Normally the Find of the Day follows a few rough guidelines, like a price almost always under $50,000. It needs to be attainable, and attractive to a decent chunk of our audience. Today, that all goes out the window because there is a 1984 Renault 5 Turbo 2 for sale in the Hemmings classifieds. Never mind that it's not located in the United States and the asking price is $90,000--either you can afford the car and the shipping as well or, like the rest of us, the degrees of fantasy involved to get this car irrelevant. If you're unfamiliar, the basic idea here is a rally racing homologation special like the Lancia Stratos. But instead of being a purpose-built exotic, the Renault 5 Turbo is based on, well, the Renault 5 (known stateside as Le Car).
Re-engineering an economy compact car to a mid-engine layout involves so much work to appear ludicrous. But it's not too crazy, as Peugeot went the same route with 205 Turbo 16 and Renault also paid its respects to the R5 Turbo years later with the Clio V6. Anyway, just bask in the glory of the automotive Bruce Banner-to-Hulk transformation present here. To quote the June 2008 issue of Hemmings Sports and Exotics "It's like a French hillbilly's weekend project gone wonderfully right."
Behind the driver, nestled in a purpose-built chassis, sits a 1.4-liter turbo four making 160 hp, plus 25 extra with an optional intercooler. Pushing a mere 2200 pounds, it's good for sub-seven-second zero-to-60 sprints. More magical is the handling, which we described as "aim-it go-kart style." Forgive that the Turbo 2 uses standard steel stamping and stock Renault 5 interior pieces compared to aluminum panels and more bespoke cabin of the original Turbo, this is still a special car. It's both exotic and cheap, but somehow incredibly alluring, a combination of traits that all the best French cars share. And speaking of French cars, there is more of that Gallic quirkiness available from other Renaults for sale in the Hemmings Classifieds.
1984 Renault R5 Turbo 2
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