@iamkyleme]

@@Keckegenkai auto only? Thats annoying

[@mennofrankfort7584]

Great review. I owned one for 5 years . Drove like a kart . Tricky at high speeds. And a real handmade car in French quality😊. But so much caracter and special. At he time there were only a hundred in the Netherlands. Being 1,92 m I could find a perfect driving position. So comfortable that my wife fell asleep on longer trips. Even with a home made loud exhaust. Easy to maintain. Cheap to drive. A reliable strong motor. 250.000 km without any problems was possible with this motor. Carb was original triple from Solex. Still feel gratefull to my wife who pushed me to buy the car from the first owner, to forfill a dream I had for 15 years.. Sold because traffic became more and more intense, and the car was almost invisible with a height of 1,15 meter. Brakes from the eighties. And I was pushing his limits more and more….But …..still miss my mean machine😊but somebody else still enjoying it after 38 years

[@jn904]

Nice. Do you recall what was the fuel consumption at a steady 130 km/h highway run?

[@maximeszyf9647]

We might have the same wife! LOL Bought mine two years ago (in holland). My wife pushed to go for it. Two weeks later we were off to Venice... she fell asleep several times. Childhood dream. Daily driver as much as possible..

[@bastogne315]

Loved that back in the day. This channel is like a trip through my boyhood dreams...can you get Blondie on?

[@jonlyons1033]

Nah try Debbie Harry's garage.

[@Number27]

😁😁😁😁😁😁😁

[@dpheaslip]

I’d park there.

[@idontwantachannel3091]

At 3:55 I paused the video to study this unusual chassis - and realised that Jack had indicated the REAR of the chassis when he was talking about room for the battery at the FRONT! I have never seen an Alpine chassis before but it is obvious which end can fit a gearbox and engine - and which cannot. Yet again I enjoyed and learnt more from this great series of videos.

[@timc924]

I worked with a fella in Saudi-Arabia in the early-mid 80's, who imported a Black LHD Alpine to compliment his V12 Jag XJS. He had the body diamond-coated in a vain attempt to protect it from the extreme heat (mid 40's). It tragically peeled and ended up looking like Sir Michael Gambon in the Singing Detective. But what a car. He sold it to a local likely-lad in a Keffiyeh (Male Head-dress- looks like a Gingham tea-towel) who shortly after acquisition, managed to distribute the car and himself all over the desert. I know the 911 is a legendary icon, but I agree the snob factor is an element in why this lovely car was so snootified a bit like the current A110, which is unfavourably compared to the Cayman, Emira, TTRS and others of the mid-engined ilk on pure performance. But as for the 310, what character and brave styling. Yes, a Peugeot engine with 150 HP. So what! the first Porsches had a Beetle engine, yet they're revered and worshipped. 150 HP is relatively tame by todays standard, yes, but 30 years ago, it had grunt and I doubt too many of us then- young turks could have handled that kind of power without ending up like the aforementioned unfortunate. Horses for courses, but sometimes horses only as a benchmark are a cursed way of comparing different thinking on car design, their individual appeal and pure pleasure owners derive from being at one with sports car. Great Video. How about a video on the Clan Crusader or the Bond Equip?

[@tonym.6289]

Dear Jack, you nailed it!. I drove a 1984 V6 A310 for almost 6 years after I had a 911. The underpowered engine as you called it is easily to tune with A different spaghetti exhaust manifold and A retuned Carb. The original manifold is kind of cast iron cramped power spoiler. Mine had 175 BHP after the change. I also lowered the car 2 inches and used Koni's. It drove like Hell. I stil mis the car! Thanks for your Story and keep up the good work! Ton van Maaren in The Netherlands.

[@marcusott2973]

I had V6 Turbo in the early 2000's, I don't remember exactly what I paid for it but it was not expensive. Ran it for 2 summers and sold it to an enthusiast. Never gave any problems.

[@lionellagarde3982]

What a test...I have both of them (310 and 911)... they all wake up my emotions, at anytime. Very similar at some points. I've spent hours behind the steering wheel of my Alpine(s), and what I could just say is that it's a pure matter of enjoyment... Lionel

[@jesterokjones4954]

Is your Alpine bone stock? I do believe that a 310 with either a different and more powerful V6 or a stock engine that's been forced inducted would make the car s completely different animal.

[@cistokrvnibosanac1266]

@@jesterokjones4954 i have 3 of them, one with turbo is 212hp fuel injected,used probably in mate 80s maybe even shared engine with a610

[@winstonwolfe5733]

​​@@jesterokjones4954 the A310 Boulogne had a 3 triple carb mounted 2.9 PRV (the volvo's). Power was up to 190 hrsprs. Danielson also tuned the engine in a similar way for the 505 Peugeot. But I think Peug used the fuel injected.

