I can only imagine that the chap that spent £45k modifying it in period was the best customer of both the modification company and his local cocaine dealer

My car!!! Thoroughly enjoyed filming this with you JayEmm... For those potentially interested in buying the car, the for-sale advert will be posted shortly. I absolutely love this car and will be totally gutted when it is sold. The gear linkage just needs adjusting! I worked on it ahead of the car being filmed, but unfortunately it had come out of adjustment after being transported to the filming location. When it was working right, it was a delight to use. I also have a brand new, quicker steering rack that will be supplied with the car!

My man spent the equivalent of £140,000 modifying a hatchback, legend.

Those 3 Phillips screws that hold the taillights were the pinnacle of french car design of the 80's!

I remember my father being dropped home by one sales engineer from his company with a brand new "blanc nacré" Turbo 2. As a teenager I found this looked as bonkers as Magnum's Ferrari. The air intakes were so hot you could have grilled steaks on them.

This car is awesome. For one thing, it has to have the oldest car-spec CD player I have ever seen. Secondly, your point about it being a time capsule is bang on. This is that car to buy for the guy who probably was 10-25 years of age in 1985, and would have done exactly the same mods if they won the lottery, not the "rally purists". Tv camera in the trunk decades before gopros is awesome as well, wish it was still there. Even if I am a bit too young to fit into the category I stated myself, I would buy it in a heartbeat if I had the funds, its just so 1980s cool. I would rather have a backyard souped up Model T done in 1921, than a bog standard one as well. It just shows off the era they came from so well.

That's one of the best turbo inline four exhaust notes I've ever heard. It's as cartoonish as the car itself and has a lot of variety. =) Looks like you get to make several gear changes just to reach 100kph, and the car doesn't seem very fast for 200hp pushing

Now THATS A CAR! Awesome machine 👏👏👏👏

Yet another car that, back when I started driving in the mid nineties, you could pick up for around 5k. When Jay said it was for sale for 85k, I had to wind the video back to make sure I had heard that correctly! I cannot get my head around how many classic cars, which were once very accessible, now fetch silly prices. Its great for someone selling a car they bought all those years ago, but not for those people on a modest budget, which is most of us.

Later turbo renault stuff while devastatingly quick usually sounds a bit naff on louder exhausts but this snarling, crackling little beast sounds utterly amazing! Interesting video on a bonkers version of an already bonkers car! Edit: The bit at 11:37 where you pass by sort of reminds me of how The Interceptor looked at sounded in Mad Max just before he spins around to ram a couple of the biker gang off the bridge, just a much smaller car but still black and angry sounding!

My pal Alan had a Turbo 2 with some race car mods in period. One thing that makes for difficulty in smooth driving away is the small fly-wheel. These are awesome cars for twisty roads!

Love it. Cooler London transport than any new supercar.

2:53 "Carpeting from a Rolls-Royce..." 3:03 "and carpeting also from a Rolls-Royce" - OK, I get it. It has Rolls-Royce carpets in it. 😆

Jean Ragnotti doesn't know whether to laugh or cry. Do both, Jean. Do both. 🤭

after watching quite a lot off your videos u seemed the happiest on this one !!!

What a wonderful thing! Anyone who doesn't love this has no soul Great feature car 👍🏻

Excellent! A highly entertaining car, I'm old enough to remember being able to choose between 1 of these and a 924 Carrera GT for 10k. I chose the 924 then tried to buy a Turbo 2 a couple of years later, the price then was 14k so I bought a Carrera GTS for less. Times have changed. I still can't afford 1

Years ago I saw a blue one of these at our local Shell garage. People flocked around it like flies on dog turd. You’re right they are very rare. There’s a guy near me who seems to have a different car on a trailer behind his van most days. A few months ago he had a Gordini turbo on his trailer

Sounds like an angry baby dragon. Lovely.

That sounds absolutely delightful! The intake suck, the turbo whine and snarling barking popping & gargling exhaust…more reminiscent of half-an-F40 than a little Renault hatchback… Listen to the first few seconds of this video through a really good stereo or headphones 😉

I can agree with most of this as a previous owner of a Turbo 2, once owned by Peter Stringfellow I too appreciated the 80's throwback. Mine was finished in Pearlescent white but had £1,000's spent on a bespoke interior (by Springfellow) based on the original seats but trimmed in blood red Connolly hide including the head lining, dash, you name it, it was covered in red leather. These cars do need driving to get the best from them - they are not a cruiser, more a car for a Sunday morning thrash but can cover long distances with ease - they were quite economical on a run too. Used to drive mine to track days - about 100 miles each way. Weather made a big difference to performance, a cool damp day being much better than a hot sunny day. Tyre pressures also made a big difference to feel. Dropping 2 psi on the fronts being the difference between "wooden" handling and a slightly softer but more accurate turn in rather than skittish - most owners did away with the metric tyres and changed to softer compound, wider, larger diameter and lower profile boots. Thought it interesting that you compared performance to a Ferrari Testarossa . Worth stopping and remembering that one had a flat 12, 4.9lt engine. The other a turbocharged 1397cc 4 pot. What the 5 didn't have was weight. Round a short circuit the Ferrari would feel overweight - about three sizes to big if you catch my drift. Fabulous little cars - the biggest mistake I ever made was parting with mine. Its finest moment being asked to display it at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Great channel.....👍

Always remember the advertising stuff for these in the 80s, back in the days when hot hatches had a wonderfull exhaust note...! Anyone remember one of these in the 83 bond film, never say never again...? Magic stuff...! What a bonkers but brilliant piece of fun.....!

