The Original "Hot Hatch" (Renault 5)

Member Name: kenjohn

Product:	Renault 5
Date:	13/12/00 (465 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Goes like the wind

Disadvantages: Forever breaking down. Expensive parts

~ ~ The Renault 5 “Gordini” Turbo was the predecessor to the highly rated and successful Renault 5 GT Turbo. This car was one of the first “hot” hatchbacks, and spawned such competitors as the Volkswagen Golf GTi and the Peugeot 205 Gti.

~ ~ I bought my “Gordini” in the late 1980’s. It was a 1984 model, and one owner, with average mileage. (about 50K, I think)
Like a lot of the cars I have owned, this car was bought on impulse. I was indulging one of my hobbies, namely nosing around second hand car lots, when I spotted it sitting tucked away in a corner. It looked “different” to the standard models, which is what first caught my eye.

~ ~ A half-hour test drive later and I was “smitten”. This was/is a SERIOUSLY fast little car. It boasts a 1.4 Litre turbocharged engine, which when given its head, could compete favourably on speed with much larger and illustrious competitors. I'm not 100% certain of the 0 to 60-mph time, but if I were to hazard a guess, I would probably put it around the six to seven second mark.

~ ~ I still remember one little incident with some relish. On the motorway one day, and sitting behind a slower moving vehicle in the outside lane, I was suddenly made very rudely aware of the presence of a Jaguar XJ6, which had come up behind me at speed, and was now proceeding to both flash his lights and pump his horn to try to overtake.
Where he thought he was going is another question, as he would still have had to pass the car in front of me, who was in no hurry to pull over.

~ ~ Eventually, the car in front decided to let me pass, and I decided to have a bit of fun. “Pedal to the Metal”, and my tiny Gordini reared up on its rear tyres, and as the turbo kicked in, left the Jaguar wallowing in its wake.
What was memorable was the look of absolute astonishment on the face of the Jag driver; if his jaw had dropped any further
he would have had to book himself in for a face-lift.

~ ~ The car interior was fairly basic, although the previous owner had fitted some very comfortable “Recarro” sports seats in the front. All that distinguished it from the standard Renault 5 of the day was a rev counter and dials for oil and voltage readings.

~ ~ On the outside, it had colour-coded bumpers and mirrors, and a set of tiny spots set in the front spoiler. A nice set of alloy wheels, and a big, fat set of Pirelli tyres (I can’t remember the size) kept her nice and firmly on the tarmac. Although, in fairness, great care had to be taken in wet conditions, as it had a most disconcerting habit of sliding all over the road if the accelerator was pushed too hard.

~ ~ However, this was not a practical car. Nothing about the mechanics or electrics was standard Renault issue, with the result that any repairs tended to run into overdraft territory. And it was temperamental, with a bad habit of letting you down at the wrong time.
Eventually, it was this that led me into parting with the car. But to this day, my wife grieves its passing, as I bought it on the pretext of a “car for the wife”.

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