I realise it’s not a kitcar, but it is very specialist and I like it so it was always going in. It helps that I have always had a passion for proper French sportscars and the new Alpine A110 R is delicious.

The most hardcore – thus far – version of the new version of A110 has a suffixed ‘R’ which Alpine say stands for ‘radical’.

Featuring revised styling for the bonnet, rear window and diffuser it is also 34kg lighter than the hitherto rangetopper, the A110 S not to mention around £12,000 more expensive, too.

The 1.8-litre Renault-built engine delivers a healthy 296bhp meaning the car is ‘lively’ and you can have it in any colour you like as long as it’s in Racing Mat Blue. Prices are expected to start at £70,000.

There’s an even more hardcore, track-focused version, of which just 32 examples will be built and that is the A110 R ‘Fernando Alonso Tribute Edition’ which as the name suggests celebrates the skills and achievements of the triple world F1 champion even though he has announced that he is leaving the Alpine F1 team at the end of this season. The man himself spent time setting the suspension up at the Barcelona circuit.

Anything that is carbon is carbon on this one and prices start at around £140,000, but I expect they’ll already be sold out by the time you read this.

Owned by Renault, the new edition A110 models are made in France at the Manufacture Alpine Dieppe Jean Rédélé facility. You can find out more at www.alpine-cars.co.uk ENDS.