Renault 5 Turbo
Mid-engined homologation special based on the Renault 5 supermini.
The Renault 5 Turbo, also called the R5 Turbo, is a sports car built by Renault between 1980 and 1984. It has a rear mid-engine and rear-wheel drive, and was originally created as a homologation special for rallying. The car is based on the Renault 5, a front-wheel-drive mass-market supermini. It debuted at the Brussels Motor Show in January 1980 and was sold as a street-legal version to meet the minimum production numbers required for homologation, proving it was a genuine production car.
Despite a high price, demand exceeded the homologation minimums, and a total of 4,987 R5 Turbos were made over six years: 1,820 Turbo 1 units and 3,167 Turbo 2 units.
The idea came from Jean Terramorsi, Renault’s vice-president of production, in response to Lancia’s rally success with the mid-engined Stratos. He wanted a new sports version of the Renault 5 Alpine supermini. The distinctive rear bodywork was styled by Marc Deschamps at Bertone, under chief designer Marcello Gandini. A Renault 5 Alpine was sent to Bertone in October 1977 as a template. The project was code-named Projet 822.
While the standard Renault 5 has a front-mounted engine, the 5 Turbo uses a mid-mounted 1397 cc Cléon-Fonte inline-four with Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection, a Garrett AiResearch T3 turbocharger, OHV valvetrain, and two valves per cylinder. It sits behind the driver in a modified Renault 5 chassis. In standard form, it produces 160 PS at 6000 rpm and 221 Nm of torque at 3250 rpm.
Though it shares a modified body with the standard Renault 5 and wears the same badge, the mechanicals are completely different. The most obvious change is rear-wheel drive and a rear-mid engine instead of the front-wheel drive and front engine. Engineers used parts from other Renault models: the rear suspension came from the rear-engined Renault Alpine A310 V6, and the five-speed manual transmission was from the Renault 30 TX, rotated 180 degrees. At launch, it was the most powerful French production car. From the side, the R5 Turbo looks much like any other two-door first-generation Renault 5, with the same greenhouse, rear hatch, and doors, plus a similar nose with sporty tweaks like a low front spoiler, wider front wheels and tires, widened fender flares, and side skirts. But similarities end there.
Quick Facts
- Manufacturer
- Renault
- Production
- 1980–1984
- Assembly
- France: Dieppe (Alpine)
- Class
- Sport compact
- Related
- Renault 5
- Layout
- RMR layout
- Engine
- 1.4 L C6J turbo I4 · 1.5 L C7K turbo I4 (Maxi)
- Transmission
- 5-speed type 369 manual
- Wheelbase
- 2430 mm
- Length
- 3660 mm
- Height
- 1320 mm
- Weight
- 970 kg
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The Renault 5 Turbo was conceived in response to Lancia's rally success with the mid-engined Stratos. Jean Terramorsi, vice-president of production, proposed a sports version of the Renault 5 Alpine. The distinctive rear bodywork was styled by Marc Deschamps at Bertone, under chief designer Marcello Gandini. A Renault 5 Alpine was sent to Bertone in October 1977 as a 'mannequin,' and the project was code-named Projet 822.
Mechanically, the 5 Turbo differed radically from the standard Renault 5. The engine was a mid-mounted 1397 cc Cléon-Fonte with Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection and a Garrett AiResearch T3 turbocharger. The rear suspension came from the Renault Alpine A310 V6, and the five-speed manual transmission was from the Renault 30 TX, rotated 180 degrees. At launch, it was the most powerful French production car. The body shared the greenhouse, rear hatch, and doors of the standard Renault 5 but added widened fender flares, side skirts, and rear quarter panels widened by 11.25 cm with air-intake grilles.
The first 400 units were built at the Alpine factory in Dieppe for Group 4 homologation. A second version, the Turbo 2, used more standard Renault 5 parts and was cheaper but offered nearly identical performance. For Group B homologation, 200 Turbo 2 cars were made with an alloy roof, a larger 1437 cc engine, and aerodynamic changes.
Reader's Guide
The Renault 5 Turbo was conceived with dual intent: to promote sales of the standard R5 and to be homologated in FIA Group 3 and Group 4 for rallying. Its motorsport derivatives were based on the Turbo 1. Factory engine output increased from 180 PS to 210 PS, and by 1984 reached 350 PS in the R5 Maxi Turbo. The final Maxi Turbo Superproduction produced 385 PS and won the 1987 French Supertouring Championship. Driven by Jean Ragnotti, the 5 Turbo won the Monte Carlo Rally on its first World Rally Championship outing in 1981. It also achieved victories in national championships in France, Portugal, Switzerland, Hungary, and Spain, as well as international rallies across Europe. After factory support ended, the car continued to be developed by teams and enthusiasts, remaining successful in regional and local races for nearly 20 years. The concept of a mid-engined small Renault returned with the 1998 Renault Clio V6. In 2004, Sports Car International named the R5 Turbo number nine on its list of Top Sports Cars of the 1980s.
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