1985 Renault 5 Turbo 2 Type 8221
The Renault 5 Turbo was created as a limited production run for rallying homologation purposes, allowing Renault to enter rallying on the international stage in direct response to the success seen by the Lancia Stratos. Despite very limited funding, the engineers got to work on a sports version of the economical Renault 5 Alpine Supermini, converting it into a genuine podium-capable rally car. The race-bred Renault 5 Turbo would debut radically designed box-arched rear bodywork penned by Marcello Gandini and Marc Deschamps at Bertone, to accommodate the dramatically revised mechanical layout of the car.
Unlike the traditional front engine layout of the Renault 5, the 5 Turbo featured its 1.4L turbocharged four cylinder engine mid-mounted in the car, immediately behind the driver. Sending 158HP to the rear wheels, the 5 Turbo’s narrow front track and short wheelbase, combined with a scant curb weight of 2,130lbs, provided drivers with a surgically accurate rally car, allowing them high levels of precision with car placement.
In the capable hands of ace driver Jean Ragnotti, who began his career with Renault in an 8 Gordini the 60’s, the Turbo 5 was nearly untouchable on winding asphalt stages, with Ragnotti taking victory at the world's most prestigious rally stage, Monte Carlo, in 1981, 1982, and 1985. The race-bred Renault 5 Turbo would end up clinching the 1985 European Rally Championship, forever cementing the hot hatch to the history books.
With its rear-mid-engine and rear-wheel drive layout, the Renault 5 Turbo 2 is undoubtedly one of the most iconic cars from the infamous Group B era of rally racing. Finished in a deep black over beige interior, The Cultivated Collector’s 1985 Renault 5 Turbo 2 is a rare Typ-8221 model, making it 1 of 200 total produced to qualify for Group B competition - the ultimate pocket rocket, boasting an aluminum roof and doors for a lowered center of gravity. Having covered a mere 49k kilometers since new, and benefitting from recent maintenance, this Renault 5 Turbo 2 Type 8221 is a street brawler ready to join the discerning collectors garage.
Read about our Renault 5 Turbo 2 in Road & Track!
Read about the Homologation Heroes Collection on Classic Driver!
