Thursday 14th April 2011

Spotted: Alpine GTA Turbo

A forgotten Renault worth remembering? Ou un citron totale?

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Following last week's 21 Turbo, we couldn't help but notice this GTA Turbo freshly added to our classifieds. On the one hand, they were an arse-engined, plastic, not-that-fast French wannabe-supercar from the Eighties with the instrument binnacle from a Renault 5. On the other hand they were an exclusive, attractive, refined French wannabe-supercar from the Eighties with the instrument binnacle from a Renault 5 which - say it quietly - was by all accounts more than a match for a Porsche 911 in terms of driving experience.

Whatever your opinion, commercially it was... well, if you wanted to be kind you'd call it an 'expectations shortfall', and if you didn't you'd call it a flat-out disaster.

Despite a rapturous reception by the motoring press at the time, they just didn't sell. Maybe it was the use of the diminutive R5 fascia, or maybe it was that feeling of 'well this is huge fun, but I get the feeling something's going to go wrong with it soon' which accompanied so many fast French cars from the Eighties...

Today of course there aren't so many about, which makes this one all the more special. The vendor sold GTAs when they were new, and when he saw this one he said that it was 'too good to say no to'. Apparently this one really is 'like new'. It sat in a museum for the first five years of its life, and since then has had just one lady owner.

Price-wise, fifteen grand is top money for a GTA-Turbo. You might even get an A610 for that much - or would you prefer the peace of mind of 911 ownership?

[Essex Exile]

Loved them, especially the lunatic windscreen wipers

[The Leaper]

Me too, especially the Le Mans limited edition.

R.

[minicab]

Dad had an '88 GTA V6, the non-turbo model back in the days when I was still at primary school...

Gorgeous car, fantastically quick, but yes unreliable!

Unfortunately it ended up upside in a ditch near north camp station, they were also a bit of a handful when driven quickly!

[adycav]

Spotted a red one the other week in Leicester being driven by an old school mate - Chris W, are you on here?

[anything fast]

i wanted to beat the crap out of Mr J Clarkson for destroying one of these cars in his idiotic DVD's.. pratt

I think these are great cars, love the engine layout and the looks, the older version with pumped up arches and sierra style headlights looks even better!

[dowahdiddyman]

See one of these on a regular basis, it lives in Hazel Grove along with a few other classic cars.

[wackojacko]

Not really a fan to be honest.......

[mxspyder]

Dealer Says:

"Everthing works just as it did back in 1986"


Can we assume from this that nothing electical works?

[oilit]

me likey ..............me wanty...................along with a subaru svx

[Garlick]

I've been declaring my love of these cars on PH for some years now.

If I had the money, I think I would.

[HAB]

Got a mate with a GTA V6 Turbo with about 150K on it.

Never had any major issues with it, as far as I know. Very underrated car.

[cooldude27uk]

Fantastic cars..... remember my father was going to purchase one new, back in the 80's and going to the showroom as a teenager and being all boggled eyed at one. Just for you guys at PH HQ, my father ended up with a Renault 21 Turbo new..... mums choice!!!.... cant believe my father gave into my mum.....lol

[Lexx]

Back in 2010 I was cheif officer on a cross channel ferry.

We we're lucky enough to carry this at one point in the summer;

[to3m]

Wow, they don't make interiors like that any more! Wouldn't like to have an accident in one...

[soad]

That looks alright i reckon, retro cool in a way.

What did that turbocharged lump put out then?

[DonkeyApple]

to3m said:

Wouldn't like to have an accident in one...

Leather seats should be easy to wipe down though.

[Hellbound]

The sort of car you'd see in a 70's sci-fi film about the future...

[dome]

I looked into getting a GTA V6 turbo many years ago(pre internet) and found the chap I spoke to in the owners club (his number was in a classic car mag) a complete c0ck who was unwilling to help or provide any information. David Preece of the quattro owners club was very helpful, so I bought one of them instead. Always had a soft spot for the GTA though...

[DoctorX]

Used to love the huge stereos in these posh Renaults, it fills the entire centre console! lovely car.

[MarJay]

This is the car that Doc Brown should have used to make the time machine in Back To The Future...