1984 Renault 5 Turbo 2 Hatchback
Chassis no. VF1822000E0000535
•Iconic Group B homologation special
•Engine and gearbox overhauled
•Registered in Belgium
Not to be confused with the conventional front-wheel drive Renault 5 Gordini Turbo or GT Turbo, the Renault 5 Turbo (and later Turbo 2) was a mid-engined homologation special built in limited numbers for Group B rallying between 1979 and 1986. Renault's considerable Formula 1-derived turbo-charging expertise was applied to the humble 1.4-litre overhead-valve engine, resulting in a power increase to 160bhp (in road trim), an output sufficient for a top speed of 260km/h and a 0-100km/h time of around 7 seconds. In the Turbo, this remarkable little engine was mounted amidships (where the rear passenger seats had been) and drove the rear wheels via a five-speed transaxle.
A thinly disguised two-seater supercar, the Turbo was first seen in prototype form at the 1978 Paris Salon and made its competition debut in 1980. In 1981 Ragnotti/Andrie won the Monte Carlo Rally outright for Renault and the following year Ragnotti won the Tour de Corse. Faced with increasing competition from teams running four-wheel drive cars, Renault responded with more powerful 5 Tour de Corse and 5 Maxi Turbo variants, Ragnotti adding another Tour de Corse win in 1985. At the end of the season the works team retired the 5 Turbo from competition.
This Renault 5 Turbo 2 was first registered on 31st January 1984 but nothing of its early history is known, although it is believed to have resided in France for most of its life. Owned by Mr Jacques Rigout in Boulogne until the beginning of 2007, the car moved to Belgium in February 2007 where it was registered the following summer by the locally known rally driver, Claudie Tanghe. Naturally enough, Mr Tanghe bought this iconic Renault 5 Turbo 2 because he wanted to relive the evocative period of Group B rallying.
An engine overhaul was carried out in October 2007 and further mechanical works were carried out, including an overhaul of the gearbox (invoices on file). Mr Tanghe also had the car fully resprayed in it's originals colour and also had the seats retrimmed in leather. The car was driven only infrequently during the period of Mr Tanghe's ownership (2008-2014), covering not more than 1,000 kilometres, and was then sold to another Belgian resident. Accompanying documentation consists of a Certificate of Conformity (2008); old Belgian registration papers (2008); current Belgian registration papers; Belgian Contrôle Technique (2016); the aforementioned invoices; and a Belgian Car-Pass recording the distance travelled since the car's registration in Belgium. The car also comes with an owner's manual for the Renault 5 Turbo 2.
It's hard to find a R5 Turbo in such a good condition today as they were often used for racing and/or neglected.
Beautifull mythic superb driving car thatputs a smile on your faceevery timeyouhit the throttle.
Good luck bidding !
PS : The car is listed on other platforms, so I reserve the right to end the auction if needed.