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Renault 5 Turbo - Founder of a new era

Name: Renault R5 Turbo 2 1983
Brand: Renault

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Created on December 20, 2015

Text:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

Renault

Bruno von Rotz

Renault Communication

Balz Schreier

Petra Sagnak / classiccar-photo.de

Archiv Bernhard Brägger

Christian Heuser

FabPetersson Fotografie

Rudolf Menzi

Michael Alschner

Archiv

Daniel Reinhard

Renault

Bruno von Rotz

Renault Communication

Balz Schreier

Petra Sagnak / classiccar-photo.de

Archiv Bernhard Brägger

Christian Heuser

FabPetersson Fotografie

Rudolf Menzi

Michael Alschner

Archiv

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Renault 5 Turbo (1982) - with Gotti wheels

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Renault 5 Turbo (1982) - driving the compact R5 Turbo is fun

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Renault 5 Turbo (1982) - on the road at nightfall

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Renault 5 Turbo (1982) - get in and drive off

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Renault 5 Turbo (1982) - correctly parked

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Renault 5 Turbo (1982) - on parking lot 5

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Renault 5 Turbo (1982) - so beautifully red

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Renault 5 Turbo (1982) - short with very short overhangs

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Renault 5 Turbo (1982) - the wide Gotti wheels look good on the R5

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Renault 5 Turbo (1982) - despite its width, it fits easily into a parking space

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Renault 5 Turbo (1982) - the mid-engined sports car in the castle courtyard

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Renault 5 Turbo (1982) - the sills and rear apron are not in the same color as the other body parts

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Renault 5 Turbo (1982) - I wonder what those two in the back are reading?

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Renault 5 Turbo (1982) - being wide is everything

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Renault 5 Turbo (1982) - the body is made of sheet aluminum, sheet steel and plastic

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Renault 5 Turbo (1982) - like in the pit lane

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Renault 5 Turbo (1982) - strictly for two people

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Renault 5 Turbo (1982) - is the number 6/2015 from SwissClassics really more interesting than the Renault

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Renault 5 Turbo (1982) - contrasting blue carpets and red seats

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Renault 5 Turbo (1982) - the interior design was created by Bertone

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Renault 5 Turbo (1982) - the Turbo 1 had an interior specially developed for it

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Renault 5 Turbo (1982) - patterns and colors that take some getting used to

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Renault 5 Turbo (1982) - the steering wheel is not from the series, normally a plastic steering wheel was installed

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Renault 5 Turbo (1982) - little happens below 3000 rpm

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Renault 5 Turbo (1982) - the readability of the instruments is not optimal

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Renault 5 Turbo (1982) - each car was numbered

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Renault 5 Turbo (1982) - longitudinally mounted four-cylinder in the rear

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Renault 5 Turbo (1982) - things get hot here

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Renault 5 Turbo (1982) - the tools are stored on the parcel shelf

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Renault 5 Turbo (1982) - the trunk doesn't have much space

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Renault 5 Turbo (1982) - Renault rhombus on the front

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Renault 5 Turbo (1982) - wide rear mudguards

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Renault 5 Turbo (1982) - Air for the turbo engine

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Renault 5 Turbo (1982) - the lamps have been retained

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Renault 5 Turbo (1982) - wide cheeks and an unmistakable Turbo lettering

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Renault 5 Turbo (1982) - the same lettering was also found on the narrow-chested front-wheel drive models

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Renault 5 Turbo (1982) - the sales literature

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Renault 5 Turbo (1979) - on a test drive

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Renault 5 Turbo (1979) - the mid-engined version

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Renault 5 Turbo (1979) - rear view - wide cheeks

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Renault 5 Turbo 1 (1979) - Factory picture

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Renault 5 Turbo (1980) - Interior by Bertone

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Renault 5 Turbo (1979) - View into the cockpit

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Renault 5 Turbo (1980) - from the sales brochure

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Renault 5 Turbo (1980) - Transparency drawing

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Renault R5 Turbo - The victorious Ragnotti/Andrié at the 1981 Monte Carlo Rally

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Renault 5 Turbo (1983) - with Jean-Marc André and Jean Ragnotti

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Renault 5 Turbo (1984) - the racing version

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Renault Maxi 5 Turbo (1985) - 350 hp with 1.5 liter turbo four-cylinder engine - used in rally sport - Geneva Motor Show 1985

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Renault 5 Turbo (1981) - Cup race in Dijon 1981

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Renault R5 Turbo - The previously successful Renault R5s had nothing to do with victory at the 1984 Monte Carlo Rally

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Renault R5 Turbo - The Renault R5 Turbo were not to be found at the front of the 1983 Monte Carlo Rally

