Photo: renault5gtturbo.com
The Renault 5 (R5) is one of Renault’s true success stories, managing to sell a whopping 5.5-million units in its 24-year life cycle, from 1972 to 1996. However, it wasn’t the regular versions that got people’s imaginations going, but rather the very special R5 GT Turbo.
It arrived in 1985, and its 1.4-liter engine was boosted by a small turbocharger, to produce 120 hp. This relatively high horsepower figure for a car in its class, as well as its extremely low weight of just 855 kg (1885 kg) gave it excellent performance figures and handling characteristics.
It could reportedly do 0-100 km/h in 7.3-seconds, before topping out at 193 km/h (120 mph). With numbers like those, and an excellent chassis to back it all up, the GT Turbo became a firm favourite of young boys of the time, who had posters of it on their walls, next to Ferraris and Lamborghinis.
Nowadays, if you want the same sort of fun behind the wheel, you again need to turn to Renault, and their excellent Twingo RS. It may not be turbocharged, but it is still light, powerful and agile enough to put a smile on your face like no other small front-wheel driven car could - it keeps the spirit of the old R5 GT Turbo alive!
It could reportedly do 0-100 km/h in 7.3-seconds, before topping out at 193 km/h (120 mph). With numbers like those, and an excellent chassis to back it all up, the GT Turbo became a firm favourite of young boys of the time, who had posters of it on their walls, next to Ferraris and Lamborghinis.
Nowadays, if you want the same sort of fun behind the wheel, you again need to turn to Renault, and their excellent Twingo RS. It may not be turbocharged, but it is still light, powerful and agile enough to put a smile on your face like no other small front-wheel driven car could - it keeps the spirit of the old R5 GT Turbo alive!
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