For Sale: 1986 Renault 5 Maxi Turbo
Images by Remi Dargegen courtesy of RM Sotherby’s
This tough as nails Group B 1986 Renault 5 Maxi Turbo was raced by Giovanni Rossi to his third European Hillclimb Championship. It’s heading to auction this September at RM Sotherby’s’ London sale.
In the mid ’70s Renault was looking for an answer to the dominant Lancia Stratos. That answer came from Marc Deschamps of Bertone, who developed a radically-redesigned mid-engined rear wheel drive version of the Renault 5.
This car, chassis R5T/684, is one of the most well-developed examples of Deschamps’ ideas. The original R5s used a 1397 Renault 5 Alpine motor that was bumped up to 162 brake horsepower with some judicious turbocharging. This car uses a rear-mounted 1527cc inline four that develops 386 brake horsepower thanks to a Garrett T31 turbocharger. And it’s only pushing around 900-odd kilograms.
Power is sent to the rear wheels via a five-speed Renault Sport close-ratio box and ZF limited-slip differential. Four-wheel independent double wishbone suspension with lower longitudinal torsion pars, telescopic gas chocks and anti-roll bars makes sure that those wheels are actually touching the ground, and four-wheel ventilated discs are in place to retard the motion of said wheels.
Three-time European Hillclimb Championship winner Giovanni Rossi piloted the car to his third European Championship in 1981, giving the slip to some plenty hefty Group B competition along the way.
It will head to auction on the 7th of September at RM Sotherby’s’ London sale. For more information head to RM Sotherby’s’ official website here.
Images by Remi Dargegen courtesy of RM Sotherby’s
