The automotive world rarely inspires genuine shock these days.
It comes as no surprise, given how hard it is to make a rule and regulation-bending car in the 21st century. Not to mention, every conceivable niche being filled. Coupé-SUVs, shooting brakes, roadsters with car park-friendly doors, and four-door variations of two-door cars… That list alone is all from BMW’s catalogue!
At this point, it’s purely a profit game. But in the 1980s, the car industry thrived on wild ideas born from experimentation, homologation, or both. Enter Renault’s 5 Turbo.
Launched in 1980 as a homologation special for Group 4 rallying, the R5 Turbo was far from the everyday Renault 5 seen at local boulangeries. Its design drew inspiration from the Lancia Stratos, which showcased the advantages of mid-engine setups for rallying.
With a 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder nestled behind the front seats – delivering 158hp to the rear wheels – the R5 Turbo could sprint from 0-60mph in under 7 seconds and reach a top speed of 124mph (199/km/h).
The 1984 Maxi Turbo represented the pinnacle of this rally beast, sporting a wider, lighter frame and a manic 345hp from its 1.5-litre engine. It must have been a riot to drive, even if it wasn’t a championship contender.
After the road-going R5 Turbo 2 ceased production in 1986, Renault struggled to maintain its performance image. To spice things up, the French automaker introduced the Renault Sport Spider. I’m glad it did – I absolutely adore this car.
The Spider boasts a simplistic beauty absent in many track-day specials: soft curves, a low nose, and pretty headlights. The rear end is a bit awkward, with taillights seemingly lost in space, yet the proportions are fantastic.
British models featured a glass windscreen, but European versions had the option of a literal ‘windscreen’ – a ducted scoop that directed air up and away from the cockpit – ingenious!
Powered by a 2.0 inline-four from the Renault Clio Williams, the 930kg Spider matched the 5 Turbo’s 0-60mph time of 6.9 seconds, delivering a fun yet manageable driving experience. My favourite detail? The butterfly doors, or, in this car’s case… the ‘baguette holder.’ Trés bon!
The 5 Turbo was over twice as expensive a Volkswagen Golf GTI when new, and it was produced in limited numbers. The Spider, meanwhile, started at nearly £30,000 (approximately US$39,000 in today’s money) – £7,000 (US$9,100) more than a Lotus Elise at the time. Practicality wasn’t the Spider’s strong suit either.
For those seeking a more practical entry into classic rear-wheel drive performance car ownership, consider the Vauxhall Chevette HS and Talbot Sunbeam Lotus. Like the Renault 5 Turbo, these were homologation specials for Group 4 rallying, but they were already RWD from the get-go.
As such, creating high-performance versions of the base cars didn’t compromise their practicality as family hatchbacks – though they were undeniably little hooligan machines.
The Chevette HS featured an uprated 2.3-litre version of Vauxhall’s slant-four engine with twin Weber carburettors, while the Sunbeam’s 2.2-litre Lotus engine sported Dell’Orto carbs. The Talbot produced about 150hp, edging out the Chevette’s 135hp – high power for a small car in the late ’70s.
In Group 4 rally specification, both cars neared 250hp, which would have made them wild to hurl through forest roads lined with spectators. While Group B might be viewed as the pinnacle of rallying, the artistry of earlier RWD rally cars was something else altogether.
Talbot and Lotus deserve special mention, too. The 1981 WRC championship marked the final year of Group 4 regulations, with Sunbeam clinching the manufacturer title ahead of Datsun and Ford. From 1982 onward, all-wheel drive dominance began, save for the legendary Lancia 037 in 1983.
Fast-forward to today, and the performance automotive landscape feels standardised and boring. Two-litre turbocharged automatic hot hatches and twin-turbo V8 super saloons are the norm, with most vehicles being AWD, quiet and hefty.
Even supercars and hypercars have become uniform, electrified and bloated. One man became fed up with it all, and in August 2020, revealed a manual, sub-1,000kg (2,204lb) V12 supercar that revs beyond 12,000rpm and features functional ground effects thanks to its rear fan.
The man is Gordon Murray, and the car is his GMA T.50.
I’d never seen a T.50 in person until October’s Sunday Scramble at Bicester Heritage, where seven of these marvels were on display. While my passion leans towards ’90s tuning and motorsport, this particular pair stopped me dead in my tracks.
It’s refreshing to see that we’re rising from the depths of automotive monotony, with modern technology and innovative thinking allowing creative minds to shine once more.
What stood out at this Bicester event wasn’t just the cars. The Scramble is more than a show; it’s a meet. These aren’t polished show ponies but real cars driven in on a crisp autumn morning.
Long live the engineers who design such remarkable machines, and long live the enthusiasts who relish driving them!
Mario Christou
Instagram: mcwpn, mariochristou.world
mariochristou.world
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Nice write up and photos Mario. Never heard of a renault spider before. Wouldnt take much power to make it go very quickly.
I find the T50 to be a very dull looking car compared to the F1 and vehicles like the Apollo etc. for that kind money I think it should stand out visually. Curious how small it was in person. Ive heard they are pretty tiny.
Renault has always thought out of the box as has Saab. Too bad the world is obsessed with the made up climate crisis. Imagine what kind of cars we could be driving!
Oh yes, Renault Spiders are very capable cars. They are basically French Lotus Elise.
The GMA T.50 is similar size to the McLaren F1. Since you've seen the F1 in person before, you know how big that is.
Actually have never seen one in person Takumi. There are some events where I live locally where someone turns up in a white one quite regularly, but car shows are equal to a struggle session in a communist country to me. I would rather stab my own eyes out that attend 99% of them.
But noted. Looks like a very compact car. I'm sure its a riot to drive and very involved as a driver. I think the fan is a bit gimmicky for a road car. Always wonder what happens if rocks or a dead animal gets sucked up into it...
Hahaha! I think Gordon Murray himself said there's some form of protection to prevent rocks being ejected at cars following behind. Can't recall what exactly it is, but I remember hearing about that in one of those many videos on YouTube of the car at launch (probably Top Gear).
Haha yeah because in F1 guys got hit in the helmet with rocks. Turning the fan on if it threw rocks out the back would be a very big danger for other road users. Which means where do the rocks go? Do they collect in something where dirt and dust eventually builds up and needs to be serviced? How much is that service? So you can say you have a fan car on the road?
This is hilarious levels of bullsh** to me and laughable. It's just happy meal toys for adults on the road lol. "I goT dA FaN LiKE aN F1 CaW."
Furthermore, the idea that this downforce is actually going to be used for any metric on the road is hilarious levels of BS. Super cars are gimmicks. I bet a $25,000 pro Mazda car with a little bit of porting goes multiple seconds faster around any track. Fun fact, pro mazda cars don't need engine rebuilds for 300 hours at full throttle. Super cars are so laughable.
The Renault 5 Turbo didn't cost as much as a Golf GTI. In fact, it was about 3 times more expensive. Maybe you're mixing it up with the Alpine version, or the later much more conventionnal GT Turbo.
You're right Phalanxs, my mistake! It's hard to find good source material for the 5 Turbo, but I've just found an article from 1980 with the list price.
Thank you for picking up on that, it's always nice when someone reads my work properly!
That Renault Spider looks spectacular!