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Renault 5 Turbo - Saby on the Renault Turbo at the 1982 Monte Carlo Rally

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Renault 5 Alpine Turbo - limited special version called "Gordini" - at the 1984 Geneva Motor Show

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Renault 5 Turbo (1983) - Round of the French Touring Car Championship at Paul Ricard - Jean Ragnotti

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Renault R5 Turbo Corse (1982) - particularly sporty version

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Renault 5 Turbo with Marc Surer at the wheel on the occasion of the Gotthard Rally in 1982

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Renault R5 Turbo (1981) - Uelliger and Schneiter achieve second place in the 9th Gotthard Rally 1982 - here on the narrow downhill stage on the Susten Pass with gravel and some extreme hairpin bends

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Renault 5 Turbo (1982) - Jean Ragnotti at a Renault Classic Show in 2011

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Renault 5 Maxi Turbo (1985) - as a Group B rally car

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Renault R5 Turbo 2 (1986) - Arosa ClassicCar Hill Climb 2015

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Renault 5 Turbo (1981) - The mid-engined Renault marches on

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Renault R5 Turbo (1982) - Arosa ClassicCar Hill Climb 2015

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Renault 5 Turbo (1984) at the Eifel Rallye Festival 2015

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Renault 5 Turbo 1 (1981) at the Eifel Rallye Festival 2015 - A rare Turbo1-Renault built by Alpine

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Renault 5 turbo 2 (1985) - at the Michaelskreuzrennen 2014

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Renault 5 Maxi Turbo (1986) - at the ADAC Eifel Rallye Festival 2014

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Renault 5 Turbo (1984) - at the ADAC Eifel Rallye Festival 2014

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Renault 5 Turbo 2 (1986) - at the Lenzerheide Motorclassics 2015

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Renault 5 Turbo 2 (1986) - at the Lenzerheide Motor Classics 2014 event

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Renault 5 Turbo 2 (1986) - participant at the Lenzerheide Motor Classics 2013

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Renault R5 Turbo at the plastic car meeting Fantastic Plastic 2014

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Renault 5 Turbo (1979) - at the race for the Youngtimer Touring Car Challenge - Hockenheim Historics 2014

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Renault 5 Turbo (1982) at the Group B Legends meeting in Salzburg on September 13, 2013

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Renault 5 Maxi Turbo Group B (1985) in the "40 Years World Rally Championship" group at the Eifel Rallye Festival 2013

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Renault 5 Turbo Group 4 (1981) in the "40 Years World Rally Championship" group at the Eifel Rallye Festival 2013

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Renault R5 Turbo (1976) - at the GP Furttal 2013

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Renault 5 Turbo 1 (1981) with starting number 331 - GT and touring car at the 5th Altbüron hill climb in 2011

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Renault 5 Turbo (1982) - you can feel the rally genes while driving

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Summary

In 1980, Renault presented the R5 Turbo mid-engine compact car, the development of which dated back to 1976. With over 5,000 units built, this basic model for racing in Group 4 and B is one of the most successful cars of its kind. And even today, over 30 years later, the mid-engined speedster is still a lot of fun behind the wheel. This vehicle report tells the story of the Renault 5 Turbo, explains the technology used and shows the car in current and historical pictures as well as in two sales brochures.

This article contains the following chapters

In the footsteps of the Berlinette
Mid-engine
Racing technology under the sheet metal
Individuality of the Turbo 1
Dual character
More agile than the Quattro and 911
Off the beaten track
Evolution and simplifications to the Turbo 2
Rally genes in everyday life
Production and special models
Further information

Estimated reading time: 9min

Preview (beginning of the article)

At the end of the seventies, the days of the glorious Lancia Stratos came to an end and more production-oriented Ford Escort, Fiat 131 Abarth or Talbot Sunbeam Lotus moved into the limelight with their victories. Renault, however, believed in the Stratos concept and in 1980 presented a basic rally car with a mid-engine, the Renault 5 Turbo, typically equipped with a turbo engine for the brand. The R5 Turbo was developed in 1976 by rally driver Jean Terramorsi, who wanted to provide international rallying with a successor to the famous Renault Alpine A110 and R8 Gordini for Group 3 and 4. In close cooperation with the "Renault Sport" department based in Dieppe and the Renault production department in Paris, the first prototype of the Renault 5 Turbo was created as early as 1978. For the design, the services of Bertone were used, where Marcello Gandini in particular lent a hand. The production model with the most promising dimensions was chosen as the starting point, and the Renault 5, which had already enjoyed success as a compact all-purpose car since 1971, was chosen. The first presentation took place at the Paris Motor Show in October 1978 with a second prototype (without engine) built by Heuliez and painted red.

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