RE: Renault 5 Turbo 2 | PH Heroes

[LotusOmega375D]

Despite what the article intimates, there was no difference in driving experience between the T1 and the T2. Mechanically they’re the same car. Clearly the T1 has the better interior and alloy roof and doors, but some T2s were also blessed with them. A blue T1 with blue interior is the holy grail for me, but wouldn’t be any better to drive than an equivalent T2 at a cheaper price. Or what about one of the 200 “8221” Group B homologation T2s? Again no different to drive, but a nice piece of history.

By the way you could buy either model in 160bhp, 185bhp (denser intercooler), or even 220bhp form. Mine was a 185bhp model. Not bad for an early 1980s pushrod 1.4 litre 4 cylinder engine.

[BogleDog64]

How refreshingly angular. The wind tunnel has given us so much but it’s also robbed us of some epic shapes.
Was a designer even involved? I can imagine the engineers doing all the technical stuff then thinking it needed to look tough so offered up the cardboard boxes all of the extra go faster stuff was packaged in and came up with the wheel arch extensions.

[LotusOmega375D]

There was a chap at Renault called Yves Legal who seems to have been responsible for the styling. I think Marcello Gandini at Bertone also had styling input with the box arches at some stage, but I don’t think that Bertone’s final design was selected. Renault wanted a more R5 looking shape.

[padrc66]

There were at least 3 of these at the Bicester sunday scramble in April. A phase 2 and 2 phase 1s in contrasting colours, a red one with red/orange seats and blue carpets and a blue one with blue seats and red carpets, fabulous!

[ReaperCushions]

epoch911 said:

Truly the maddest, baddest and lag-est car I've ever owned....

Every drive was literally:

"Let's just give this a bit of throttle, eh?....nope nothing....nothing yet....still nothing...OMFG EVERYTHING!!!"

Mental. Totally mental

That, Sir, is absolutely tremendous.

I love these cars and would be high up on the lottery list.

[911stu]

I came across this at a hill climb/sprint in Brittany 3 years ago ... ridiculously low mileage of around 200 km’s !

[911stu]

[Electro1980]

911stu said:

[stewbaker]

Alucidnation said:

Were those pictures taken on a road in Somerset by any chance

[paulwirral]

Unsorted said:

How things changed. Owned a red Turbo 1 converted by Radford(?) to RHD. Bought from Brundles for 10K circa 1997 and proved almost impossible to sell, eventually going for £6K to a luminary in club. Was collected by the club fella and he tasked a friend who looked like a tubby Alain Prost to drive car back. Few days later the Police turn up as the car was crashed on M23 in some style on way home from purchase!!!! Racing might have been involved.

The car itself. Ventilation terrible, but having owned a 956cc TL as first car, this was a given. Not sure how conversion done, but if left outside in icing conditions the throttle tended to freeze and stick which was exciting. Driving at night there was often flashes of flame from rear of car, which was also exciting. Car was universally loved by men and derided by women. Easy to drive.

I can remember not going to look at one for sake at 6k in the late nineties as I thought it was to expensive, it was advertised in the autotrader weekly news rag before the Internet was the norm , just in case our younger members don't believe the price !

[BVB]

Superb looking car. I remember them well.

[PomBstard]

911stu said:

I came across this at a hill climb/sprint in Brittany 3 years ago ... ridiculously low mileage of around 200 km’s !

I passed on one of these, looked just like this one, back in about 89/90. The guy selling was apparently the owner's father, the owner having emigrated with his girlfriend leaving his father to sort all his stuff, including the car. The father wasn't really sure what the car was, and just saw an old R5 with a bodykit.

I can't remember how I came to be offered the car, friend of a friend who knew I was into cars, but it was for relative pennies - sub-thousand. Alas I was still in Sixth Form and didn't have a penny to scratch my arse let alone multiples to buy an old French car. Was sold later that day, no idea where it went.

[2172cc]

My all time favourite. I would have one in an instant over any exotic if they weren't so expensive but sadly it may never happen.
It's really something special to see one on the road so imagine my excitement when I qued up behind this one at Bicester earlier this year.

Edited by 2172cc on Friday 26th July 06:38

[Miserablegit]

hmm....one of these with a tent or the ford transit camper conversion on the other thread for the same money???
It would have to be one of these. Definitely on the wish list.

[BEN99W]

Love these and definitely on the lottery win list.

I recall seeing one on two occasions as a kid. Both times being driven with more obvious speed than anything else I'd ever seen, leaving a vivid memory.

Years later I encountered one on the road whilst out in my Westfield. I felt sure I was in for a third special encounter but alas the driver was having none of it and continued to poodle.

[PurpleTurtle]

Back in the late 80's a lad I used to knock about with had a then new 205 1.9GTi, his dad sold a business for a lot of money and gave his sons a lot of cash.

First thing this lad (then only 19 or 20) did was chop his 1.9 in for a Pearlescent White Turbo 2 that had been warmed over by Radbourne Racing.

Bloody epic thing, I had a couple of passenger rides in it and I remember it fondly, as I do it popping flames out the back on a change down to second on a sharp lefthander to make the local pub car park, which always made for an amusing arrival.

I think he cooked the engine after 6 months and it was never seen again - probably best not to give one to an enthusiastic yoof as his daily driver!

[threespires]

We imported a number of these to sell on back in the early '90's. Great fun to drive.

I remember delivering one to London but sadly it broke down near Rugby. I wasn't stranded for long though, a van stopped and the driver jumped out and had a look at it. The turbo inlet pipe had come off. He fixed it for me and sent me on my way. He was a mechanic at Hart Racing in Rugby.

We took 2 of them to Hockenheim for an Alpine weekend. The lad in the photo is Richard. he now works for Silverstone Auctions.

Renault 5 Turbo 2 at Hockenheim - 1990

[CDP]

Dapster said:

sideways man said:

Top car! This is what happens when Renault designers go down the pub on Friday and have too many Pernod

I know we're talking about the Turbo 2, but the interior of the Turbo 1 is just about the maddest things in history. How the actual fk did this ever get signed off?

Either it's down a lot of fine wine followed by brandy or Renault were building a competition car and when somebody said he could do the interior they just left him to because it was totally unimportant.

As it's French my guess is both.

[legless]

threespires said:

I remember delivering one to London but sadly it broke down near Rugby. I wasn't stranded for long though, a van stopped and the driver jumped out and had a look at it. The turbo inlet pipe had come off. He fixed it for me and sent me on my way. He was a mechanic at Hart Racing in Rugby.

Genuine question - I live in Rugby, only about 1/2 a mile down the road from the Judd factory. Was Hart based here too, or were you thinking of Judd?

[Evoman]

As clear as day I remember a fine warm summers evening in the Peak district a white Turbo 2 on full chat with a bad ass helping off opposite lock dancing through the corners on the now infamous Cat n Fiddle road. Just shortly after summiting the high point in my own car there it was as we passed each other going opposite directions. He was giving it the beans but man and machine looked truly connected and the Turbo 2, what a sight. Indelibly etched in my mind that fine day as I continued down the road in my Integrale, two rally pedigree cars of different eras being enjoyed as they should be.