1986 Renault Fuego TURBO! (Real NZ Road Test)

[@AndyMarsh]

Loved the styling of the Fuego. It was one of the first cars I 'noticed' as a kid.

[@squidface7952]

Same, my neighbor had one when I was about 8, I had a strange obsession with the interior and shape of the seats. He crashed it and got a golf GTi and remember thinking how boring it was in comparison.

[@davidfos84]

Same here. When I was a kid in the early 90's you used to see them quite frequently.

[@wildrover1048]

The Fuego is one of my all time top cars, especially in turbo form.I always thought of them being mini GT's than a sports car.Beautiful.

[@cteinsportsnzworldwide4083]

Cool Review now that's the next model on my feugo List, Been a Renault Nut raced R8 Gordini in Sth Africa, n then move to NZ, Saw a Feugo Targo/Race car on trademe bought it , if only for the twin side draughts Weber's it had was worth the price , Raced it in ERC & 2k cup in NI won highest points scoring French car in season 2106/17 ERC , have since bought 3 more all from Chch , 1 was imported from France the other 2 NZ new , the latest been a 1 owner car with only 90K Km on it, waiting for it to be shipped up top me now. Drove my 3rd purchase from Nelson SI pick up to Chch , had clutch cable snap 178km outside Chch but managed to still drive it bump starting at each stop. had that fixed in Chch and sorted minor things out then Road tripped back to NI Pokeno in 2 days only stopping for ferry crossing . It a 2l GTX model n still got a lot of up n go , picked up a Ford XR6 Turbo just outside Amberly and kept up with him until Blenheim. We reach speeds close to 170kph+, I think the XR6 drive must have got a shock that he couldn't shake me., Other side Kaikoura had a Ford Explore Ute, kept up with him until he got away in the hills with his Turbo so slowed back to 100. The trip was good and Seats were as usual comfortable that you could still enjoy the trip and walk @ the end . So I hoping to increase my Collection of Feugos in NZ stay turned maybe when my Race car back up and in Touring Car trim ATC spec you may like to test drive it Ian ?

[@slowhoon]

The last time I saw one was yesterday when I looked at both of mine (both Turbos but one is really just spares for the other). The one that goes is still my daily driver. Here are some observations for you: They did come with a luggage blind - I have one - but it's a crap design. It attaches to the tailgate and the other end to the covers over the rear suspension either side of the back seats. When you lift the tailgate, it then detaches itself from the aforementioned covers. They get along quite nicely when you get the turbo spooling. Yes there is turbo lag, but it's a 1980s design and you had to get a Lotus Esprit Turbo to have a turbocharged car without lag. However, if you redline it in each gear, the turbo is on boost when you select the next gear - whoever selected the ratios in the transaxle did a great job. Turn in for corners is fantastic. Especially considering the entire engine sits ahead of the front axle line I run some very cheap tyres and not only do the fronts grip like crazy when cornering, they wear very slowly. Wheelspin is a bit of a problem at times though. The Fuego had a very low coefficient of drag for its time and it can be quite quiet inside compared to other cars of its time. It also has relatively soft suspension which is ideal for dealing with New Zealand's poor quality roads. The Fuego has some negatives though - for instance the tailgate can only be opened by pulling the release lever in the driver's b-pillar (so you have to open the door to reveal the lever), annoying things fail (fuel gauge, trip reset, headlamp wipers, seat squab so you end up being stabbed by the springs), synchro rings in the gearbox wear prematurely, the rear wiper doesn't have a washer function and possibly the worst fault is a diaphragm in the carb fails, allowing petrol to run out into the engine bay and run the risk of fire.

[@unclejoe6811]

Remember Renault Turbos were dominating formula 1 at the time.

[@slowhoon]

@@unclejoe6811 Yup, and some of that technology dribbled into the Fuego. It even has a factory fitted intercooler with an automatic fan!

[@leuvenlife]

There is a Hotel in Barcelona that is only still standing because Renault named this car Fuego. Otherwise, I'd have had no idea what to yell as I ran through to the reception, waking the night porter. Yes, my room was on fire and I didn't speak enough spanish to explain. But I did at least know that word... Thank you, Renault.

