Our first Renault, and we decided to do it in typical D1 Euro fashion… offer the cheapest one in the country and make it a ripper! This particular Renault 5 GT Turbo was sourced from a private seller overseas, it’s in great running and driving condition but would be considered a bit of a project cosmetically.

Exterior: Paint code “Blue Light” is weathered but has full coverage of the vehicle, some panels are healthy, others have fading/burning from past polishes. Overall all panels are in great shape, excluding the front bumper which suffered some damage/cracking mid transit. Fortunately there is a strong aftermarket support for these cars so replacement bumpers can be easily acquired. All doors/hatch open, close and lock as they should. Headlights are original SEV Marchals. The patina is real with this one!

Interior: Overall this is where the car will need some love. Miscellaneous trim pieces have cracked on the dashboard area, there are some aftermarket buttons and switches that replace the old and brittle original ones. All functions in the car do in fact work! Drivers seat is a very aggressive Recaro bucket seat (good bit of wear on this one), passenger is original as well as rear seats. Windows are manual and work as they should, as do interior and exterior lights.

Mechanical: This car pulls… Weighing only 1800lbs and having over 100 horsepower is a beautiful combination. Start ups are clean and steady, there is a factory oem idle control/choke adjust switch that allows you to change your base idle at any moment. Car does not burn fluids, drives smooth both casual and aggressive driving. The torque steer is actually very amusing, and quite controllable. Transmission and clutch are very tight and have loads of life. Boost hits relatively quick and provides a very linear power band through the RPM range, no hesitation or throttle cuts. Engine temps stay steady and have not over fluctuated on us. Suspension looks to be stock (which was already a massive improvement over other models). There is an aftermarket strut brace up front that helps to add a good bit of chassis rigidity. All fluids are clean and clear.

Overall these are rare birds in the US and it an absolute shame. These turbo hot hatches ooze 80’s tuning flare with loads of aftermarket support to make them even more enticing. Use this as a daily, auto cross car, canyon ripper or turn it into a garage queen, the opportunities are endless!