[CDH]

Here

Alpine A110 vs Audi TT RS vs Porsche 718 Cayman

Cayman S 1st, of course!

 

[aeronca65tl]

Interesting!

We can't get the Alpine here (in the US).

I wasn't the least bit tempted by the Alfa 4C or the Audi TT, but the Alpine is appealing.

I may still have ended up with the Cayman, but it would have been nice to at least try an Alpine.

On a semi-related note, a close friend of mine is racing an original '64 Alpine at the 2018 LeMans Classic. He'll be racing with several of the original, classic 718s too.

http://www.718forum.com/forum/other...5041-original-718s-lemans-classic-2018-a.html

 

[Chris NZ]

I agree with @aeronca65tl about the Alpine being appealing (but then I do have a bias towards Renault Sport products). Alpine actually see the base 718 Cayman as the direct competitor for the A110 and are planning a Sport version which will be a more direct competitor for the Cayman S.

 

[Grasshopper]

It looks very like the recent report in EVO - the cars are exactly the same ones anyway. The Cayman S was specced up to the eyeballs (almost 50% over list price) and, as said above, the Alpine is more of a competitor for the base Cayman. It's very light (1100kg, as against 1400kg for the Cayman S) and it has only 250bhp so it's more comparable to an Alfa 4C which is also built to save weight. Neither the Alpine or 4C is a car that you can drive every day. And the TTRS is a hot hatch with 400bhp - it's not a sports car.


The Cayman will always beat the TT because of its handling and driving position - basically the fact that it's a sports car and the TT isn't. And it'll always beat the Alpine (even in base form) - because it can do everything the Alpine can do but is also well built and reasonably practical.


If Audi had ever built the R4 that they were talking about a few years ago then that would be a competitor to the Cayman - maybe that's why they've canned it, now that Porsche have been bought by VW/Audi. I'm afraid I wouldn't touch an Alpine with a bargepole - typical querky French stuff which will be a PITA to own. I don't like its looks either - the A310 looked better IMO.

 

[RGM718]

The interesting thing in all these comparos is not what the lastest poseur is, rather, that the Cayman/Boxster is the target or benchmark. I remember the last generation TTRS when it came out............all the magazines touted it early on as the Cayman killer. Then there was the Jaguar F Type........and so on. Porsche just keeps building and refining the Cayman/Boxster looking ahead and not behind. Before ordering my 2019 recently, I took a very serious look at possible competitors and came away with the same conclusion, the Cayman best fit my requirements. And, so, on to my 5th Cayman.

 

[Grasshopper]

The thing is that a front engine car will always be less agile than a mid-engine car. That's especially true of a hot hatch derived car like the TT where the engine is hanging in front of the front axle, but it's also true of the Jaguar F type where the engine is set back from the front axle. These cars always end up front-heavy and therefore less inclined to go round corners. There have been loads of road tests comparing Cayman/Boxster versions against the likes of TTs, the Jaguar F type and even the 911. They nearly all come to the conclusion that the Cayman is the best sports car because of its configuration and because it has the best chassis in the world (according to Autocar) - better even than the supercars.


That's why I like mid-engine cars - I've had a Lotus Europa, Esprit, Mr2s and an R8 - and they all have the agility that you can't find in other configurations. They also have a better driving position because the engine isn't where your feet want to be.

 

[RGM718]

+1 on mid engine thoughts. I was spoiled early on regarding what real balanced handling could feel like by racing Karts in my teens. I just did not realize why I struggled for years looking for that feel of rotation in the small of my back and being integrated into the overall vehicle rather than just sitting in a car.

 

[ZuffenHouseRules]

I'd consider a mid-engined Renault with a turbo engine -- esp. a V6 -- solely on its F1 bloodlines. When I was in Paris some years back the Renault dealer on the Champs D'Elysses had a museum-quality display of winning F1 engines, as well as the actual World Champion car driven by Fernando Alonso. Way cool.

But of course for me to actually buy a Renault the car would have to be available in U.S. with a strong factory-trained service network and a Porsche-like reputation for reliability. Plus another 100hp (which the turbo would provide), manual gearbox and roadster version also needed. And better looking than this one, that front-end treatment is way too evocative of mid-nineties Celica. Still, an admirable job of keeping the weight off, with right number of seats and engine correctly placed. Will be formidable as it gains power in future revs.....

 

[Tailwagger]

Bring back the R5T. Or rather bring it here which they never did. That said, when I read 'The movement in the suspension set-up not only means it’s comfortable even over rough roads', my mind drifts back to the first brand new car I ever bought. A Renault Fuego. And I cringe a little. It actually was a fun little car, but body control wasn't its forte. Long story short, crossing a crowned highway at speed... well speed in those days... like 35... it dipped on the other side of the road, pounded the engine straight into the roadway and promptly hand grenaded when the oil pump pickup shattered into a million pieces. Thankfully the new motor was covered by insurance... actually was considered an accidental collision. So I harbor no grudges, but I am a little wary.