[@volvo480]

Some say the Talbot-Matra Murena didn't get the 2 litre Renault Douvrin engine they were supposed to have (that is why they have a Citroën CX gearbox), because Renault feared competition with the Fuego and Matra was owned by their competitor PSA. Now I don't think this is fair, because the Fuego was priced lower in the market and more like a saloon converted to a coupé instead of a truly mid-engined sports car, but then again, the Fuegos were massively better looking than the Renault 18 they have been derived from. The Fuego had fairly outdated engines carried over from the R18, Renault was introducing much more modern fuel injected 1.7 litre OHC engines for their R9/R11 lineup in the mid 1980s, but the Fuego was already in full production by then. In 1987, the Renault 9-derived Volvo 400-series even got a Porsche-designed turbocharger on the 1.7 litre engine which Volvo had detuned to 120 bhp (with proper tuning you could get 160-170 bhp). Many people have slaughtered a Volvo 480 Turbo to transplant the engine into a Renault 5 Turbo, I don't know if that has happened with a Fuego, but it wouldn't surprise me.

[@davidvickers4228]

That is a lovely car

[@rolandkamp5307]

Nice car, they are all gone here in the Netherlands. The 11 also had that back window lay-out.

[@clintmullins4406]

The steering wheel does look modern. Those wheels look like my old 86 nissan pulsar(the wedge shaped version)

[@NebukedNezzer]

there were some of these in colorado but they did not last.

[@markcherriman6136]

When does the book come out ? " THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO WINDSCREEN WIPERS AND WASHERS "

[@piterpanbali6818]

It looks a bit like my old mitsubishi cordia

[@peterboyd7304]

ha ha.not as good either.

[@zebedep]

I can't be the only person thinking: 'when did I last see one of these'?

[@wannerweiposse]

completely forgot it ever existed...

[@gorebrush]

It's first time I've ever seen one.... And I was born in the 80's. Maybe I was just too young to notice any.

[@k1ckyscotland988]

I always got the Fuego and the Scirrocco mixed up,one was prone to overheating,can't remember which. Decades since I've seen either.

[@marcuswr6114]

It’s a while, always loved these also. the 15 and 17 , great review from hubnut

[@gosportjamie]

@@k1ckyscotland988 Certain versions of the Fuego did like to get rather warm in normal driving, especially the 2.0 litre petrol versions. The turbo, however, just liked to catch fire every so often...

[@ianfrench1577]

The Fuego was the first car ever to feature remote central locking, and even marketed itself as pioneering that tech

[@simonredfern2584]

Still one of the best names for a car, the design hasn't aged too badly either. top work mr hubnut!

[@osvaldovidela6466]

If you see the GTA Max Fuego (Argentinian market exclusive) it won't have aged a little

[@marcwiart5657]

Here in North America these cars got a lot of bad reviews. Well I had mine 10 yrs or more. 2.2L I think it was a 1985. Bought it 2nd hand and it needed struts. Being maybe 18 yrs old I was quite tight on cash I bought the struts and cursed and panicked my way till they were in. Lucky for me Mr. Plaizer who ran a European car repair shop and had a kind heart let me use his special Renault spring compressor. it cost me a few hundred dollars and that was about all I ever did put into it save oil ect! I loved that car. One of the only cars I had a hard time seeing off. I have since had a number of much more prestigious brands since. The little burgundy Fuego stole my heart.

[@saintfunny]

I've been waiting for this one. I was lucky enough to have a Fuego as my first car, a GTX with the 2.0 engine, and yes the seats are amazing! I still miss it.

[@wiltner]

I had that one too. Mine was black with light brown and cream interior. It was a real cockpit. A sloping towards you dash and aircraft like seats. Way ahead of it's time. A flyer!

[@technicaltrialsandtribulat4574]

My first car was a Fuego GTS 1647cc, I always wanted a GTX!

[@phantom3rdchannel]

i actually own one of these with fuel injection in america. mines still slightly broken and this is the first modern review i've seen of one. gives me more of a push to fix it

[@guillermobrunstein2594]

hey..i used to own one. I have a new turbo unit sitting there if u need it

[@phantom3rdchannel]

@@guillermobrunstein2594 oh thats awesome. ill have to see once i get the tank cleaned out but its been sitting 30 years so it may need one. are you in the us?

