In the early-1960s Alpine released its then-all-new A110 model which went on to win the French Rally Championship in ’68 and then the World Rally Championship in ’73. This watershed rally racer continues to play a highly influential role in the Renault-owned subsidiary’s current design language, including helping to shape what later became the A110 production model in 2017. Each year since then, Alpine has treated the motoring public to customized versions of the A110 and 2020 is no exception, with the European make most recently debuting the A110 SportsX.
First revealed at the Festival Automobile International in Paris, the SportsX is based on Alpine’s A110 Pure and draws ample inspiration from, among other things, the 1973 Monte Carlo Rally-winning A110 with its winterized off-road race theme. More than 3” wider than the Pure and boasting an extra 2.5” of clearance, the SportsX is an all-around more-aggressive beast than the production model with its sportier front fascia, X’d-out foglights, a front skid-plate, and revised side-skirts. The SportsX also gets a rear-mounted ski-rack, blacked-out roof, hood, and custom wheels, and a matte white livery with special Alpine branding and French flag accents. Thus, far the SportsX isn’t slated for production and stands as a mere design exercise.