[@jesterokjones4954]

@@cistokrvnibosanac1266 that's awesome, is it an old turbo setup?

[@chrispompano]

Was it the triple Webers that gave it 40hp? What other mods were done to that PRV to get it to 190hp....? Delorean only had 130hp......why? It did however have the Bosch K-Jet.

[@dougsmith1622]

The earlier A310 has always been one of my all time favorites. I would buy one over a Porsche any day.

[@heith85]

Nowadays it's a better deal as every "classic" Porsche has been overpriced/over hyped

[@ThinPicks]

It's nice to find out that there are other people who love this car too, every time I mentioned it to anyone they didn't know what I was talking about. Would love to see you test the earlier A110 as well, what a little road rocket!

[@Markycarandbikestuff]

One of these was my favorite Matchbox toy as a kid, always loved them, i recon the Porsche sold more (even in France) simply due to status, everyone, even non car folk know a 911, your average banker or accountant back then wouldn't have been bothered about suspension design. As fantastic as the Alpine is it's still a Renault.

[@ThomasDoubting5]

I had one I loved it, thought it was really exotic , along with my highly prized Peugeot Quasar .

[@spudgunn8695]

Yet Renault have powered a lot more F1 champions than Porsche could even dream of!

[@kingcarrot6355]

​@@spudgunn8695 What they have done for motorsport, both circuit and off road

[@Markycarandbikestuff]

@@spudgunn8695 True.

[@TassieLorenzo]

The 911 still doesn't have a double wishbone front end (apart from the GT3 variant only) to this day and the Boxster and Cayman even have struts on all four corners. I guess owners find that it works well enough (apart from those who take their Boxsters to circuits regularly and complain about camber wear on the tyres), so there is no point in changing? That the Alpine A110 or Lotus Emira have technically superior double wishbone suspension doesn't seem to make them sell any better in comparison to the Porsches? 🤔

[@tomlanigan4308]

What a great, well-balanced review, as always. Great to see someone who reviews cars in context.

[@stephenfaulder1747]

Great to hear you discussing the virtues of double wishbone suspension - a critical factor so often overlooked by commentators, when it comes real-world roads. Incidentally, that will also explain, in part, why there's less boot space in the Alpine, up front.

[@PhilippeMarchand-xw1zp]

In the 80s I was a young french car enthusiast going through all car magazine I could find. I remember that a large part of the complains about A310 was about the V6 PRV which wasn't considerd as a decent sporty engine. Also Renault didn't gave enough resources to Alpine engineers and decided to shutdown Alpine branch (until the recent A110 revival).

[@jamesrguk]

Great video, I've always liked the look of the Alpine and remember a friend having one many years ago (albeit a turbo version, which was a little more lively). Another French gem is the Venturi 400gt, which would be a great car to see you review, so few people know about them. It's another French super car that flies inder the radar.

[@Raptor3388]

And it's also rocking a PRV V6...though slightly tricked

[@curbowman]

Oh, yes! The Venturi is one of the most refined supercars ever made, and its style still looks good today. A true masterpiece!

[@andrewdawson5281]

The Alpine looks great now, in fact I think it has aged well, back in the day though I think it was more aesthetically 'challenging'. Also the 911 already had a mountainous reputation, which meant more social cachet for your money. The 911 reputation for being tail happy was its only negative and that was perceived as a challenge for 'real' drivers; the negative turned positive. I think the Alpine didn't have enough special about it to overcome the then 'marmite' looks.

[@dantheman7357]

Hi Jack, when I read " better than a Porsche" and saw the Renault sitting there I had a minor Infarct! Then I watched the review and slowly calmed down. Your reasonable approach came through again and I forgave you. Keep them coming as your content is always a joy.

[@Felix-fy7ki]

I love this car, especially it's design since the 1990s, when a car dealer had one on display next to the place I was working. I knew it before but I fell in love with it when I was working there. Somehow some kind of poor man's Countach.

[@hvh377]

Thanks Jack. What a great car. Beautiful, exquisite and especially weird. More cars should be designed this way: different. Saying that, I guess that make these cars kind of the norm... Anyway, I really enjoyed this video. You're getting really good at this. Keep finding these special cars please!

[@Number27]

Thank you chap and glad you enjoyed it!!

[@TassieLorenzo]

"More cars should be designed this way: different." You mean French? 😉It often ends badly in terms of sales! Be it C6, Vel Saltis, Avantime, Matra, et cetera et cetera.