[@mctend9108]

Fix it!! 🙏

[@julienbee3467]

@@phantom3rdchannel it was sold in your country or you imported it ?

[@unclejoe6811]

@@julienbee3467 they were sold in the US along with the 5, 18 and 18i as the sportwagen of course we had the Renault 9&11 as the alliance and encore later we got the 21 in the form of the Renault Medallion, Eagle Premier / Medallion and Dodge Monaco.

[@RichieRouge206]

This is absolutely awesome - I adore these as they are quite bonkers. I love R21 and R25 so much so this is like a nirvana. Brilliant video Ian, made my day 😎 with all that wiper action it should be locked away....

[@RichieRouge206]

Wheel is out of an early Clio16v - lovely addition I have to say

[@AlfaGiuliaQV]

I also love the utterly sleek and crisp styling of the 21. The best looking sedan of its day.

[@andreasu.3546]

My first car was a 1988 Renault 11, which had the same remote central locking as the Fuego here. It was the most simple infrared based system you can think of, no rolling codes or anything in the way of security. In fact, we could teach the remote code to the learning infrared remote control of my friend's hifi system and then open and lock and unlock the doors with the hifi remote.

[@paulrobinson3528]

pops up on notifications just as i settle down to stuff my face with a smoked bacon sandwich, good timing ! and its the colour of my Rover Tourer so thumbs up

[@commodore665]

French cars always had incredibly comfortable seats

[@stevenmoran4060]

They still do.

[@joannegray5138]

I've always loved the looks of the Fuego and in my opinion, it has aged well and still looks stunning when compared with today's vehicles.

[@martinnorth2680]

Ahead of its time and still a timeless shape, particularly in that colour. Seats looked very inviting.

[@12masterr]

I used to have one in the 90's in Argentina, they are still a few around there!

[@cesarpereyra3455]

Tenías una turbo? Si es así es una reliquia

[@alex.ann_der]

@@cesarpereyra3455 Acá no llego la Fuego turbo, o si ? El Renault 11 turbo si, pero la Fuego ? Se ven por todos lados pero turbo ? Creo que es solo francesa

[@huwdavies6650]

Definitely a mid 90's Renault sporty model 19/clio/21 steering wheel as it has the later smoothed off 3D Renault Diamond.

[@federicobraida]

Exactly, the steering wheel is from '90s Renaults, my Clio Rsi had the same.

[@will16vuk]

The Clio 1.8 16v phase 1 came with that steering wheel before they started putting airbags in them, early 90’s

[@fasthracing]

Think the steering wheel is off a Renault 19 16 valve.

[@millomweb]

You can't beat a 16 valve steering wheel ;)

[@SocksWithSandals]

32 years ago I remember the Fuego was something petrol heads in pubs all had an opinion on, mostly good from those that owned one.

[@davidcoleman7674]

Excellent! The Fuego is still a lovely looking car. The Irish Renault dealers ran an art competition when the Fuego came out. I won a radio cassette player and a Renault rally jacket for my entry!

[@maxeluy]

You are going to have a lot of comments and views from Argentina, they love this car!

[@konradmaciejewski540]

Reno flugo

[@Schlipperschlopper]

Great car! Could you please test a Peugeot 604 Gti with the Delorean V6 engine and manual gearbox...the windshield wipers are licene built copies of the German W116 Mercedes wipers.

[@SantinoProdan]

Here in Argentina, in 1988 we redisigned the original Renault Fuego calling it Renault Fuego GTA, and GTA max, bouth powered by a 2.2 liter engine, and a very modern new looking! Unfortunately we never had the chance to see the renault fuego turbo in our country.

[@numbereightyseven]

As of today, there's 67 Fuego's still registered in NZ, 10 of them turbo.

[@nzrhysco]

Is that currently registered or on hold? I know of 8 Turbos just in the Christchurch area

[@darrenchantler2562]

Arr the days of TURBO written large on anything and everything

[@alanfunt4013]

Including razor blades

[@nakoma5]

The days when turbo was actually cool.

