Renault 5 GT Turbo
This story began in 1980 with the most unlikely of cars. A boxy-hipped, vented monster, the original 5 Turbo had its 1.4-litre engine mounted behind the driver, where it sent 158bhp to the rear wheels. Rally-spec cars such as the one that Jean Ragnotti won the 1981 Monte Carlo Rally in produced more than double that.
As rallying changed forever with the arrival of Group B in 1982, Renault took the more conventional approach of attaching a Garrett turbocharger to its front-engined, front-wheel drive Renault 5 road car. The Renault 5 Gordini Turbo was born, and the template was set for the second-generation GT Turbo that we have here – which arrived not long after the new generation of Renault 5, in 1984.
Muscling the 5 GT through Anglesey’s very own corkscrew section of downhill twists and turns, the little hatchback feels raucous. There is direct, unassisted steering, a surprising amount of traction and an unabashed sense of hooliganism. This late, post-facelift example has 120bhp—around 110bhp of which is brought to its driver courtesy of the Garrett turbocharger, in a brief yet hilarious climax somewhere north of 4000rpm. It’s no shrinking violet, then, especially in a car weighing so little.
Not much changed between that first GT Turbo and our 1990 example. A facelift in 1986 brought water-cooling and raised the power from 115bhp to 120bhp, but as you sit behind the spindly three-spoke steering wheel, eyeing the possibly even spindlier A-pillars and a dash that appears to have been designed by Casio (and made from the same plastics as its calculators), it’s not hard to see and feel the 1980s roots here. Certainly, the Peugeot 205 GTI that was the Renault’s nemesis feels a touch more modern inside, and it handles with zen levels of poise and precision compared to the blunt but bullishly fun 5 GT.
It pays to be mindful of the performance of the brakes as you hunt the high-rev stampede as the turbo finally kicks in because the anchors are nothing if not vintage. Despite being vented discs up front and solid discs at the back, the brakes are quick to fade and not terribly good at stopping even when they are on form – especially for a car that is (technically) capable of 125mph.
Don’t let that put you off. Modifications could address such deficiencies. And when it comes to buying a fun, affordable classic, with the Renault, you’re getting a car that feels alive at normal road speeds and distinctly different to anything modern. We should also stress the affordability element; you can get a decent Renault 5 GT Turbo for about half the price of an equivalent Peugeot 205 GTI, and what the little Renault lacks in finesse next to the Peugeot, it makes up for in swagger.
Its price is starting to jump up, though, so buy quickly or this most bombastic icon of the hot hatch era could quickly become too valuable for its own good.
1990 Renault 5 GT Turbo
- Engine: 4-cyclinder, 1397cc, turbocharged
- Transmission: 5-speed manual, FWD
- Power: 120bhp @ 5750rpm
- Weight: 853kg
THE HAGERTY VALUATION TEAM SAYS
- Hagerty value condition #2: £12,900
- 2019 Hagerty value condition #2: £9300
- Hagerty 12-month value change: +£3600 (+38.7%)
Hot hatches are the modern classic cars of the moment, combining performance, 1980s style and practicality. Values of popular models—the Volkswagen Golf GTI Mk I, Peugeot 205 GTI and Ford Escort XR3i in particular—have soared, but one is still obtainable, and it’s more powerful than them all: the Renault 5 GT Turbo. With the Renault 5’s looks, flared arches, and 115bhp on tap thanks to the Garrett turbo, its current value of £12,900, although appreciably up from 12 months ago, still looks as if it has significant potential to climb.