[@hvh377]

@@TassieLorenzo The French seem to be quite good at 'different'. I'm not going to deny that, but there are a lot more companies from other countries that used to do 'different'. The Italians are just as good at it, I'd say, but there's also companies like Saab, Tatra and even the Germans actually did do 'different': Auto Union, NSU. There's many, many more all over the world. I haven't even considered China yet. And not all of them failed (although many of them did), but the T/A, DS, GS, CX, BX and the 2CV were all relatively successful and all of them were quite different from their contemporaries, either in style or in construction (or both). Being different, however, does seem to be a bit of a dying art, but maybe the electric car can bring back 'strange' or 'weird and wonderful', now that performance, speed and sportiness are no longer going to be distinguishing features. I like what Tesla is doing with their Cybertruck for example. Not because it is beautiful as such, but it is a bold statement after the very safe designs of their previous models. I think the statement is especially bold, because the market for pick up trucks is traditionally very conservative.

[@TassieLorenzo]

@@hvh377 I'm not sold on the Cybertruck myself, but certainly the EV space does offer opportunities. Hopefully there will be a lot more ultra-aerodynamic shapes like the Hyundai Ioniq 6 or Mercedes EQS (much like the DS and BX before them) and buyers will come round to the idea of why those designs are better (for range if nothing else) than tall, boxy SUVs. 🙂

[@hvh377]

@@TassieLorenzo I myself would also never buy a Cybertruck. There is a lot I don't like about that vehicle, but I applaud its differentness, its boldness of design. There's plenty of these 'different' designs I'd never have myself, but I like the design nonetheless. (This does NOT apply to the Alpine of the video, which is not only, 'different', but also beautiful and exactly the kind of car I like.) For me, the challenge with the actual ultra-aerodynamic shape will be to create enough of a difference between the designs, because of the requirements of the wind tunnel. Hyundai seems to be able to pull it off somewhat and I like the Merc, but the various EQ cars do look a bit samey to me. Looking at the current flood of Asian SUV EVs on the market: they look completely interchangeable to me; I need the brand logo to identify the car. The comparison to the DS and BX isn't quite right IMO, because although those cars look sleek and aerodynamic, the drag coefficient wasn't actually very good. They were styled to look aerodynamically efficient, while the current cars ARE actually efficient, which limits the freedom of styling a bit. Just my EUR 0,02...

[@grahamsalmons2027]

Those wheels! The dish in the rears, OMG! You’ve done it again Jack, you’ve found a really interesting car and given us a sense of what it’s like to drive. Amazing content, great to watch

[@Number27]

Thanks Graham and really glad you enjoyed it!!

[@RideCamVids]

I first knew of the A310 when Scalextric made a model of one back in the early 70s. Since then I've always liked how they looked and even more so now as they have aged quite well. There are quite a few engines available today that will do justice to the Alpine once it's been set up properly as that lump back there is uninspiring at best. The exclusivity of owning an A310 in an ocean of 911s makes the call of having one today all the more worthwhile. Thanks for giving the car a very fair review Jack, its a pity you did not show the wipers in action. That's one crazy overlapping pattern of them chasing each other across the windscreen.

[@RUfromthe40s]

scalextric ,i almost didn´t remenber of this litle cars running on 9 volts with excelent built circuits and could be personalized ,it was a funny toy, i even did an upgrade to the car i used to run ,normally i would win all races against my kids , it had nice lights to run in the dark and not all could do the loops

[@danieleregoli812]

I absolutely love the A310. What a beautiful, sexy sportscar. The car lots of my childhood dreams were made of! My nan bought me a Solido 1/43 model in cherry metallic when I was 5 years old. I cherished that model car!!

[@michaeld2519]

The way the scenery rushes by in Jack's videos, it always looks like he's doing at least 200kph! 😂Great video, as always. 👍👍💯

[@strat0871]

You nailed it, the 911 has more "prestige", and quality feel. Also it's easier to sit in or getting out of a Porsche for daily use, and it has always been a better resale value. The Alpine looks great, the PRV is a good engine, reliable, lightweight, but the lack of power compared to the 911 is obvious, and yes, the sound too.. Cheers from France.

[@944play]

The PRV has a very different reputation here in the USA. 😧

[@strat0871]

@@944play Oh, really ? maybe fuel injection problems ?

[@944play]

@@strat0871 I think the wet liners were prone to corrosion, and there were few redeeming qualities over the bulletproof if rather agricultural Volvo red blocks.

[@strat0871]

@@944play Strange.. maybe unsuitable cooling liquid ? We have a lot of survivors here. Agree about Volvo red blocks.