[@ryszard68]

Pretty sure I used to have a stereo cassette boom box with a "turbo" button 😂😂🤣

[@AlfaGiuliaQV]

@@ryszard68 I had a Philips with turbo bass. It was the thing to have in 1991.

[@CauliflowerMcPugg]

I remember one when I was a teenager that I walked past on my way to school. I thought it was cool then and do now.

[@video99couk]

7:30 Oh yes there is a practical sports car. 1994 Toyota Celica. Huge boot in a Gen 6 Celica.

[@volvo480]

You sound like Scott Kilmer :P

[@video99couk]

@@volvo480 No, I'm in the UK, here's my Celica: www.colin99.co.uk/mycar-2018.jpg Actually it's only the ones with the space saver spare which have the huge boot. Some have a full size spare then the boot is not so great.

[@volvo480]

@@video99couk I mean the KZbin channel of Scott Kilmer, a retired mechanic that is pumping out videos like there's no tomorrow. Most videos he concludes that you'd better drive a 1994 Celica which he also owns of course 😂

[@BombDaBass2000]

I remember seeing the Fuego in the James Bond movie “A View to a Kill” and my dad went to the local Renault Dealer to pick up his factory new R11. And there i saw the Fuego in the Showroom & thought by myself.. "Why ..why we had to pick up this R11..why couldn't it be this red Fuego instead (ok..the R11 was also red.. ;)

[@charlesjmouse]

My dad was going to buy a Fuego... but after one look on a test-drive he remarked "That thing will fall apart in 20mins flat!" Followed by "Why has it got a parachute for a rear bumper?" He bought a fairly ratty Mk1 Granada instead ...which didn't fall apart, and I learned to drive in it! A shame, as it was if nothing else a pretty car.

[@macgto]

The Fuego was a very cool and quirky car. I owned two of them, both turbos. I had a white 83, and an Iris Mist (silver purple) 84. Mine were US spec so they were fuel injected, but it was still only 107hp so performance was not "blistering" On the US spec cars, on my 83, the Turbo boost gauge occupied the blank space in the center stack and there was a small change cubbie where the gauge is in this example. In my 84, the instrument panel had been redesigned, and the turbo boost gauged was relocated into the main panel beneath the tachometer. Curious how this Fuego is an 86, yet still has the dashboard of the pre 84. Nevertheless, I loved both of mine.

[@alpinisti310]

I believe a certain Mr. Robert Opron had something to do with the styling, hence the overall form is quite nice but some details look a bit odd. Very Opronian indeed, like the Citroen SM. The front grille arrangement and the add-on foglight housings, for example. Also, to a modern eye, the wheelbase does look a bit short i.e. the rear wheels could go back/out a fair bit (from an aesthetic POV). That applies to the donor car, the Renault 18, as well. And the indicator light on the instrument panel WAS working (you can see it if you look closely), so nothing to do with popularised perception of Dodgey French electrics (see what I did there?) 😉 Back in the day I used to own a Renault 9 which had the exact same instrument cluster, and the indicator tell-tale was useless in daylight even if the bulb was OK. Oh, and this sporty car for people who don’t like sportscars has a live rear axle, so there you go. QED. 😁

[@kingedwin]

I only know they sold these in the U.S. because Motor Week did a review on one. However, I've never seen one IRL, even in a junkyard. These were sold as a halo car during the weird Renault/AMC partnership years when Renault 9s were being built in American plants.

[@michaelvo966]

I owned one back in the 80 great car for the money, new technology come to America,, we gone thur rain , snowing the mid west for 3 years, and all the way to Florida and to California....very smooth ride and comfortable.... I really missed it. paid almost 10K. its worth every Pennie of it.

[@GazzaView123]

I honestly can't remember the last time I saw a Fuego. Great review, Ian.

[@technicaltrialsandtribulat4574]

My first car I bought was a black Fuego GTS 1.6, C Reg. Bought for 150 pounds in 1998

[@barryphillips7327]

I am surprised that in 1986 it was not at least OHC, many of BMWs etc too still used OHV around time too.

