Renault 5 Maxi Turbo – Ragnotti & Thimonier – Rallye Tour de Corse 1985. Limited edition

Renault 5 Maxi Turbo – Ragnotti & Thimonier – Rallye Tour de Corse 1985

The Renault 5 Turbo is a 1980s sports car derived from the Renault 5. It had a mid-rear engine developing 160 bhp, with a cubic capacity of 1,397 cm3 and turbocharging.

It distinguished itself both on the road and in competition, notably in FIA Group 4 and then Group B. Some enthusiasts consider it to be the “first production custom”.

In 1977, the 822 project was the brainchild of Jean Terramorsi, deputy director of the product department in charge of small production runs at the Alpine plant in Dieppe, and Henry Lherm, his young assistant.

The vehicle was designed to boost sales of the basic Renault 5, and also had to meet precise specifications for competition in FIA Group 3 and Group 4.

The two project managers succeeded in convincing management to study the project, which was carried out at Renault Sport in Dieppe with the help of Alpine Renault, Régie Renault and BEREX (Bureau d’Étude et de Recherches Exploratoires).

The tyling was entrusted to Yves Legal, while Serge Masset and Philippe Chasselut were responsible for the engine. Finally, Joël Michel designed the rolling prototype.

The first prototype underwent a number of changes, with many different configurations and engines. This black prototype (chassis 822-01) ran for the first time on the night of 9 March 1978.

Starting from a bare hull, the Berex team modified the rear of the Renault 5 to house the Renault 5 Alpine engine fitted with a turbocharger and the R30 TX gearbox with a shorter bevel gear.

Its supercharged 1,397 cm3 puts the future R5 Turbo in the category of 2-litre competition engines. Weight, which was crucial for this type of vehicle, had to be kept down to 950 kg and was the subject of a great deal of research.

An initial model, without engine, was presented to the public at the Paris Motor Show in October 1978. Two pre-production versions, slightly different from the final version, were presented to the international press. The final version was unveiled at the 1980 Paris Motor Show, alongside the R5 Alpine Turbo and the R18 Turbo.

In 1985, the Renault Super 5 GT Turbo replaced it and won two World Rally Championship titles.

Several engines were studied for fitting to the R5 Turbo, including the V6 PRV and the 2-litre from the R20. The engine chosen was the small ‘Cléon-Fonte’ of the R5 Alpine (designed by the engineer René Vuaillat, fitted to the Renault Floride S as well as the Renault 8) in a supercharged version and placed in a central-rear position.

This engine (type 840-30 turbo) is a 1,397 cm3 in-line 4-cylinder with a chain-driven side camshaft. It is powered by Bosch K-Jetronic mechanical fuel injection. The aluminium cylinder head with hemispherical chamber and V-valves is derived from that of the R5 Alpine.

However, the flow of fluids in the chamber is modified to place the water pump on the other side of the engine, and the ignition is transistorised without a cut-out switch.

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