That car is insane and so was the first owner

As an 80’s kid, this makes me smile. I love the madness and anything with wide arches was just cool.

Still hoping for restoring my R5TL, cheers from Indonesia

I can't imagine there are 2 of these. I drove this car in the 90s when it went through British Car Auctions Brighouse. It had the smoke machine and I remember semi hidden flashing blue police lights and siren among other things.

I love this. I think I'd install a freeview box somewhere in the front so I could watch digital telly on the CRT. Perhaps add a Laserdisc player too.

Thanks James great 80's beast from France and the answer is definitely 2.8 😮👍👍

It's a Renault mate. They're all STILL kinda cobbled together. The wiring under the hood could be factory, or not. To be frank, factory wiring looks just a messy. The engine is great, mostly due to the cross-flow Alpine (Gordini) cylinderhead. They never used it in the later SuperCinq. The old 5's all had a longitudinal engine, with the gearbox mounted in front. The Supers had a transverse engine and no space for a crossflow head I guess. The vent in the bonnet extracts air away from the radiator. And don't you dare not speak in your videos. Your feedback makes us feel as if we're in there with you.

I just love the noises it makes,, sounds like the monster that was under my bed as a kid 😂😂😂😂😂

The carpeting from a Rolls Royce was so impressive it needed saying twice! A friend had a 5 Turbo a good few years ago. It looked like something Ali G would have owned. Lowered, big bore exhaust, induction kit, chequered flag wrap complete with headlight covers... it was quick, bloody loud, a right laugh (for short periods), and also a right pain in the arse as it was completely unreliable

I saw one of these blow up on the Marseille dock bypass in the early 90s. Quite volatile engine setup.

I had a Turbo 2 in 1992 with the 180 kit fitted to it. A bigger intercooler and a wastegate spacer. Mine was fitted with Gotti wheels and fishnet Recaro seats. I loved it but a job redundancy meant I had to sell it. It was loud and mad. Can’t beat a quirky French car.

Serious car ! Super Rare now ...

Please do not change the way you review cars jay, you’re much more articulate and descriptive than dummies like Officially gassed, LLF, DMO, Calvis car diary. You are the only guy that really makes me feel close to driving the car myself 👍🏼👍🏼

I swapped my sunbeem rally car for a gordini and a motor cross bike, this was before speed camaras, it literally flew down the M62,i wasnt the driver of it, but wow could it go and corner as if on rails,loved it.

I know that deep down it's just a humble pushrod shopping trolley engine, but the sound it makes is one of the best ever heard from a four cylinder engine. Nostalgic melancholy is hard to avoid when thinking you could once buy a machine like this new (never mind the show car stuff, blah).

I don't mind you talking in your car reviews, though I have to say, you doing a car review through the medium of interpretive dance is something I'd watch, though maybe just the once.

Great review - more interpretive dance please, highlighting the sacrificial anode wiring of French automobiles! Seriously though awesome car and always loved a sporty Renault, with all those gizmos it's like Knightrider but for the Cotswolds!

What an awesome hot hatch that was.... I used to drool as a kid when I saw one tested in one of the magazines.

My god man. Bloody brilliant!💯

Crazy man! What a thing. Oh, and trust me when I say that the car was considered crazy in it's day. It bore about as much in common with a normal R5 as a Saturn IV does to a firework. What a find. Brilliant.

James - loving the more robust walk arounds in your latest videos. Very reminiscent of the golden era of Top Gear. 👍🏆

Excellent soundtrack from this.

Great review, I mean how often do you get the chance to drive a genuine Group B homologation special on the road. The R5 has to be the cheapest entry point, I mean a Sport Quattro/205T16/S4/6R4/RS200 are all well into 6 figures now.

As a true car guy.....this is Bonkers Awesome.

I remember a Renault 5 Turbo 2 being in Maxpower or one of those mags back in the day, makes me think its this one cause the car in the mag had a smoke screen and police sirens etc and was black like this, i am pretty sure its the same car as you don't see many of them and none with all those gadgets which is so 80's. Great review would love one.

that sound WOW

Those are not two tapedecks, the one on top is a CD player……which made it all the more gangster back in the day. Made by Trio, mind you, for those in the know….

Love them. Also It's a review.... Please carry on talking.

It's an Italvolanti steering wheel, quite a few of their steering wheel designs had the 'L' on the boss, I think it was just the 'L' from ItaLvolanti. The Countach Anniversary I think had a similar steering wheel, but this was much later than the Renault.

Who's the owner? Ali G?