[@alex.ann_der]

This model never came to Argentina. Here is a well loved car, and has a lot o history in local professional races. Was made until 1992 under the Gta Max model.

[@James-oo1yq]

The poor mans Porsche 924, that was every bit as quick

[@660einzylinder]

One of our customers had a base model Fuego, it had the performance of a fog bound snail and felt as though the engine was bolted directly to the chassis......I much preferred the quite, refined comfort of the 16TL I was running at the time.

[@frfalbo]

Nice video I had an 83 Fuego. The electronics were some of the weakest points on these cars. I went through a fuse panel every other year!!!!

[@paulsheehan2998]

I thought I'd watched all the NZ videos Must have missed this one! Well happy!

[@pit_stop77]

I dreamed of having one of those cars in the 80's. Sadly the closest I got was a Renault 18 diesel estate...... 🤢🤢

[@chrisredfield3240]

Those had a good 2.1d engine taxi drivers loved them.

[@torresalex]

I'm sorry, but they're so dreadful they're great!

[@ajivins1]

I had an 18 TS. I'm sure it was about 1700cc and so quiet, smooth and well-built. I was in a rush once and put my foot down, it started getting a bit bouncy and looking down, I saw I was doing well over a hundred! Still quiet though.

[@seancooke4127]

The 18 Estate was especially lovely and filled with kit for the tme. A friend of mine owned one with an electric auto gearbox.

[@dannork1240]

The Jibber Jabber I’d take an 18 estate in a heartbeat! I’m not sure they ever sold them where I live...

[@nikonordman7624]

I absolutely love these!

[@Andronicus2007]

A teacher of mine had a red one in 1985, I thought it was very cool!

[@peterbollans9982]

wow i haven't seen one of these since my brother got rid if his in the 80s,

[@OAKSEY-wd4vs]

Love this vlogg i remember my fuego, i had a renault 25 too the talking one Remember !

[@davidbrown6227]

Loved the Fuego. It’s been years since I’ve seen one and I’m amazed you found one! It’s such a gorgeous car and a great video Ian 👍👍👍

[@simonhodgetts6530]

Niiiiiiice car - I love these! Designed by Robert Opron no less - Of Citroen CX and R25 fame (amongst others)

[@marcc482]

French cars are well known for their comfortable seats and rides !!!

[@phillipsharpe6459]

Nice, i nearly bought one of these years ago, carnt remember why i didn't, 64 years old, with the memory of a goldfish. 😂😂👍

[@andrewgurney6019]

Lovely looking car back in the day

[@coopers4491]

Nice colour, hope your well remember these cars as a child !!!!!😅😅😅😅😅😅😅☕☕☕☕☕🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧👍👍👍👍👍

[@bombakdik]

The wiper and the glass dome at the rear are indeed extremely reminiscent of that era. It is nearly the same configuration on the Porsche 924 and 944.

[@georgeprime2249]

Or the Interceptor.

[@ProdigalPorcupine]

@George Prime - I loved the look of those! I’ve only ever seen pictures though, they must be as rare as an honest politician!

[@codesavage3763]

I own a 1981 fuego :)

[@TheSchurk1]

Found this channel thanks to this vid.. And of course subscribed. Greetings from a Fuego driver! ;)

[@torresalex]

Wonderful! Great trivia there, and I'm so glad someone is re-reviewing this as it was the brunt of many a joke back in the day. I don't often disagree with you, Ian, but why SHOULDN'T a sports car be practical? I really enjoy very versatile cars as they have the whiff of the everyman, since we can't afford specialised, pure-purpose cars for every mood. But that's just my opinion, let others have theirs and hooray for diversity

[@Maxmulham]

Someone had one of these on my street back in the 90's in British Columbia. I couldn't believe it even at the time.

[@robinharper4667]

My primary school headmaster had one of these. He was a larger than life Welshman. He rolled it. But both he and it lived on thankfully. I can't remember the last time I saw one, pretty stylish motors to be fair. Enjoyable review, many thanks!

[@mr2gti]

Jesus - a TURBO!!! Rare as hens teeth!

[@HubNut]

He owns two...