[@ThePapaja1996]

PRV is the worst volvo engine in existens

[@TheMrFishnDucks]

Awesome video. Thank you for showcasing cars I've never seen in movies, books or games. It is fascinating and entertaining to learn about these cars. Keep up the good work.

[@bigtrev200]

My Dad imported one of these new back in 1982. As a seven year old at the time I thought it was the coolest car I’d ever seen! He sold it 1993-ish and regretted it immediately so if anyone knows where XKL 855X is hidden away let me know.

[@helloxyz]

I like the way we kids remember all the number plates of our parents - until we reached 17 years of age

[@chrism-e]

Tax expired 19 Jan 1990

[@cistokrvnibosanac1266]

i ve seen you in renaultalpine owners forum no way hahgaga

[@RzogL]

I always loved this car. It's not a French Delorean, or a 911. It's a French Lotus Esprit. It even had a jelly-mould redesign in late 80s like the Esprit. It lack a Rally connection though, unlike the A110 before it, or the Renault 5 turbo. I guess you'll be driving a Venturi Atlantique at some point, Jack, but I'm more looking forward to some Matras: a Djet, and the whacky three seaters.

[@worldtraveler930]

If you swap the fiberglass for stainless then It Is Exactly a DMC-12!!! 🤠👍

[@Taurim]

@@worldtraveler930 The DMC-12 is more than 200 Kg heavier. It definitely not the same car !

[@worldtraveler930]

@@Taurim They are designed and built almost Exactly the same your difference in weight comes from fiberglass versus stainless!!! 🤠👍

[@simonphillips5208]

What a choice of car for the video Jack. Never fancied a Porsche when young but, I'd have bust a gut for one of those.

[@Silentwitness1978]

Great balanced review Jack. I am interested in the later ones of these from the 90's. I remember seeing them in magazines as a kid and they looked fantastic. I have always been interested in the weird and wonderful so you arent alone 😂

[@MLC...]

This Alpine has always mesmerized me. What a beautiful thing!

[@joeg8186]

Had one, loved it, mine had 3 stud wheels that one looks to be 4 stud. Also back of the rear seats comes down over the rear seats to make room for suitcases.

[@davec1942]

The NSX of the 80's, fantastic handling and a great car, the badge means it would never reach the peaks of other manufacturers.

[@sassthathoopie]

I agree - I own an NSX and an A310. Both are a great drive, both have great handling and suspension, both do the GT thing really well as well as the sports/super car thing.

[@johnobrien8773]

I like how it looks like something from the Clockwork Orange sequel Stanley Kubrick would have never touched.

[@nigelwilliams8537]

Well done-another excellent review of an understated, under-rated, idiosyncratic Gallic beauty. I know that you mentioned the smoothness of the ride but, judging by the appalling road surface on which you were travelling, it must have had an absolute "magic-carpet" ride-quality and yet, seemingly, the handling was not compromised; magnifique!

[@sassthathoopie]

I have just bought one one these. The ride, handling, and steering are exceptional; the car glides down bumpy B roads which makes it a pleasure to drive on the less busy roads of Britain.

[@afoolandhismoneychannel]

The later face-lifted turbo cars are a personal fave. Hoping you can find one to review in the future.

[@Number27]

Will definitely try to find one!

[@simonphillips5208]

@@Number27 Nice one for sale on Car and Classic. Downside for you is, it's in Scotland. But, would be a great backdrop for a video Jack? G22 YLA.

[@kevmagill5163]

I'm looking for a drive review right away!

[@dorientjewoller113]

Isn't that the Alpine A610? Which looked like a Japanese sportscar.

[@sassthathoopie]

​@@dorientjewoller113 A108 - A110 - A310 - GTA - A610 - All evolved from the previous car but clearly a different individual design with different specs..

[@e.d.4824]

Very good and interesting video! Lots of explanations and details, and the comparison is bang on relevant!

[@tomandtinamatthews6866]

Thank you. I've been dying for an A310 review!

[@Stevieboy130664]

I saw my first one as a kid in France. I thought it was a fantastic looking thing but had no idea what it was. I think it might be a bit roomier than a Porsche 911. A friend of mine had the later Renault Alpine in the 80s/90s - wonderful and weird as well.

[@deadkemper]

I did also in the early 80s . was a head turning moment as i was in the back of a mk1 astra

[@sassthathoopie]

You're right. There's more room in the back of an A310 than a 911SC

[@user-kb8gh5jv9t]

I drove a used one that was for sale in 1990 in Germany (blue) and the Car was awesome! I remember how incredible it looked. The car definitely felt to have more HP than just 150.

[@russellhammond4373]

Another great review Jack. You are living my dream of testing cars that I lusted after in my youth.