I've accepted I'm going to get a great car review every time I watch......this pre acceptance of what's about to happen allows me to shift focus from the resulting product and concentrate instead on the shirt Jay's wearing, the real reason we're all here

I think these were meant to have the potential for much further tuning in race spec? Hence the slightly bland performance in slightly-warmed-up road spec. More awesome to look at than to drive, so very Eighties. The rear tyres are 235mm, not 275? Fat on a Renault 5 all the same. This is one car that must not be driven much - mk1 Renault 5s were truly typical of '70s vintage rustiness (I had a 1982 GTL in 1990 - 1108cc of pure fuel economy, no hill-climbing capability whatsoever, fantastically comfortable high-back seats, cornering lean maybe only bettered by a Citroen 2CV and RUST in all the corners) and it will take constant cleaning to keep it from decaying very quickly if it does hit the roads. One for the collector, not the enthusiast. Shame, because I remember SO wanting a 5 Gordini when they appeared in 1980 - one of my junior school teachers had a black one and it was the last word in awesome to a 9-year-old Renault fanatic. Time is cruel!

Remember Radbourne Racing of Wimbledon selling them back in the day.

Awesome car. Would love to see it in it's glory with everything working. Keep up the good work.

the exhaust pipe sound is fucking great

The outro music is amazing

Looked nifty going down the road so it did

That engine sounds _good_! That hollow timber to the sound and the little pops on the over-run are just right.

Interpretive dance I love it 😂

It reminds me of a Picasso: If you gave it to me I would sell it fast, but I understand there will be some people that appreciate it!

Had the pleasure of meeting Andrew and this car a few months back. Cracking bit of kit!

This car gives me a “hatchback prototype” Knight Industries Two Thousand vibe 🚥

I mean, it's a Renault, eh 5, rear engined, drag racer looks, modified, 80's stanced...... Beautiful. Any questions =2.8 !

I remember that steering wheel from a Renault Ritmo Turbo a friend of mine had. Italvolanti Florio. If I remember right, that steering wheel moved later into his AR 155 V6 Q4.

love it.

I personally don't think you talk too much James. But if you decide to review the next car through the medium of interprative dance, I'll be watching with curious interest. 🤣

one of my dreams

I had a good laugh at the opening engine sounds, even before the first word was spoken. What a delightfully absurd thing.

Friggin' laser beams!!!

I'm only here to say that if I had one of those I'd put stickers on the sides that say 'Le Aaaaaaaaaa!'

Great video Jay

Mr tumble relieving his youth

One of the first breed of hot hatches.

If you figure out which footballer had it made you could improve the provenance :P Really neat car and a running and driving time machine.

That is quite the noise coming out of such a tiny motor!

Bravo Jay!!!! 👏👏👏👏👏👏 My hat is tipped to the original owner for going his own way to the maxxxxxx lol

Brilliant motor this is. I enjoyed this review thoroughly even without the interpretive dancing lol.✌🏻🇺🇸

............and my 1st 911 had the same steering wheel, Italvolanti

Great noise! I wonder if this level of customization with gadgets is rather unheard of in Europe? Here in the US, pretty common back in the day, so might be considered quite valuable.

What a unique score of a drive. Well done Mr M!

A Renault 5 Turbo 2 and lots of 80s HiFi and magnetic tape devices. That my childhood dream. I've seen photos of luxury and performance cars from the era with similar modifications but never on a car built to compete in rallying.

Thats a stunning car. Love it. Id take this over a brand new car anytime. Everything affordable made in the last 10 years just lacks any sort of excitement or driver engagement. You cant beat a classic turbo car. Evo V owner here :)

_Come on!_ You must mention this car´s appearance in the James Bond movie _Never Say Never Again._

This the ultimate classic hatchback, fantastically beautiful. Thanks JayEmm for a fantastic year of churning out exquisite content with the utmost consistency in your critical review of all cars, regardless of the brand. Happy end of year to you sir!

Made my day, my dream car, thank James, you have just made an old man happy!!

I loved the way the insanity of the mods made you not only note that there was indeed carpeting from a Rolls Royce - but to state this TWICE!!

The separate tape deck/CD player was pretty common in the mid to late '80's, along with the tape deck/cd player/equalizer set up. I had a pioneer set up that was a 2 1/2 din set up, with the amps hiding under the front seats of my Lancer Turbo 2000.

Always loved these and the Gordini. Hope someone drops off a turbo technics 205 Dimma for you to drive. Haven't seen one for years.

Looks great. Enjoyed this video James. I think the L motif on the steering wheel mirrors the general trim. Maybe from the Street Machine magazine era?

These were cool little cars but 85 grands worth of cool? No chance!

😂😂😂😂😂"slightly dubious wiring",as a fellow Englishman I appreciate your understatement!✌👍

Absolutely fekkin gorjus, wish I had the dosh

85K never in a month of Sundays !

My moms gtl Renault Lecar had same issue with gas gauge lol. A guessing game on the riviera lol

Love the review Jay. Please try and get your hands on a 21 turbo and review it.👍

That's the most non-turbo turbo's car I've heard in a while 😂

It sounds to me like a distraught toddler. Give me a v6 engine any day. I like you so this video was entertaining. 🇬🇧

Somebody was making naughty road racing videos