Mon Dieu - there's a Renault Fuego Turbo for sale
If the Renaulution needs another retro return, look no further...
It really wasn’t very long ago at all that Renault was languishing. The Twingo was a rebadged Smart (and not all that desirable), the Renault Sport Clio wasn’t really fun enough, the electric cars were all quite worthy and the Koleos was around. The less said about that, the better.
And now look: you can’t move for cool, cute, capable Renaults. The 5 is great, as is the 4, and you can bet on more of the same from the Twingo. The Scenic has returned in fine fashion, and the Megane E-Tech is far more interesting than many recent Meganes. It seems like they can do no wrong at the moment. Indeed perhaps the only small criticism is that there feels to be some overlap; Renault still makes a Clio, remember, and having that alongside a Twingo and a 5 feels a lot. As well as selling Rafale, Austral and Symbioz SUVs alongside the Scenic.
Tell you what would be different: a new Fuego. Two doors, four seats, modest power and funky design would be unlike anything else in the Renault lineup. If Honda can bring back the Prelude after so long away, the Fuego can make a return for Renault. More than 40 years ago it offered innovative powertrains (the diesel could do 124mph), so an electric reboot would fit ideologically, likewise a front-drive platform with less than 200hp. Because that’s exactly what happened in the 1980s. The Fuego was a hit, with more than a quarter of a million sold globally. Sure, it’s not the same calibre of Renault icon as the city cars, but what a fun model it would be to see resurrected. Coupes tend to be aerodynamic, which is good for range and efficiency…
This example, a Fuego Turbo, is predictably one of very few left on UK roads. It was never the coolest coupe around, so not cherished like some others of the time; indeed it’s hard to remember any kind of Fuego in the classifieds for years. Maybe this will open the floodgates, with 21 Turbos and Savannas, Safranes and 19 16vs to follow…
RYJ looks in fair condition, given it’s spent a few years in storage and is now entering its fifth decade. Some useful work has been done ahead of sale, including a new MOT and fresh brakes, with a little bit left to do for it to be tip-top. Perhaps those jobs (tyres, a service and a fanbelt are identified) can be negotiated with the selling dealer, given it’s a car direct from their own collection. Without the cachet of a Capri or similar, a Fuego Turbo isn’t exactly one for the casual coupe collector.
That being said, what an opportunity for the old school Renault enthusiast. These days £8,995 feels like it would barely buy a 5 GT Turbo shell, yet here we are with a running and driving Fuego Turbo that will be even rarer still. It even has yellow fogs and a Turbo graphic in the rear screen, like all classic rapid Renaults ought to. Those after a cool classic car for the summer could surely do a whole lot worse. And Renault can thank us for the inspiration another time…
They were an interesting alternative to the more predictable Capris, Sciroccos and Celicas of the day.
It's a shame the UK never got the LHD-only 2.1td model, which in 1982 was the world's fastest diesel-engined car.
Got brought up in 11's, 19 Chamade, 21 Savannahs, 25's. Safrane's.
The Safrane's drive great as a motorway car.
One of my first cars was a might mk1 Laguna 2.0 8V with a taking computer.
Always wanted a Fuego or 11 Turbo. Whenever one pops up though, I never have the spare cash.
Lovely interior with fantastic seats, plip remote control locks, oil level gauge and great handling.
The only real let down was the lacklustre engine which was very Cortina-esque standard. The rear storage was also quite shallow.
I had a Scirocco Mk 2 GTI which was faster, smoother and definitely had more luggage space but that probably cost more to start with.
On the last day of school, he fired it straight out of the car park and failed to make the turn out the front of school. Cue a screech, a sizeable bang and every single kid in our grade coming out to laugh at his Renault parked ass-first through the fence. "Mud on the tires caused the lift-off over-steer" was his excuse but he had to agree to help rebuild the fence for a couple of weeks while we were all off partying and worrying about getting into University.
Got brought up in 11's, 19 Chamade, 21 Savannahs, 25's. Safrane's.
The Safrane's drive great as a motorway car.
One of my first cars was a might mk1 Laguna 2.0 8V with a taking computer.
Always wanted a Fuego or 11 Turbo. Whenever one pops up though, I never have the spare cash.
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