Inventory Listing

Possibly the nicest untouched R5 Turbo 2 in the world. 17,122 original km (10,600 miles), completely original right down to the Michelin TRX tires. Imported and certified by Sun International. Just serviced, runs and drives properly, unmarked bodywork.

Bright red really is the only appropriate color on a car with this much performance potential, and this cool little hunk of hatchback looks downright predatory with those fat flared fenders. Fresh out of long-term storage and fully serviced, it’s a remarkable glimpse into the awesomeness that Europeans took for granted, a car that only a lunatic fringe in the US could love but which today has become one of the era’s hottest collectables. Of course, with so few miles and having spent the last two-and-a-half decades in protected, heated storage, it’s in fantastic condition. The body panels, which were mostly steel on the Turbo 2 cars, are unmarked and the factory paint is completely untouched, orange peel and all. There are no touch-ups, no repainted panels, and only the most microscopic of indications that it’s been driven. Overall, the look isn’t exactly pretty, but it talks to you on a primal level and nobody—nobody—laughs at this Renault as it sits in the showroom. It’s like they know it’s more than willing to get up and kick someone’s ass.

The interior was a big step up from the Turbo 1, and it’s a lot more comfortable without sacrificing any performance. The tan cloth upholstery is in excellent condition, showing minimal wear and no splits or tears. The same goes for the carpets and door panels, which are almost new, and there’s a set of black TURBO floor mats to keep everything tidy. The instrument panel covers the basics and is pretty much the same as the Euro-spec Renault 5, but you’ll note that Sun International, as part of the certification process, added an MPH decal to the speedometer to make it a little more user-friendly here in the States. However, if you look closely, you’ll see that the odometer is still listed in kilometers, and there’s no question that the 17,122 km showing is authentic. You also get an oil pressure gauge and a boost pressure gauge in the center stack, right above the heater controls. Other additions that were installed upon arrival here in the States include the Kenwood AM/FM/cassette stereo with big speakers on the rear hatch cover and a correct sliding fabric sunroof that is how Renault would have done it if the R5 Turbo was available with a sunroof.  All of this was done when it was new and before the first owner took possession back in 1984 and it’s perfectly preserved today. The trunk, which was formerly the engine bay on a garden-variety 5, now houses the radiator, spare tire, battery, and brake master cylinder. That’s the original spare tire that still shows engraving marks from the Sun International certification process and it doesn’t appear to have ever been used.

In back, where you’d usually find the hatch and back seat, you will instead find a 1.4 liter turbocharged inline-4, which uses Bosch fuel injection and a rather large Garrett turbocharger with air-to-air intercooler to make 185 horsepower in street trim. There were other upgrades inside, including a forged crank, high-volume oil pump, and forged pistons, all designed with the addition of more boost on the track. Thanks to the fuel injection, it’s surprisingly docile and starts easily without any special histrionics: turn the key and it runs. The idle is a little racy, as if it wants to run, not sit still, but it never gets cranky and despite the race-grade engineering, it’s pretty happy to sit in rush hour traffic or take the slow way home. On the other hand, with that big turbo, it feels pretty lazy if you drive it gently, never really getting into the boost. Keep your foot on the throttle, however, and you’re rewarded with a wooshing crescendo of building boost and the engine comes alive at 3500 RPM, suddenly rocketing the little car forward like it’s hungry. The 5-speed manual gearbox offers reasonably positive feel despite the long linkage reaching back behind the rear axle, and the clutch is light and easy to modulate, so it feels very user-friendly no matter how hard you’re working it.

Of course, with so few miles, everything underneath is in excellent condition, and that reddish cast you see on the floors isn’t rust but the actual color of the undercoating used to protect the underbody. The raw steel components in back were just given a quick coat of satin black by the factory, so they’re showing a little bit of age, but if you crave authenticity, there’s absolutely nothing under the car that has been replaced, including hoses, clamps, shocks, and even the muffler. It’s all 100% original and correct, making this one heck of a special survivor. The wheels are custom pieces just for the R5 Turbo with massive offsets and designed to use Michelin’s new TRX tires, which were state-of-the-art in 1984.

This is the coolest piece of French hardware from the ‘80s, and good ones like this are extremely rare.