[edit] Renault 5 Turbos - What's What?
The Renault 5 Turbo encompasses one image, but pops up in several different incarnations. There's much confusion about the different Renault 5 Turbo models, so this article is an attempt to clarify the situation.
This article will take you through the models chronologically, from earliest to latest.
Renault 5 Turbo
Renault were actively involved in motorsport in the late 1970s, and particularly wanted to do well in rallying. To that end, they came up with the "Renault 5 Turbo". That was all it was called - just a "Renault 5 Turbo". The car was mid-engined and featured a fuel-injected 1397cc pushrod engine supplemented by a Garrett T3 turbocharger. As standard, the road-going version produced 160bhp from its small engine - almost 114bhp per litre - more than the Ford Sierra Cosworth!
Image
Renault_5_Turbo
The Renault 5 Turbo was the first French production car to be fitted with a turbo. Its styling was extreme - with wide wheelarches, air intake vents and massive tyres, together with an interior madly flamboyant in design!
Renault 5 Gordini Turbo
Following the success of the Renault 5 Turbo, the company decided to cash in on their knowledge of turbocharging, and the publicity it generated. The next major Renault 5 Turbo model was the "Renault 5 Gordini Turbo", which was produced from 1982-84. Many (wrongly) assume the "Gordini Turbo" is the mid-engined, wide-wheelarched, fire-breathing monster rally car. It's not! The "Gordini Turbo" is the turbocharged version of the normally-aspirated "Renault 5 Gordini" - a front-engined hot hatch. In fact, the Renault 5 Gordini pre-dated the Golf GTI - the car that most think was the pioneer of the hot hatch concept.
Image
Renault_5_Gordini_Turbo
The Renault 5 Gordini Turbo had the same basic engine as the Renault 5 Gordini, but with a lower compression ratio (8.5:1 as opposed to 10:1), and a different camshaft profile. The end result was a car that produced 110bhp (the normally aspirated Gordini's power output was 93bhp). In many ways, the installation of the turbo was quite compromised. Pressurised carburettors were not available at that time, so the turbo sucked the air/fuel mixture through the carburettor and blew it, through a long metal pipe, into the engine. No intercooling was possible, which meant that only a low boost pressure could be used (0.45 bar or 7psi).
The Renault 5 Gordini Turbo was only called the "Gordini" in the UK - in all other markets, the car was called the "Alpine Turbo". Renault were unable to use the Alpine name in the UK, as Chrysler were already using it for their "Sunbeam Alpine".
Renault 5 Turbo 2
This car was the successor to the "Renault 5 Turbo", and was released in 1982. Sacrifices were made in terms of the interior styling and the lightweight aluminium roof panels and doors of the earlier car were binned in favour of cheaper steel items. However, the two cars were mechanically very similar, though not identical. After the inception of the "Turbo 2", the original Renault 5 Turbo was often called the "Renault 5 Turbo 1". Both cars were never offered for sale officially in the UK - the few there are in the country were special imports.
Image
Renault_5_Turbo_2
Renault 5 GT Turbo
When Renault replaced the 5 with the Super 5 in 1985, a turbo model was soon to follow. The first version of the GT Turbo was the Phase 1 GT Turbo. This had a 1397cc engine with a Garrett T2 turbo and a pressurised carburettor, which allowed an intercooler to be used. The first GT Turbos produced 115bhp - only 5 more than the Gordini Turbo. However, the newer car was lighter and the turbo smaller (less turbo lag), giving a good performance increase over the outgoing model. In some ways the engine was less sophisticated - losing features of the Gordini's engine such as hemi-spherical combustion chambers and crossflow cylinder head.
Image
Phase_1_Renault_5_GT_Turbo
The "Phase 2 GT Turbo" overcame some of the shortcomings of the earlier model, which suffered dreadfully from percolation (the petrol would boil in the carburettor), and premature turbo failure. Both problems were caused by the immense under-bonnet heat generated from the turbo in the crowded engine bay. These problems were cured by fitting an anti-percolation fan to blow cold air over the base of the carburettor and a water-cooled turbo. The phase 2 GT Turbo also produced more power than the earlier model (120bhp).
Image
Phase_2_Renault_5_GT_Turbo
In summary:
Renault 5 Turbo (1) - 1980-82
Renault 5 Turbo 2 - 1982-86
Renault 5 Gordini Turbo - 1982-84
Renault 5 GT Turbo (Phase 1) - 1986-87
Renault 5 GT Turbo (Phase 2) - 1985-90
That's it!
R5gordini
E&OE
