Last month, Alpine unveiled the A110 R Fernando Alonso, a limited edition of its new track-focused sports car celebrating the team’s Spanish F1 hot shoe. Just 32 examples will be built, each with a unique plaque marking one of ’Nando’s 32 career GP wins.
Beyond that, things get baffling. For starters, the A110 R Fernando Alonso was revealed shortly after Fernando Alonso’s shock announcement he was defecting from Alpine to Aston Martin, which lent the special edition’s unveil some strong ‘sarcastic divorce settlement’ vibes. In fact, so frosty were relations Alonso didn’t attend the launch of his own car, leaving duties to fellow driver Esteban Ocon. (“What’s that, Esteban? The A110 Ocon Edition? Win a few more races and then we’ll see, big lad...”)
But more baffling than that is... who’s it for? I know they only need to shift 32 of them, but even so... to who? Are there really 32 humans on this planet harbouring both a) a desperate yearning for a small, expensive, lightweight French sports car and b) a borderline stalker-grade obsession with Fernando Alonso?
Put it this way. I very much like the sound of the A110 R. If I was in the market for a two-seat sports car, it’d be right at the top of my list. And I like Fernando Alonso. As thick-necked 40-something Spaniards go, he’s in my top three, no question.