[@dpheaslip]

Hi Jack. I watch a ton of car videos, but there’s a reason why your content is my favorite. You review the cars I listed over as a kid. The cars I saw parked in Bristol as I was walking home from school. I have zero interest in tours of rich guys’ car caves. Keep bringing us the real world stuff. Thank you.

[@malcolmlane-ley2044]

Another great review of a non mainstream car Jack. My perception of Alpine from that era was strongly one of quirkiness connected to rally sport and it exudes something special in a similar vein to the 5 rear wheel drive turbo so very much a specialist interest car. I've had 2 911's, a bit later, both from the '88 to '90 period and I think there are two big differences for me, the Porsche was very aspirational and secondly, even though it was a hand built car it felt solid and bullet proof, the build and lack of flex in the seats alone compared to the Renault's squishy velour is worthy of a mention. Another thing that crosses my mind is how underwhelming it would feel visiting the Renault dealer for a service compared to the Stuttgart experience.

[@keeperofthelostpipe]

Excellent review. If I might add something : I have the impression that while the A310 didn't and still doesn't catch much interest from sports car aficionados (even in France), its predecessor, the A110, is very very dear to enthusiasts of French cars. Someone who was looking to buy a 6cyl sportscar in the 80s, obviously went for the "icon" - and that's the Porsche. Technical finesse doesn't seem to be a major argument. From what I've seen, patriotism that results in buying Alpines resumes to the Normandy - not to France as a whole. (I might be off, though...) That said... I'd go for the Alpine...

[@TotoGeenen]

Love the video made. Honest and genuinely passionate vibe coming from you. Best of luck with the channel! I subscribed

[@Toni62R]

Great review. The A310 was one of the dreamcars of my youth - but some years later I bought a Porsche 944 turbo.

[@nearlythere9443]

Jack, the PRV engine was also used by Lancia in its Thema and was, because of the (tenuous) link with Alfa Romeo, used as the basis of the engine in the winning 155 V6 Ti DTM cars, with the engine in modified form producing over 400BHP

[@sassthathoopie]

A PRV engine also won Le Mans outright in 1978

[@leneanderthalien]

@@sassthathoopie yep the V6 PRV engine from the WM P88 did produce 910hp, speed record on the Hunaudières was 407km/h...

[@mohammadzein504]

Such a beautiful car in its own quirky way! Oodles of character! 👍There is no way this will pass by unnoticed on the road. It's really strange it didn't do better! I mean it has the winning formula of light weight and a great handling suspension. It's that infamous 6 cylinder pot curse that it shares with the Delorean probably 😄. I love your positivity Sir Jack! It just makes watching these historical recap reviews, even more enjoyable! Keep up the good work. ✌👏🙂

[@leneanderthalien]

In the DeLorean was a Volvo PRV 2849cc with 130hp, in the Alpine A310 was the Renault version 2664cc 150hp...so not the "same" engine

[@mohammadzein504]

@@leneanderthalien Well the PRV stands for Peugeot Renault Volvo. Yes they have different displacement capacity. But google if the A310 and Dmc 12 had the same engine. You get the following: The A310 was actually used as an engine test mule for another classic of that era, the DeLorean DMC-12, DeLorean bought six examples as the A310 had the same engine (the PRV6) and chassis layout as the eventual DMC-12 car.

[@chrispompano]

What all was different to get higher hp.???? Was it the triple Webers that gave it 40hp? What other mods were done to that PRV to get it to 190hp....? Delorean only had 130hp......why? It did however have the Bosch K-Jet which might have something to do with it.....

[@jeandibb4111]

I have always loved these. They look stunning in rally spec in Calberson yellow, red, black paint scheme

[@toklat1967]

My family owned an AMC/Jeep/Renault dealership in Pennsylvania. They kept promising the Alpine was coming to the USA and I waited for that magical day that never came.

[@charliebrown8670]

You should try the Venturi 300 Atlantique.

[@pianopeterr]

Your knowledge and passion for these cars is impressive, as is your way of revealing both. Makes for greatly pleasurable videos to watch and really learn. I tips me lid.

[@Number27]

Thank you very much Pietr! Really glad you enjoyed it

[@r.hagenau3541]

Wow! Another left-field darling. You are really on a roll recently with these cars. Love it!!

[@Goldie644]

Given that you seem to use some of the same roads for your tests, do you ever see Harry Metcalfe testing a car while you're out ?

[@Number27]

I have seen him but never met him…

[@treyquattro]

I was wondering exactly the same thing. I was also wondering if some of the tasty cars we occasionally see coming the opposite direction in a Harry's Garage vid might be being driven by Gilles Villeneuve, er Number 27.

