RE: Spotted: Renault 5 Turbo 2

[Podie]

LotusOmega375D said:

Podie said:

Lord_Howit_Hertz said:

I know its not completely the same model, and I know I have posted this before on other threads with regards to this car, but I spotted this at Oulton Park a while back, and despite all the Ferrari's etc around it, this just stood out, so good to see in person!

IIRC, that's a Renault 5 Turbo Maxi... or was it Maxi Turbo?

No it's not a Renault Maxi 5 Turbo: it's a regular Turbo 2 with a Maxi-style bodykit. Renault Sport only produced the necessary 20 genuine Maxi 5 Turbos for homologation. A fair few of those were promptly dismantled for spares. Since the works Renault team only competed in a handful of rounds of the WRC, there were very few genuine works car made. This probably makes them one of the rarest of all the Group B works cars. Renault did make the required 200 Turbo 2 road cars with a slightly higher displacement (but no other noteable differences). These are known as the "8221" model cars, as opposed to the other about 4800 "8220" model Turbo 1 and Turbo 2 cars.

Cool Appreciate the info.

[Tahiti]

Aah the Turbo 2 - still one of my all time favourites.

[0a]

I was trying to think of the modern equivalent, but I don't think anyone makes something as delightfully mad!

[Rumblestripe]

Remember seeing and hearing one at full chat in Scotland whilst on holiday. Wonderful noise and looked like nothing else I'd ever seen (more road presence than a Quattro for example)

I had a poverty spec R5 in that lovely bright yellow (bought out of necessity) and it was an absolute hoot to drive even with no discernible power it would wallow round bends at absurd angles and speeds, gearstick stuck straight out of dash with one of the best shifts I've ever experienced in a FWD car. Rusted for France though and went to the scrapyard in ŧhe sky when ŧhe floor fell out with nothing left to weld it to!

[threespires]

We imported a number of them back in the early '90's along with some Alpines. Great fun to drive, they'd always make me think I was in a little Dino.
We took a couple over to Hockenheim at Easter 1990 for an Alpine meeting.


Renault 5 Turbo 2 at Hockenheim - 1990

I saw these two locals out for some evening fun whilst we were rallying in France in 2002


Renault 5 Turbo

[sisu]

That Turbo 2 above is for sale for £34K in Hampshire. This Turbo 2 is in Ireland but €25K go on

[james2009]

the 'spotted' one is at my local garage in Lymington, looks lovely in a slightly bonkers way, very very clean and tidy though.

[LotusOmega375D]

Pedant mode on: the OP video is not of a 350bhp Maxi 5 Turbo that the PH story claims. It looks like Ragnotti at the wheel of the earlier works 1983 Tour de Corse model with ca. 300bhp. Pedant mode off.

[threespires]

Rumblestripe said:

............gearstick stuck straight out of dash with one of the best shifts I've ever experienced in a FWD car.

I'd agree with you. The Renault 5 Pull/Push gearchange was far better than the floor change which was [IIRC] £25:00 extra. Yet almost everybody would specify the inferior floor change. It was because it looked odd sticking out of the dash and people didn't like that. But as you say, in fact one of the best gear changes I've ever come across in an FWD car.

[LotusOmega375D]

sisu said:

That Turbo 2 above is for sale for £34K in Hampshire. This Turbo 2 is in Ireland but €25K go on

That one seems to have a few things "wrong" with it, which will devalue it to a collector. Any RHD conversion is a real no-no and limits the potential market significantly: the right hand side foot well is much narrower than the left side, so there is very little space for the pedals and your feet to operate them comfortably on a converted car. The steering wheel & gear stick are not original. I am sure that the door cards and carpets are wrong. The aftermarket bucket seats may well give much better support than the inadequate R5 GTL originals, but collectors don't care and just want originality (or at least the original seats being kept in storage). The side TURBO2 stickers are set at the incorrect height on the door (how easy is it to get that right?).

[scotstuscan]

Mine is in factory pearlescent white, totally standard with only 7200 miles on the clock. Was the Radbourne Racing demonstrator. Driven by Ragnotti at a press launch in London.
Just out of winter storage and full injection refurb and new tyres, spent a fortune. - living in Northern Scotland, you drive the roads this car deserves - it drives like a rabid ferret.Just don't lift mid-corner! Thanks to John Price for all the help and advice!

