Renault 5
The
Renault 5 was a
supermini produced by the
French manufacturer
Renault in two generations between 1972 and 1996.
The original R5 was Renault's first foray into the supermini market, and its most prominent feature was its styling by
Michel Boue (who died before the car's release), which included a steeply sloping rear
hatchback and front fascia. Boue had wanted the taillights to go all the way up from the bumper into the
C-pillar, in the fashion of the much later
Volvo V70, but this was not to be. The lights remained at a more conventional level.
Underneath the skin, it borrowed heavily from the
Renault 4, using a longitudinally-mounted engine driving the front wheels with
torsion bar suspension.
OHV engines were borrowed from the R4,
Renault 8 and
Renault 12, and ranged from 850 to 1400 cc.
Early R5s used an idiosyncratic dashboard-mounted gearshift in true French style, but this was later dropped in favour of a floor mounted shifter. The other distinctive feature was the door handles, which were formed simply from a cut-out in the door panel and B-pillar. Other versions of the first car included the
Renault 5 Alpine (Gordini in the
United Kingdom),
Alpine/Gordini Turbo, and the Renault
Le Car, which was designed exclusively for the
North American market and sold by
American Motors. A four-door sedan version was called the
Renault 7 and built by
FASA-Renault of
Spain.
There was also a highly successful rallying version, developed according to Group 4 (later
Group B regulations. It was named as the
Renault 5 Turbo, but it being mid-engined and rear wheel drive, bore little technical resemblance to the road-going version. The shape and general look of the 5 was maintained using the same lights, and interestingly, it only shared door panels with regard to the body. Driven by
Jean Ragnotti, this car won the
Monte Carlo Rally for its first race in
World Rally Championship.
The original Renault 5 continued to be built in
Iran by
Pars Khodro, as the
Sepand. In 2002, the Sepand was replaced by the
P.K, a car that adopted a styling reminiscent of the second generation, but still using the slightly-modified original bodywork.
The second generation Renault 5, often referred to as the
Supercinq or
Superfive, appeared in 1985. Although the bodyshell was completely new (the platform was based on that of the Renault 9/11), the classic 5 styling touches were left untouched, and was designed by
Marcello Gandini. The biggest change was the adoption of a transversely-mounted powertrain taken directly from the
9 and 11, plus a less sophisticated suspension design, which used
MacPherson struts.
The R5 also spawned a
panel van version, known as the
Renault Extra, which was intended to replace the R4 F6 which had ceased production in
1986.
A "
hot hatch" version, the
GT Turbo, was a car beloved of
boy racers through the 1980s and 90s. Sporting 115PS (85 kW/113 hp) in the Phase 1, the Phase 2 GT Turbo later brought 5 extra horsepower to the table, a slightly altered torque band and higher reliability. Coming from a simple 1397 cc OHV engine, this was considered quite a feat. Due to strict emission demands in certain European countries, the GT Turbo was not available everywhere. Because of this Renault decided on using the
naturally aspirated 1.7 liter from the
Renault 19, which utilized multipoint fuel injection. Under the name
GTE, it produced 95PS (70 kW/94 hp). Although it wasn't as fast as the turbo model, it featured the exact same interior and exterior looks, as well as an identical suspension and brake setup.
The model was starting to show its age by 1990, when it was effectively replaced by the more modern and better-built
Clio, which was an instant sales success across Europe. Production of the R5 was transferred to the
Revoz factory in
Slovenia when the Clio was launched, and it remained on sale as a budget choice until the car's 24-year production run finally came to an end in 1996.
*The Renault 5 is the car that the main character are looking for in the movie
Dude, Where's My Car? and can also be seen in the TV series
My Name is Earl.
*A Renault 5 can also be seen in
The A-Team.
*George comments on the TV series
Seinfeld that his father used to drive a Le Car.
*A modified Renault 5 Turbo was featured on
Ali G within
The Eleven O'Clock Show and in the movie
Ali G In Da House*
French fansite devoted to the Renault 5
