Last of the lightweights: Alpine A110 vs Lotus Emira Turbo SE

All of which makes this a rather intriguing comparison. Facing up to the fastest Emira is the slowest Alpine. We've purposely picked the base model, with the lower-power engine, narrower tyres and softer suspension, because while the GTS or even the limited-run Ultime might be closer to the Lotus on spec, the base A110 is the one we like the best, because it's the most faithful to the core concept.

So what we have here is not a comparison of direct, deadly rivals, à la BMW M5 vs Audi RS6, but two different interpretations of the sensibly sized, four-cylinder, mid-engined sports car. Which entertains more and which is more suitable as a daily driver? Off to the second most photographed road in Wales we go to find out.

Before this test, I've already spent a week in the Emira, simply living with it and doing some big miles in it. And very liveable it is too certainly compared with Lotuses of old and even the Emira V6. The gearbox just does its thing, it's pretty easy to get in and out of and it's not especially noisy on the motorway. The seats are quite comfortable and on my journey to Wales it averaged 39mpg.

As a driver's car, though, it can feel a bit tryhard. The Emira is defined by its steering. It's hydraulically assisted, which is something it shares with no other new car except McLarens. Hydraulic power assistance isn't automatically better, as scores of old cars with naff steering prove, but does give a different feel.

The Emira's helm is heavy, meaty and fizzing with feedback that gives you absolute confidence about whether the amount of steering lock you're applying is going to be translated to a change of direction. But not all of that feedback is useful: the tramlining and jerking does get tiring.

Hopping into the A110 immediately drives that point home. Its electric rack steers more conventionally. It's less distinctive; you probably couldn't pick it out of a line-up. And yet, amid the lightness, it tells you everything you need to know. Being slightly quicker-geared, it amplifies the A110's natural agility too. It's like an airy meringue next to the Lotus treacle tart.

It makes the car more approachable and more inviting to chuck into a corner. At which point the uniqueness of the A110 reveals itself. Unlike the original from the 1960s, the 21st-century A110 is rather than rear-engined, yet it still gives you the sensation that, of its modest weight, a lot of it is at the back. It doesn't give off Porsche 930 'widowmaker' menace, more of a lovely classic 911 fluidity in the way that it pivots into a bend off the power. It feels endlessly friendly and adjustable.

The Emira actually has the more rear-biased weight distribution, but as far as you can tell from the handling on a dry road, the engine could be anywhere. Its natural balance seems masked by the tyre choice. Whereas the A110 has a 205-section front and a 235-section rear, the Emira is a comparative steamroller, with 245s at the front and 295s at the back.

It gives you the sensation that you could barrel into a corner at any speed you fancy. Even though we had the Emira's Tour chassis rather than the more track-ready Sport one, its body control feels more tied down than the A110's.

In classic Lotus fashion, the Emira still manages to combine that poise with an ability to flow down a country road. Over typically bumpy Tarmac, it never feels slack or floaty but just absorbs the big stuff effortlessly.

Add in the connected steering and more serious grip and the Emira can be an engrossing car on your favourite road. Much like a McLaren, it's less a car that's casually enjoyable through that one good corner on the way home from the supermarket, and more an experience that you make time and mental space for. You drink in the grip, the poise and the feedback in order to precisely string together a set of great corners and rocket between them.

Because rocket the Emira SE surely will if you ask it to. As the Mercedes M139 engine's specific power output of 201bhp per litre suggests, it's heavily turbocharged. Not with one of those fancy electrically assisted ones, either, but just one twin-scroll whopper.

As a result, if you catch it off-boost, it's merely fast, but once it's properly spinning, it's properly rapid. It sounds turbocharged too. I respect that it's quite an honest noise but, aside from some four-cylinder thrash, the Turbo SE mostly sounds like a very powerful hoover: purposeful and willing but a bit one-dimensional.

Alpine went in a different direction entirely with its turbocharged four-cylinder. The A110 is still more than quick enough, owing to its lighter weight, but it doesn't have the violence of the Emira. It has a resonator tube that pipes intake noise into the cabin. It's real, not coming through the stereo speakers, but is selectively amplified to replicate the kind of nasal snort you used to get from high-performance twincam engines with Weber carbs.

It's a bit over the top, particularly when you're not actually on it, but it is fun and isn't that what we're here for? With that said, the Sport mode for the exhaust adds in horrible bangs on the overrun that probably made the Welsh sheep think they were being hunted.

Both cars drive through a dual-clutch automatic gearbox. Personally, I think they're missing a third pedal and a nice snicky sixspeed stick. To have these otherwise quite mechanical, pure sports cars but be denied that final piece of interaction feels like a missed opportunity. Buyers have spoken, though, and overwhelmingly chose automated transmissions when they still had the option, so here we are.

As it stands, the Emira's eight-speed dualclutcher is obedient and quick enough, but the A110's seven-speeder is cleaner and snappier, plus its paddles have a more satisfying action. Its top gear isn't as tall, which results in more revs at motorway speed, but that doesn't seem to impact either cruising economy or comfort.

Indeed, spending a few days with the A110 after our photoshoot, I found it just as pleasant as the Emira for daily duties. The ride is a fraction more relaxed and a bit more consistent too. It's just as quiet and economical at a cruise and the one-piece Sabelt bucket seats are superb.

While there may not be much adjustability to them, they suit me perfectly. They feel snug yet are softly upholstered and outstandingly comfortable. Lacking the Emira's touchsensitive steering wheel controls, the A110 is slightly easier to operate as well.

Even so, there's no doubt that the Emira has the more upmarket interior. Its clean, smooth leather and Alcantara surfaces, metal detailing and Volvo column stalks contrast with the A110's previous-generation Clio climate controls, faux carbonfibre and part-plastic door panels.

Its infotainment touchscreen, while functional, also feels aftermarket and tacked on, whereas the Emira's has clearly been made bespoke with a sports car in mind. It's not flashy or overloaded with pointless tinsel and does the essentials really well.

Superficially, then, the Emira does feel like a more upmarket car. How much that matters in a sports car will be a personal consideration. To go back to our original premise, both of these are sports cars that you would happily drive every day. But both Matt Prior and I preferred the A110's flightier feel: it's the one that entertains more easily and therefore more often, without asking more from its driver.

There is definite appeal to the four-cylinder Emira. It carries off the junior supercar brief, not just with its interior but also the speed, poise and seriousness with which it goes down the road. It demands more commitment, though. Then again, that may just be what you're looking for.