The Renault 5 Turbo is a sports car produced from 1980 to 1984 as a rallying homologation special. Although based on the front-wheel-drive Renault 5 supermini, it has a mid-mounted engine and rear-wheel drive.
Renault 5 Turbo at a glance
| Maker | Renault, France; bodywork by Bertone |
|---|---|
| Production | 1980–1984 |
| Layout | rear mid-engine, rear-wheel drive |
| Engine | 1,397 cc Cléon-Fonte turbo, 160 PS at 6,000 rpm |
| Torque | 221 N·m at 3,250 rpm |
| Fuel system | Bosch K-Jetronic injection, Garrett T3 turbocharger |
| Gearbox | five-speed manual from the Renault 30 TX, turned 180 degrees |
| Rear suspension | derived from the Renault Alpine A310 V6 |
| Built | 4,987, of which 1,820 Turbo 1 and 3,167 Turbo 2 |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Renault 5 Turbo.
History of the Renault 5 Turbo
An answer to Lancia
Renault wanted to answer Lancia’s rally success with the mid-engined Stratos, and Jean Terramorsi, Renault’s vice-president of production, proposed a new sports version of the Renault 5 Alpine. The rear bodywork was styled by Marc Deschamps at Bertone under chief designer Marcello Gandini, and a Renault 5 Alpine was sent to Bertone in October 1977 as a mannequin. The project was coded 822. The car was launched at the Brussels Motor Show in January 1980 and sold in a street-legal version to satisfy the minimum production rules for homologation.
Mechanicals
The standard Renault 5 had a front engine, but the Turbo carried a 1,397 cc Cléon-Fonte four behind the driver, with Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection and a Garrett AiResearch T3 turbocharger. In standard form it produced 160 PS at 6,000 rpm and 221 N·m at 3,250 rpm. Although the body came from a standard Renault 5, the mechanicals were radically different: the engineers took the rear suspension from the rear-engined Renault Alpine A310 V6 and the five-speed gearbox from the Renault 30 TX, rotated through 180 degrees. At its launch it was the most powerful French production car.
Turbo 1 and Turbo 2
In profile the car looked much like any other two-door first-generation Renault 5, sharing the greenhouse, hatch and door shape, with the usual sporting touches of a low front spoiler, wider wheels and tyres and flared arches. Despite a hefty price, demand exceeded the homologation minimum and 4,987 were built over six years: 1,820 Turbo 1 and 3,167 Turbo 2.
Design and features
- Mid-mounted engine: a 160 PS turbocharged 1.4-litre four behind the driver, driving the rear wheels.
- Bertone bodywork: flared rear bodywork styled by Marc Deschamps under Marcello Gandini.
- Parts-bin engineering: A310 V6 rear suspension and a Renault 30 TX gearbox turned through 180 degrees.
- Homologation special: a street-legal production car built to qualify the rally machine.
Renault 5 Turbo versions
- Turbo 1 (1980–1982): the original homologation car, 1,820 built.
- Turbo 2 (1983–1984): the cheaper development with more standard Renault 5 panels, 3,167 built.
The Turbo was based on the Renault 5 and used a gearbox from the Renault 20/30. Its rally pedigree belongs with Gordini and the other Renault competition cars; more cars are in the Renault collection.
Video: Renault 5 Turbo 2 on track
Video by 19Bozzy92 on YouTube.
Sources
- Renault 5 Turbo, English Wikipedia: design, engine, production numbers
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