'Frosty' has been the general opinion as far as the latest Renaultsport Clio is concerned. Gripes surrounding the gearbox, styling and five-door format have vastly outweighed those positive voices who may dare to have enjoyed driving it. There will be a
Clio 200 EDC
on the PH Fleet soon; hopefully a few months with the car will reveal its true colours.
Elan and 5 Turbo? Great garage
But until then, how about the last Renault hot hatch with a tiny turbo? 5 GT Turbos are very seldom seen today, and what a sweet little thing this 25 year-old car appears to be. Yellow fog lamps are of course de rigueur for French hot hatches but the red dissolve graphics, starfish alloys, side skirts... it couldn't be more 80s, and looks great for it.
Alright, it's not as pretty as a 205 GTI or as iconic as the Golf but it's just cool in its own right. Just like the Clio now (for good or bad), it won't be mistaken for anything else.
Moreover, with so many having been sacrificed to the gods of Max Power during the 90s, it's brilliant to see a (nearly) standard example. This has a couple of tweaks (is any 5 Turbo unmodified anymore?), most obviously the KTec exhaust. The other upgrades, including a turbo, intercooler and flywheel, reputedly take power to 150hp. That power in something that must be comfortably under a ton sounds very amusing, doesn't it?
Because red is faster, right?
Five thousand pounds for a
5 Turbo
seems a lot initially. But taking into account the values of its contemporaries, it looks great value. Heck, when a 90,000-mile
Escort RS Turbo
can be offered for £8K (admittedly at a dealer), the little Renault with fewer miles appears a steal. Other options? This
Mk2 Golf GTI
is also being sold privately, but its price still begins with a '4' and has another 50,000 miles. The 205? Tempting, especially at the same price and still under 100,000 miles. See this gorgeous
Cherry Red 1.9
. It has still had more use than the 5 Turbo however.
Value for money should always be a secondary consideration to entertainment with a hot hatch though, shouldn't it? The 5 will surely deliver on that front too. The immediacy of low weight, anticipating the boost, the feel of non power-assisted steering; it promises to be a right giggle.
150hp and c.850kg? Yes please!
Though coming across another 5 Turbo for comparison seems unlikely, it's reassuring to know this one has apparently been cherished. And owned by a petrolhead of the finest taste if the Elan belongs to them too. Selling because of little use is a shame, but at least it opens up the opportunity for someone else to enjoy it.
So Renault can clearly do dinky hot hatches with small turbos. The latest Clio may not quite be so small any more, but it could well join the ranks of legendary fast Renaults with a dose of the 5 Turbo's spirit. Let's see what Dieppe can produce.
RENAULT 5 GT TURBO
Engine: 1,397cc 4-cyl turbo
Transmission: Five-speed manual, FWD
Power (hp): 122@5,750rpm (standard car)
Torque (lb ft): 121@3,000rpm (standard car)
MPG: 28
CO2: It was the 80s
Year registered: 1989
Recorded mileage: 74,000
Price new: £7,360 (1986)
Yours for: £4,795
See the original advert here