[@mabs503]

The PRV engine had an inherent issue with it's wet cylinder liners. They could slip down, and the engine got the same symptoms as with a bad head gasket. Lots of Volvos had this issue. I had a Volvo 264 the previous owners had changed the engine on and my dad had a Volvo 760 that he was quoted 50000 SEK for repairs in 1991. He traded it in for a used Volvo 740.

[@sugarnads]

Was never an issue with the 604. If you do a head gasket in a wet sleeve engine you HAVE to do the sleeve seals at the bottom of the sleeves.

[@SuperMadpom]

Yep my Dad's 265 GLE dropped a cyclinder liner -very expensive fix. He traded it for an end of line fully loaded runout turbocharged Volvo and lost even more money in depreciation when he finally admitted what he needed was a van not a Volvo estate and had to sell it.

[@rtg0616]

I'd be interested in seeing a review of the Alpine a610. I've always loved those cars. Great review. What an eye opener.

[@gazzafloss]

You certainly come up with all the "interesting" cars Jack, that is one car from the past I'd pretty well forgotten. Thanks for bringing back the memory of when French cars were "special" cars, not just "run of the mill". We had a Renault Dauphine, a '69 Renault R10 and later a R20 all fantastic interesting and comfortable cars to drive. The R10 did half a million miles before we sold it.

[@matteast1104]

Had a great ride in one from Paris to La Rochelle through the night back in the late 80's. Our dear driver Michelle Defossés introduced my sister and I to pink Floyd. She must have been about 6 but somehow managed to squeeze in the back! We cruised at 150mph at times.. fantastic car. Still a fond memory 40 years on.

[@sevesellors2831]

Great review Jack always enjoyable. Would love you to drive a Renault 16 TS/TX , my dad had one and i drove it a lot when he’s was abroad. Love that car very comfortable and had a 1565 twin cam which Lotus utilised in the Europa. Renault make good engines and like Ford have a rich racing history.

[@Lemma01]

We had a couple- a white TS with maroon vinyl, and a deep purple TX, with blue glass and sandy velour. I was only a kid, so no idea what they were like to drive. And quite surprised to learn the TX was a TC...

[@delukxy]

Lotus did use the Renault engines in the first 2 series of Europa but the Europa Twin Cams used the Ford engines. There were no twin cam 16 engines. The TX did get a 1647cc engine which was an enlarged TS 1565cc engine.

[@Lemma01]

@@delukxy That makes sense: neither my dad nor grandfather were petrol heads - just prefered having a slightly individual car. Even if they both chose a 16...

[@oldguy9051]

This is certainly a great-looking car - especially the front with its more or less unique headlight design (at least for the time, I think). Thanks for reviewing those rare beauties so we can at least get some feel for it, especially the interiors which we too often don't see!

[@JayBee3237]

I remember seeing just little more than glimpses of the Alpine in the 80s in Europe. I remember it because it was dramatically different from anything else and I had no idea what it was. The next one I saw was at a car show this past year. Shocked to learn it used the same engine as the Delorean. Great review!

[@madeingreece3329]

And that's how classic car prices are driven up! Great video!

[@IT-fk3pp]

Prices for an A310 are very reasonable, compared to a 911 for exemple. And I doubt this will change a lot. Alpine ist just underrated, lack of prestige.

[@oohmeconkers1968]

Another interesting video Jack. A lesser known car that is genuinely not on everyone’s radar. I reckon the badge didn’t do the car any favours…Porsche against Renault…. Alpine is a great name if you are in the know but to 99% of people it’s meaningless so Porsche it is then. I think it’s a great looking car and exotic enough to beat the badge. Prices are on the up and there aren’t that any around really. I believe you can fiddle with induction and exhaust to make it a bit more vocal and release a few more hp. Keep the odd ones coming Jack you are feeding my schoolboy fantasies😂. Mind you Sam Fox was one of schoolboy fantasies and …well maybe not so much now😮😮😮😮

[@sebastiend.5335]

Spot on comment, my good sir!

[@oohmeconkers1968]

@@sebastiend.5335 I thank you 🙏

[@sassthathoopie]

My A310 has triple Webers and a 3:1 manifold. Dyno suggests 246bhp, and makes a great noise. If more people knew how well these handled and coped with bumpy back roads prices would be much higher

[@kennypool]

Isn't that the same shit engine in the Delorean ?

[@EuropaSman]

Yes, and Lotus used a fleet of A310s as test mules to develop the running gear of the DMC-12 for DeLorean. Prototype DMC-12s were built at the Lotus factory at Hethel.

