What would you like first, the bad news or the good news?
The bad news is that Renault isn’t taking its brilliant little 271bhp R.S.16 Clio concept through to production. Boo.
The good news however is that you can still pick up excellent examples of the last great small Renault turbo, the 5 GT Turbo. Hurray!
The bad news (again) is that 5 GT Turbos are getting rather expensive. The original fat-bottomed mid-engined 5 Turbo has been big money for some time. They’re fast approaching £100k. In that light, this 5 GT Turbo we found at £10,995 could be perceived as a bit of a bargain.
It’s a totally different car to the raw 5 Turbo, of course, being perfectly civilised and very driveable. Finding one in such good condition as this is a rare event as most have been terminally thrashed or crashed. Looking at the pristine French Electric Blue paint and showroom-fresh interior, you’d never believe it had done 88,000 miles. A credit to its owner, you might say.
Better yet it’s totally unmodified, again a very rare thing. You might want to change the period Michelin MXV tyres, but if you want the true 5 GT Turbo experience, leave them on.
Only a couple of years ago, we wrote about another 5 GT Turbo. That was slightly inferior to this one and was priced at £5000. That tells you how quickly the market for old hot hatches is moving. £11k may seem like strong money now, but you might think differently in five years’ time.
RENAULT 5 GT TURBO
Engine: 1,397cc 4-cyl turbo
Transmission: Five-speed manual, FWD
Power (hp): 122@5,750rpm
Torque (lb ft): 121@3,000rpm
MPG: 28-Year registered: 1988
Recorded mileage: 88,000
Price new: £7,360 (1986)
Price now: £10,995
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