When Renault announced the return of their boutique brand Alpine, we were intrigued by the concept of an old brand being resurrected in the modern age to stand on its own two feet. The fear was of course that what punters would receive was a rebadged parts bin special from Renault.

With a 1.8 turbo engine from the Renault Megane Sport behind the drivers seat and a front wheel drive configuration that at this point for Renault is as tried and tested a recipe as onion soup, we were blown away.

A 7 speed dual wet clutch auto manages to distance itself from the units found in the Clio Sport and aforementioned Megane. Anyone who's ever driven a Renault with an automatic gearbox will know what a tale of woe that is!

Not that we much concern ourselves with such things as economy here, but the A110 turns in a respectable 34.8mpg, never leaving you feeling as though you are lacking in power at any point in the rev range. This is in part thanks to an impressive kerb weight of just 1,119kg, practically bubble weight by modern standards.

I remember remarking at the time of my first drive in the car, that I don’t think I would be enjoying myself as much if it had a manual gearbox.

And I’m not alone in my convictions, after its initial launch, the Alpine received great plaudits by the likes of Gordon Murray and other authorities of the motoring world who we're equally in awe as they were surprised by Alpine's comeback kid.