PH Carpool: Renault 5 Turbo 2

Mid-engined, rear-wheel drive, two seats. It's the opposite of the sensible supermini...

PHer Paul Constantine (aka Vertico2k) originally got hold of his Turbo 2 as a company car (how on earth did you manage that, Paul?). Almost two decades on, it's still on his driveway...

Paul with his P 'n' J (and leaning post)

"I bought my Renault 5 Turbo 2 back in 1992 for about £7500 as replacement for a R5 GT Turbo that had been stolen" Paul begins. "At the time we had a company car scheme that basically allowed you to choose any car you liked - even second hand - but somehow I don't think the scheme was quite meant to allow for cars like this!"

Can you imagine that today - passing on the generous offer of a company Avensis diesel for, say, a 2002 DB7 Vantage instead?

Paul's car had around 40,000km on the clock and since then he's racked up another 80,000, but when he acquired it he had no idea of its history. "It had had around six previous owners since 1984, and the first had been F1 driver Derek Warwick". Apparently (and Paul has checked this with Mr Warwick personally) the car was originally given to him when he joined the Renault F1 team.

What he also cheerily announced was that he used to thrash the living daylights out of it when he could. "I'm not sure how long he had it for but he was named as the importer when he brought it into this country," says Paul. "I think also Renault continued this trend with Jenson Button running around in a Clio V6 for a while."

Paul's main recollection from the original test drive was how incredibly noisy the R5 was compared with a more usual road car, and the quality and depth of feel being transmitted through the steering wheel.

Today the car is pretty much how it was when it left the factory - the only concession being a taller 5th gear to make motorway driving a bit less of a chore. "There are no other upgrades or tweaks" Paul confirms. "You do see examples which have been converted to right-hand drive and/or modified to produce more power. The original cars had around 160bhp, but they managed to get them up to around 350bhp for the Maxi version. The only other change I have made was to the wheels as about seven years ago Michelin stopped making the tyres to fit the original wheels, so I switched to the Gottis...only to find Michelin changed their minds and started to make them again!"

Having spent some time in the mountains of Europe a few years back, Paul fondly recalls the sound of the engine popping and crackling on the overrun through the many tunnels around the Alps. But the car has presented him with a few challenges over the years.

"The biggest expense has been clutches as they are not a standard part and you have to take the back of the car off to properly get at the gearbox! It eats them like nobody's business and it also has a habit of melting the alternator diodes when it gets too hot. Overheating is another shortcoming, as it was designed to be going sideways round a rally course not stuck in traffic on the south circular. Mind you in the nearly 20 years I've had it I think I've only broken down a couple of times. So, bar the bits that break and a couple of re-sprays it hasn't been the money pit it could have been. I have to say that Paul Sage at Alpine Autos in South London has been a great help."

So would he recommend owning one? "Yes absolutely" is the swift reply. Followed by "...as long as it's a good one. They are a blast to drive but you'll need to be careful what you buy as many have probably seen some circuit action in their time."

Apparently Turbo2s do appear on French eBay fairly often. Expect to pay between £20,000 and Paul reckons you'll get something worthwhile. But can you still blag one as a company car...?

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iain1970

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191 months