[gforceg]

LotusOmega375D said:

That one seems to have a few things "wrong" with it, which will devalue it to a collector. Any RHD conversion is a real no-no and limits the potential market significantly: the right hand side foot well is much narrower than the left side, so there is very little space for the pedals and your feet to operate them comfortably on a converted car. The steering wheel & gear stick are not original. I am sure that the door cards and carpets are wrong. The aftermarket bucket seats may well give much better support than the inadequate R5 GTL originals, but collectors don't care and just want originality (or at least the original seats being kept in storage). The side TURBO2 stickers are set at the incorrect height on the door (how easy is it to get that right?).

The original steering wheel may be hanging on the wall in his garage by the looks of it!

I'm pretty sure there was a full scale body kit available to make a standard R5 look like a Turbo2. I saw one in Greece (I think) which didn't have the engine in the back seat as I expected.

[Zumbruk]

Terry Barr said:

Funny that the Turbo 2 should come up today as this morning I spotted a Clio V6. They must be fairly rare, I don't remember seeing one in the flesh before.

Edit to add:
dhf, for attention you want to try taking an Exige S1 to Donegal. I gad it parked in the ain street in Buncrana for a several hours a few years ago and the whole town seemed to be taking photos.

I took my 3 door Cossie to the West Coast of Scotland and a couple of Hebridean islands on holiday once and every time we returned to it when I parked it anywhere vaguely urban, there was a crowd round it. I especially liked the old lady in Tarbert, Kintyre, who grabbed hold of the whale tail, gave it a vigorous yank and announced to no-one in particular that she "didn't like this bit", completely unaware that the owner was standing next to her.

[sjabrown]

scotstuscan said:

Mine is in factory pearlescent white, totally standard with only 7200 miles on the clock. Was the Radbourne Racing demonstrator. Driven by Ragnotti at a press launch in London.
Just out of winter storage and full injection refurb and new tyres, spent a fortune. - living in Northern Scotland, you drive the roads this car deserves - it drives like a rabid ferret.Just don't lift mid-corner! Thanks to John Price for all the help and advice!

I'd no idea there was one living around the north of scotland. Will have to keep my eyes and ears peeled

[PaulMoor]

Clio V6 or R5 Turbo... Tough choice...

[originalforgery]

I had one of these for 5 years and I miss it so much.
It was a pearl white Turbo 2 with a complete leather interior and was previously owned by Peter Stringfellow. It had the 185hp kit, Dimma wheels, Devil exhaust etc- I loved it.
My proudest moment was being invited to display it on the cricket pitch at the 2003 Goodwood Festival of Speed.
I sold it very shortly afterwards and believe it now lives in France.
I'll always remember that insane rush when the turbo cut in from 3,000rpm to the redline and the rapid multiple, flame spitting backfire as it hit the redline. Totally addictive and brilliant at setting off car alarms! It was a bit tail happy at times but I never had any real concerns - it's what it was.
If you can then you must do it.

[LotusOmega375D]

gforceg said:

The original steering wheel may be hanging on the wall in his garage by the looks of it!

I'm pretty sure there was a full scale body kit available to make a standard R5 look like a Turbo2. I saw one in Greece (I think) which didn't have the engine in the back seat as I expected.

I saw a red one on Naxos exactly as you describe. Even I was fooled. All of the exterior details were correct

[J4CKO]

I remember having a go at one of these in a MK1 Golf GTI, coming out of Knutsford, the reg spelt "BONKIN" or something daft like that, I can safely say they are quicker than a Mk1 Golf GTI

[garypotter]

The turbo2 and turbo 1 were the best cars Renault ever made, driven the clio V6 mkII many times and not that impressed, the owner has had it on the rollers and only hitting 226hp not the 255 renault advertised, he took it back to renault and they checked everything and said that it is all correct - has anyone had 255 hp form a clio v6 std from the factory??

[LotusOmega375D]

scotstuscan said:

Mine is in factory pearlescent white, totally standard with only 7200 miles on the clock. Was the Radbourne Racing demonstrator. Driven by Ragnotti at a press launch in London.
Just out of winter storage and full injection refurb and new tyres, spent a fortune. - living in Northern Scotland, you drive the roads this car deserves - it drives like a rabid ferret.Just don't lift mid-corner! Thanks to John Price for all the help and advice!

Price by name...

I never used him when I had mine.

Seriously though, sounds like you've got a special car there.