[@Number27]

Yes

[@xianshep]

First saw these visiting Switzerland (from the USA) as a kid in the early 80s; my mind was blown and my love affair with cars began. Were I wealthy, I'd take a pristine A310 (or perhaps a modernized and/or electrified resto-mod) over ANYTHING else. Simply one of the most dramatic looking cars ever made.

[@benfearnhead9851]

These always looked great in blue. One of my earliest memories of a car design that made an impression on me as a kid in the 80s.

[@PiDsPagePrototypes]

You missed the big difference between Alpine's and Porsches - in the Alpines you can stab the brakes in a corner, and still drive out of the corner forwards, rather then spearing off backwards in to the undergrowth.

[@arthurdardalis]

Well said

[@tank-eleven]

"it [the engine] was never designed for sports cars" also, from wikipedia "The PRV was also the basis for the 90° V6 engine used by Alfa Romeo in the 155 V6 Ti in the 1996 DTM/ITC season from Silverstone onwards." and we are talking about one of the most successful racing cars in history, that thaught Germans how to go fast in the German DTM racing series

[@wiggi1968]

I love how you review all the cool cars from my youth. Keep up the good work 👍 Btw, the red color suits the Alpine well. I've only seen them in blue before. I guess the styling was just too different from the A110 before to make it a success.

[@bicyclist2]

I really wish we got these here in the US. This is very interesting to someone who's never even seen one in person. I appreciate the comparison to a 911. I've been lucky enough to ride in a few 911's, when I was a kid in the 80's. Thank you.

[@chrismarsden2500]

Had one of these since 1986. He forgot to say that the rear seat back folds flat to provide a load carrying shelf with plenty of room for luggage.....given that it is really a two adult seater. It's a good tourer and comfortable so I don't know why he's rabbiting on about the driving position. The standard wheels only take Michelin TRX tyres as they are a metric size so tyre choice limited unless you swap wheels. Unusual standard setup for carburettors. Both Solex but different items with the second carb only deployed after the throttle is pressed through its arc. The engine is highly tunable with 200bhp easily attained by swapping out the solexes and fitting downdraught webers as was achieved in the Pack GT version developed by Centre Alpine de Boulogne, with wide arches and Pirelli P7 tyres.

[@simonelliott5956]

Another one of those cars that I would pick, gorgeous machine! Did relatively well in rallying over the years too.

[@RensOtteweyn]

It's a drivers drivers car, magnificent to drive and perfected by its imperfections. It's one of those cars you don't buy with your head but with your heart, because it has a soul. You'd be better off without, but you still want it anyway, because it's an Alpine!

[@maxthrust976]

Lovely car. I really dig how these look. I like the A310 Poisson Dieppois race car even better.

[@markfisher8206]

In 1985 I was poking along south on the Rhine valley autobahn in my 84. Westphalia Camper at 140 kph when a silver grey one of these went by me like I was standing still. Great design but I still would have gone for the 911!

[@erepsekahs]

I remember that vehicle very well (in the UK). They had a fine reputation. We were impressed.

[@skyak4493]

This story reminds me so much of the Pontiac Fiero. Started with underpowered 4, ended as a very good v6 sports car that few would buy. Sports car buyers expect a unique performance engine. The Alpine engine is simply too "pedestrian". Look at the American V8s. A reliable 600hp with a long racing history should be something nobody can turn their nose up to -but that is exactly what sports car buyer do. Plastic bodies also get discounted.

[@frankpineda1832]

I personally love the Renault alpine, I love the PRV motor, I love the looks of it, the 911 is a good car but I would buy 10 alpines before the 911, I do see what you mean about the esprit, I owned one a few years back, good Video 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@johnnysmith863]

I love the looks of the A310 and always wondered how they drive. I've recently been considering a later GTA V6 Turbo... I'd like to see you review one, I think it would address a couple of the issues you had with the A310 while still keeping the character!

[@WSS_the_OG]

We don't have these in Canada, and while I spent the first five years of my life in the UK (ex-pat), I have no recollection of these at all. What I recall from my youth (just turned the corner on 50 years old) is the 240Z, and this Alpine (Alpeen? Hah) was unknown to me ... until your video. What a lovely, quirky, unique car. I'd love to drive one! Great review, and I understand why it won you over; you did a great job of conveying that. There must be so few of these on the road now, I'm amazed you found one in such lovely condition.

[@sassthathoopie]

A310 was never sold in the UK as Chrysler owned the rights to the Alpine name. Only the GTA and A610 made it here officially all the earlier cars are LHD imports.

