Alpine A110 Gets Ready for Pikes Peak Hill Climb in June

The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC) or Race to the Clouds is a unique event held in Colorado on the last Sunday of each June. Pikes Peak requires vehicles to take the strain as they attempt the 12.42-mile climb to the summit of Pikes Peak. This year, Alpine has unveiled a tweaked version of the Alpine A110 which will attempt Pikes Peak on 25 June 2023.

Pikes Peak is not to be underestimated of course, with the finish line 14,115 feet above sea level. The special A110 will enter the Time Attack 1 category which is essentially a class designed for production vehicles to take on the challenge. The current Time Attack 1 record holder French driver Raphaël Astier will be at the helm in June; Astier has already set the record in 2019 driving a modded 993 GT3 Cup Porsche to the summit in a time of 9 minutes and 23.721 seconds.

Pikes Peak requires vehicles to display some serious downforce to keep on track, and this very special Alpine A110 addresses this conundrum with a Le Mans-style shark fin running from the rear window in between the massive split spoiler which overhangs the rear of the car. Overall aerodynamics have been scrutinised as has the engine, which will take much of the extra strain that will be placed on the A110. Low to the ground side-skirts have been fitted along with a front splitter and uprated diffuser, in an attempt to seriously ground the Alpine during the climb. An air intake in the roof forces cooling air into the engine to keep the heavily overworked engine as cool as possible. Despite the changes, the team has still managed to reduce the car’s weight to 950kg with various weight-saving techniques, including changing the headlights to ultra-thin laser headlights which also add to the Alpine’s aggressive looks. The Pikes Peak A110 will be powered by a turbocharged 4-cylinder 1.8-litre engine with a hefty increase from 296bhp to 500bhp.

The 156-turn Race to the Clouds event has been going on for a surprisingly long time – over a century in fact. Halted only for both world wars, the event is known to as the second-oldest motorsports race in the USA. While the event celebrated its centenary in 2016, this year will see the event chalk up its 100th running.

All design work for the Pikes Peak Alpine A110 has been overlooked by Design Manager Raphaël Linari, along with Technical Director Lionel Chevalier and Project Manager François Letort, and with just over a month to go the team, along with Raphaël Astier, is now ready for the challenge.

Images: alpinecars.com, ppihc.org