Alpine Ravage test: we drove the craziest A110!

With its R5 Turbo-style swollen wings, its two large pairs of red mud flaps and its intimidating angled-mounted exhaust, the Ravage gives only one desire: to drive it just as “at an angle”, Group 4 rally Berlinette style that precisely inspired. This UFO is not a classic Alpine A110, not even an A110 S, even less an A110 “R” which will probably never come. It is the result of a story of friends, imagined after a meal washed down and finished better than a seasoned preparer. An incredible adventure that we will tell you about in a future report because this case deserves a full article. Even a book.

In the program ? A new coat of Pozzi blue derived directly from from the Ferrari catalog (a second passion of the man among many others), as chic once clean as discouraging for our photographer Thomas. This imminent “repainting” at least reduces our apprehension at the time of taking the wheel on a wet track… before learning the cost price of the toy: more than 100,000 €, without integrating the two and a half years of work since the first pencil stroke. We will avoid the driftingI promise.

A more powerful A110?

Here, no risky car. The copious widening of the body is born from specific bodywork parts (front bumper, four fenders, rear part) drawn virtually on a computer, physically refined on a scale 1 clay model, then molded under the orders of Benoit Tallec, designer by profession and great friend of Yvan. The tracks widen thanks to bespoke rims, while the car is lowered by a few millimeters via a KW suspension kit. The featherweight of the classic A110 remains stable here, because the overweight of the wide rims (style Gotti of the time) is compensated sometimes by the carbon parts, sometimes by those remained on the workbench: the famous obliquely mounted exhaust has removed the shield and the original diffuser… Enough to serve in parallel the cooling of the small 1.8 turbo 252 hp.

Apart from this stainless steel silencer which releases the sound (we will come back to this!), nothing has been modified on the Renault block. Like the care given to each square centimeter of bodywork, Benoit could not “content with a simple reprogramming of the engine. We prefer to get the power from the mechanical parts and not just from the electronics”. At the Ravage pharmacy, which brings together members with various skills (some of whom still work for manufacturers and do not wish to appear…), there are plans for meticulous development of the chassis, extensive customization of the passenger compartment, and a real mechanical preparation therefore. The motorist of the band is already at work, but let’s see if it is necessary first…

Driving the Ravage

Welcome aboard the Alpine Ravage Model Zero, with its surprisingly intact cabin. The enveloping Sabelt bucket seats and the ubiquitous original quilted leather suit this half-chic, half-wild beast perfectly, the last adjective of which sticks more to the sound. Intimidating from the start, it maintains its deep rattle as the revs increase, covering the sometimes tiresome little “rattle” voice of the original A110. What an atmosphere! Flicking on the right paddle, the higher gear engages in a small jerk beneficial to the sensations, and the thrust resumes with a vengeance, frank and constant to the peaks of the tachometer. To believe that the engine computer has already received its end-of-year bonus.

The new soundtrack can also be seen on deceleration, with the famous stainless steel muffler amplifying parallel exhaust backfires in Sport and Track modes. A racing atmosphere that continues during the first heavy braking: driven by a subtle deployment of toes (ah, the magic of featherweight…), our muscular slowdown no longer causes the small dive of the nose characteristic of the A110 Première Edition . Same observation in the robbery where the Ravage turns in one block, raising its agility to the rank of major art. The basic Alpine had never seemed clumsy…

Certainly formidable on a dry track, the Ravage’s specific settings (firmer suspension, wider tracks and tires) simply degrade the ease of handling on this winding and slippery track. Loss of grip happens a little more abruptly when accelerating and/or braking in support, while the pretty drifts are a bit more complicated to maintain. We admit it: we couldn’t help driving through the doors, out of simple professional conscience of course. According to Benoit, the Cibié high beams are installed at an angle to light the road when the car is across! What do you mean, it wasn’t dark yet?

Results of the Ravage Model Zero test

Noble inspirations, a meticulous design, an alluring realization, or the proof that our French craftsmen deserve their place in the world of high-end car preparation. By combining their skills, the passionate wizards of Ravage have brought forth a four-wheeled gem that’s as fun to look at as it is to drive. What to wait impatiently for the sequel (interior customization, mechanical preparations, new copies) and confirm that the entity, born of a delirium between friends, would deserve the approval of a major manufacturer. What if Ravage became for Alpine what AMG is today for Mercedes? Dreaming has never killed anyone, the proof: Ravage has indeed come to life.

For further :

• The Alpine A110 S 300 hp already on the test!
• Ravage’s official website

We extend our sincere thanks to the managers of the Ferté-Gaucher circuit (77) for their welcome during this report. The 3,600 m tarmacked route combining technical sequences and fast curves will delight fans of the genre, who will be able to have fun and progress during the days of car and motorcycle driving. Find the calendar, prices and all the information on circuitslfg.fr.