[@dingjs1969]

My first job i worked at a company in Aycliffe in the NE of England that made leaf and coil springs, we had a German spring rate machine that needed calibrating every 3 months and company rep from Germany had one of these, it was an amazing sight seeing this car come up the middle of the shop floor so he could unload his equipment. He got rid of it after a year and then turned up in a 928!! Good times!

[@neilgibbons2532]

Unless it was paper clips🤣 how much equipment can he get in that frunk

[@dingjs1969]

@@neilgibbons2532 It was amazing he had two large kind of test boxes and load cells, remember it has those rear seats, all the way from Germany....it did look a squeeze though!!

[@sassthathoopie]

I have an A310 and there's actually more room in the back than there is in a 911. When I measured it there was more space than in our R50 MINI Cooper with the seats down!

[@marksulloway5669]

Nice review. I always wondered about this car.

[@markonmotoring]

I had the opportunity to sit in an A310.last year and also to have a look at the GTA. I think the GTA was a big improvement in terms of cabin quality and I'm sure with the Turbo V6 they addressed the issues of the 310s powerplant. Of course I expect later cars like the GTA and A610.will make for a better GT car rather than feeling like a sports car. Great to see the Alpine featured in the Channel Jack, well done.

[@arrangrant4614]

I think that the Alpine would originally have had a Solex carburettor. Great review great channel Jack😎👍

[@leneanderthalien]

The V6 from the Alpine had exactly the same 2 carbs as the Renault 30= one big single barrel carb + one double barrel carb, booth Solex

[@grahamwilliamson583]

Great video. You are right about French suspension. My dad was an old school engineer and he always said that Citroens were built by a race of French cold iron blacksmiths that hated the English. Then he bought one and never drove anything else for the rest of his life! First one he had was an Athena which I remember vaguely. It had headlights that tracked the steering and you could set the suspension to lift one wheel off the road to fix a puncture without a jack! That was in 1971 I think.

[@stefanlarcheveque5135]

Keep it up ! Great work on your videos 😁

[@user-pt1ow8hx5l]

Hi. I'm Jakob! Seem like everytime a video about a particular car pops up in my feed I bump into you Jack!!,....

[@jonathancollard3710]

It’s aged tremendously well. Compared with Lancia Montecarlo and Matra Murena and indeed Porsche 944 which were its in-period competitors, it looks more exotic. Being only LHD would have put off many U.K. buyer however…

[@user-fb9os7hy2y]

We didn't get these in UK (rhd)..a thirteen year old me happened apon one sitting outside a disco in Italy in about 1983..sexy, low ,short ,wide and metallic silver it had a lasting effect on my taste in cars.

[@clevelandaeromotive]

Saw a couple of these roaming the roads of southern Germany in 84 - 86. I always saw it as a more sophisticated version of the Fox body Ford Mustang. Very cool and certainly exclusive today. Didn’t know it had the PRB engine that was in the DMC 10 until today. Interesting.

[@rupertmclean1776]

Another great video Jack- I really like your car choices. How did the prices compare when new?

[@lets_measure_it]

great work. another of your fabulous videos that introduces me to a car i don't know or have forgotten about. i like the front styling but I'm not a fan of big bums so the rear is well... best seen from the driver's seat. there is a saying in the automotive industry that says something like ; the front took 18 months in the styling lab but due to management pressure the rear was finished off after lunch. it has that look. i think you will need a bigger garage soon.

[@Mike-rk8px]

Jack, you might want to try the Alpine A610, the last variant of these, that was made from 1991-95. They improved on everything from the A310 and it was a really gorgeous car. 0-60 mph was about 5.5 seconds, top speed around 160. They handled incredibly well, and the build quality was much better. The car was a little wider and longer with improved interior room. My uncle who lives in Germany has one and he often takes it on the autobahn, it’s very relaxed and stable at high speeds, but it’s also very happy just driving around town, it’s very docile. There were a good number of these made so they should be easy to find. I’d love to own one, but I live in the US (Connecticut) and getting it serviced would be tough because there are very few Renault or Alpine specialists.

[@sassthathoopie]

I think they sold a total of 55 A610s in the UK from new... That said there are still some around. Would be a good film

[@frankfarago2825]

Back in the 1980s and 90s, I used to fly from the West Coast of the USA to Europe in mid-May, pick up a used car immediately, tour the continent until the autumn, then sell it and fly back statside in September. One of the used cars I ended up with was exactly this one. It had to be looked at a couple of times, but boy, oh boy, it did ctach glares and turn necks both in Eastern and Western Europe. I ended up selling it for a little more than I had paid for it 3500 kilometers earlier. BTW, I never liked Porsches and never owned one. There is no European sports car I would want to get today. But I wouldn't mind the lates Corvette.