Jump to content

The GT Turbo history


galaxy

Recommended Posts

The GT Turbo history

The grandfathers

1972: The R5 model is born. Different models would be produced, and the car would become a real best-seller, but the sport version, with a turbo attached to the 1397cc block came with the R5 Alpine Turbo (110 bhp).

r5alpine.jpg

1980: The R5 Turbo starts being produced. It was a rear-driven mid-engined monster based on the R5 with enormous rear arches and the same block (but with 165bhp this time). The beast was a prototype (including fuel injection) that ruled the world of rallies with Jean Ragnotti, Carlos Sainz and others at the wheel. Brutal performances (0-100kmh in 6.4s) for a car out of the world it lived. Only a few were sold to a few privilegees!

1982: The R5 Turbo 2, the second generation, with some upgrades, arrives (185 bhp). Produced as a natural continuation to the rally successes, once prepared to race it could obtain over 360bhp from the same block!

r5turbo2.jpg

1984: The Maxi 5 ends with the monster history. Sold only to homologate the Gr. B rally car, and using all the technology available at the moment, could reach more than 400bhp using 1527cc. The end of the Gr. B meant the death of these machines development.

r5maxit.jpg

That very year, Renault completely renews the successful historical Renault 5 model to create the 'SuperFive', a new car with transverse new engines, light alloy gearbox, MacPherson strut front suspension, and new body and interior designs.

The phase 1

1985: The sport model of the SuperFive, the GT Turbo, is born. Renault develops the phase 1 Renault 5 GT Turbo, with its 115 bhp for 860 kg and its Garrett T2 turbocharger blowing the eternal 1397cc block. It was a nice engineering work to adapt the SuperFive to the horsepower it had to cope with, due to its nature of light small car, and so we have an absolutely full engine bay, lots of hoses and wires, lots of special components (they _must_ be special, because Renault spare parts tend to be much more expensive when you mention it's for a GTT)... but the final result was a wild machine that started to make its own legend...

Let's take a look at the original Renault advertising (in italian)...

banner.jpg

In the very beginning, the car was distributed only into the 'Coupe' version, that was sold only to competitors into the Renault Cup (Coupe means cup in french, as you'll have guessed). Those cars had some peculiarities, but in Spain 'Copa Turbo' (Copa means cup in spanish) was almost a synonymous of 'GT Turbo' because there was an old R5 model that was also called 'Copa' and the GT looked like its natural continuation. This is how a Cup version car looked like:

coupe.jpg

The phase 2

1986: From May (in France), Renault starts using the water-cooled T2 turbocharger. This drove to a longer life of the turbo, because turbo reliability (due to improper use of the turbo!) was a common problem until these ones arrived...

1988: The major renewing is done, producing this car:

front03.jpg

The main changes introduced with the phase 2 were:

- New front grille, with Renault logo at the left side, new front bumper, with different low side, and slightly different rear arch trims. This 'great' aerodynamical changes made them claim the Cx was now 0.35 instead of 0.36...

- New longer central console. Additional equipment, like the electrically-operated windows, was now directly fitted.

- New alloy 'star' type wheels.(I bought the car without the central wheel covers, so you'll have to imagine them in the picture).

- Changed carburettor type and adjustments, giving now 120 bhp.

- RE209 ignition module, instead of RE208, giving 500 more r.p.m. It was positioned on the bulkhead, on the other side of the firewall, to avoid the excessive heating that came from being over the turbo.

- Modified front suspension strut, with an inclined top mounting to reduce the steering axis inclination. It was made not to let the car eat the wide tyres unevenly, but it had a side effect: it doesn't allow the steering wheel to return to straight position so easily, specially if you're accelerating hardly.

- New cooling system arrangement, now including inlet manifold cooling and degassing unit, to reduce overheating, another known problem experienced in phase 1 cars.

- Small changes into the antipercolation fan system.

1991: Renault launches the Clio 16 valves, and gradually stops selling GTTs.

The last limited edition of GT Turbos was produced in electric blue ('Bleu nuit' in french), in honour of the '89 Gr.N title obtained by Alain Oreille driving a GT Turbo, and is also known as Raider. They came with phase 2 wheels painted in the body color and full equipment.

8.jpg

It was the end of the turbo age, leading to more progressive and civilized engines, of those that anyone can drive without problems (I love that kind of problems...). As you know, the beginning of the 16 valve age.

Anyway, admitting the Clio 16v had a technically superior engine (it finally ends with the 1397cc block use), and a greater top speed, it never reached the GTT acceleration, and, of course, never gave that turbo boost kick that makes you adrenalize so strongly!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

prevedi to na HR :mad:

lijencino :zubo:

pss još i to, trebalo mi je 20min samo za isformatirat taj html :mad::zubo:

Kome je mrsko citat na engleskom ima i jedan moj uradak na R5 Historija ;)

nije to to, nešto se clio previše spominje i slika :zubo:

ovdje se spominje samo u kontekstu "Anyway, admitting the Clio 16v had a technically superior engine (it finally ends with the 1397cc block use), and a greater top speed, it never reached the GTT acceleration, and, of course, never gave that turbo boost kick that makes you adrenalize so strongly! :klap:

(ovo ko da je citirao baleva) :)

a i rainovu ljubav si izostavio :laugh:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

pss još i to, trebalo mi je 20min samo za isformatirat taj html :mad::zubo:

nije to to, nešto se clio previše spominje i slika :zubo:

ovdje se spominje samo u kontekstu "Anyway, admitting the Clio 16v had a technically superior engine (it finally ends with the 1397cc block use), and a greater top speed, it never reached the GTT acceleration, and, of course, never gave that turbo boost kick that makes you adrenalize so strongly! :klap:

(ovo ko da je citirao baleva) :)

a i rainovu ljubav si izostavio :laugh:

Pa dobro... to je pisano vise kao pregled kompletnog segmenta renaultovih mini hot hatcheva od pocetaka do danas... a rainovu ljubav nisam izostavio vec nisam htio mijesati R5 Turbo (i to nema ;) ) i Clio V6 u ovu pricu, jer to nije ta klasa... :hey:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pa dobro... to je pisano vise kao pregled kompletnog segmenta renaultovih mini hot hatcheva od pocetaka do danas... a rainovu ljubav nisam izostavio vec nisam htio mijesati R5 Turbo (i to nema ;) ) i Clio V6 u ovu pricu, jer to nije ta klasa... :hey:

ma znam zezam te malo, ali polinkao si članak kao "R5 Historija", samo ti je R5 na pameti :mad::plazi:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Renault-klub.hr koristi kolačiće za pružanje boljeg korisničkog iskustva, funkcionalnosti i prikaza sustava oglašavanja. Cookie postavke mogu se kontrolirati i konfiguritati u vašem web pregledniku. Nastavkom pregleda web stranice slažete se sa korištenjem kolačića. Koristeći se ovom web stranicom, pristajete na opće uvjete te pravila ponašanja.