Renault 5 Turbo: The Wild French Hot Hatch That Changed Everything
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Some cars earn their legendary status over decades of quiet appreciation. The Renault 5 Turbo earned its in the first fifty metres of sideways, tyre-shredding throttle. This is a car that took a humble supermini, ripped out the back seats, stuffed a turbocharged engine where the luggage should have been, and sent it rallying. It remains one of the most gloriously bonkers decisions in automotive history.
The Renault 5 Turbo is not merely a hot hatch. It is a purpose-built weapon dressed in everyday clothes, a road-legal rally car that somehow passed homologation and ended up on public roads. Decades on, it still stops people dead in their tracks.
Origins and History
The story begins in the late 1970s, when Renault's motorsport division decided to take on the world rally championship. The plan was audacious: take the bestselling Renault 5, redesign it from the ground up as a mid-engined racer, and then build enough road cars to satisfy the homologation rules. At least 400 had to be sold to the public. Renault built 1,820 of the first series.
The Renault 5 Turbo 1 launched in 1980. It shared virtually nothing with the standard 5 beyond the basic shell shape and the headlights. The engine moved from the front to behind the driver. The rear arches ballooned outward to cover vastly wider tracks. The interior ditched the rear bench entirely in favour of engine cover and storage bins. This was not a comfort-focused machine.
A revised Turbo 2 followed in 1982, built at the main Renault factory rather than by specialist coachbuilder Heuliez. It was slightly less exotic in its construction but more affordable, and it sold in greater numbers until production ended in 1986. Around 3,167 Turbo 2s left the factory.
The Design
Stand next to a Renault 5 Turbo and the proportions feel almost cartoon-like, in the very best way. The standard 5's modest flanks are replaced by vast, squared-off wheelarch extensions front and rear, giving the car a stance that looks ready to pounce. Those arches are functional, not decorative, covering tyres considerably wider than anything the standard car ever wore.
The side intakes feeding air to the mid-mounted engine are a design masterstroke. They sit where the rear windows would be on a normal 5, punched directly into the bodywork with industrial purpose. The overall effect is of a car that has been to the gym and come back a completely different proposition.
Inside, the driving position is low and purposeful. The instrument binnacle curves around the driver, the gear lever falls naturally to hand, and the absence of a rear seat means the cabin has a stripped, focused quality. Early cars featured Recaro buckets as standard. This is exactly the kind of interior that makes you want to drive somewhere challenging.
Performance and Driving
The Turbo 1 produced 160 bhp from its 1,397cc turbocharged engine, sending power to the rear wheels through a five-speed gearbox. By the standards of 1980, this was extraordinary performance from such a small displacement. The Turbo 2 pushed output to around 160 bhp in standard road trim too, though the rally versions produced considerably more.
The mid-engined layout gives the 5 Turbo handling characteristics that reward commitment and punish complacency. Turn-in is sharp. The weight distribution encourages rotation through corners in a way front-engined hot hatches simply cannot match. When the turbo spools up on a suitable stretch of road, the surge of power to those wide rear tyres is vivid and immediate.
Drivers familiar with conventional hot hatches often find the 5 Turbo surprisingly demanding. The rear weight bias means the front end can feel light under braking, and the turbocharger introduces a pronounced power band. Get it right, though, and few driving experiences from the era come close to matching it.
Racing Pedigree
The competition version of the Renault 5 Turbo dominated Group 4 rallying in the early 1980s. Jean Ragnotti's victory on the 1981 Monte Carlo Rally remains one of the most celebrated results in the model's history, demonstrating that the concept worked not just in theory but on the world stage against seasoned opposition.
The car also enjoyed a successful career in circuit racing, particularly in the one-make Renault 5 Turbo Cup series in France. Factory-backed versions pushed power well beyond 300 bhp in some configurations. The motorsport programme justified every penny of the development investment and cemented the 5 Turbo's reputation as a genuine racing machine rather than a marketing exercise.
Buying a Renault 5 Turbo Today
Values have climbed steadily over the past decade as collectors have recognised the 5 Turbo's significance. A solid, original Turbo 1 in good condition now commands north of £60,000 in the UK, with the best examples pushing considerably higher. The Turbo 2, though more numerous, has followed a similar trajectory, with good cars starting around £35,000 to £45,000.
Rust is the primary enemy. The wheelarch extensions can hide corrosion in the inner arches, and the sills are vulnerable on cars that have lived in damp climates. Always have a specialist inspection carried out before buying, and prioritise cars with documented history. Turbocharged engines from this era require careful maintenance, and finding mechanics familiar with the specific quirks of the Cléon-Fonte unit is worthwhile.
Parts availability has improved in recent years, with specialists in France and the UK stocking most mechanical components. Body panels remain challenging and expensive. A car that has been well maintained by knowledgeable previous owners is worth a significant premium over a project that looks tempting on price alone.
Shop Renault 5 Turbo Art at KK Automotive Art
KK Automotive Art does not yet have a Renault 5 Turbo design in our collection. We are working on bringing this iconic car to our range, so watch this space. In the meantime, explore our classic car phone cases, classic car mugs and limited edition prints.
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