[@chrisharkin3741]

@@HubNut who, Jesus? :)

[@Andy-pu2iv]

When I was a lad (which coincidentally happens to be in the early '80s) all the farmer's sons had an XR3 or Crapi 2.8i. But there was one lone maverick that drove around the town in a Fuego Turbo. No-one knew that stranger's name, or where he came from... But, enigmatically, he'd drive around the edges of the rural car scene, being simultaneously leader and follower... Sorry. Been awake too long!

[@mfbfreak]

I've been in a Fuego a few years ago. Loved it. Feels like the best, or at least one of the best cars to do large distances at moderate speeds with. Beautiful green dashboard lighting, really comfy seats. Didn't get to drive it sadly, because the clutch was so far gone that with a bit of throttle you could let it slip. Sadly the owner first got the clutch fixed, and then traded it for a smart fortwo, IIRC. Unbelievable. But i think you've heard that story before.

[@camperlustig68]

I believe there is only 1 registered Turbo model in the UK

[@Sheldon-yc5uh]

I wonder if it's the car from "A View to a Kill"?

[@Everything_Evan]

I always remember these when I was a young child, they definitely stand out, sadly it's one of those forgotten cars I don't know why I loved them.

[@KidMillions]

Abnormally large bumper gap below the indicators. Something in the wrong position there. Thanks for this review, Ian.

[@osvaldovidela6466]

You should come to Argentina and try the GTA Max Fuego, it was the most powerful Fuego that somebody could buy in 1992, 123 HP

[@fernandolucenafilms]

Amazing looks. Shame chasis and body couldn't keep up w the engine. Nice flashback to the 80's tho...

[@nicklowe536]

My mum's favourite car there was a red one and a black one near us

[@MrJimbaloid]

hello Ian might I take this moment to wish you and all your family a very happy Christmas. all my best to you sir.

[@mougmeduro7017]

If there’s only one of these on the road in the UK, how many of them are on the road in New Zealand? Because I certainly haven’t seen one recently... or ever for that matter...

[@HubNut]

This chap owns two and knows of more.

[@mehrzahl2219]

I had a bronze metallic GTS long time ago. I remember the steering and pedals were quite heavy and the seats were very soft. Rust ate most of them.

[@niklaswejedal463]

Damn it - now that uncontrollable urge to own a Fuego returned... We never got them here in Sweden - I guess they would have perished all too soon in this climate - but I saw one of them while living in Spain I felt a little bit in love with them, i´m afraid. - Please do a follow up test of the other versions! Also, yes - that steering wheel look much newer, considering the fact that it got a more up-to-date logo. From a Clio Williams or similar? Also also - the wave of nostalgia when seeing the gum-drop Mazda 323c. Had one of those for a while. Just as fun to drive as it was prone to rust. Didn´t like the Swedish climate either. -

[@unclejoe6811]

I like Renault but let's be honest a 900 turbo is a superior car in every way.

[@shaunw9270]

Lovely to see a Fuego again ,and in such beautiful nick 👌

[@-chris1965]

Hope youre feeling better youth

[@FPVSteve]

My dad had one of these and I loved it as a kid. Loved the turbo noise and it was same spec as this but black, it looked excellent - much better than a Cavalier or Cortina like everyone elses dad seemed to have .. RIP B259 TBU! Good times!

[@Brian-xd2oi]

Amazing, like a lot of your hub nutters I remember this car from my younger days. You made me laugh when you mentioned the indicator stalk being on the right hand side. My girlfriend drives a Kia Rio and I drive a fiat 500. The Rio has the indicator stalk on the right, same as the Fuego, and my Fiat indicator is on the left. I’ve lost count of the number of times I drive her car and turn on the windscreen wipers instead of indicators, then after a few days driving her car, get into mine and turn on my wipers instead of indicators. Best wishes, for Christmas and throughout the whole year,. We ALL love your videos and appreciate the hard production work you put into them for us, you are certainly very talented and very natural in front of the camera. Regards Brian .

[@davidyoung9561]

Regards to the engine, it has a long history. Its routes began in 1962 when Renault launched the new OHV unit as an evolution of the B-type (Billancourt/ Ventoux - launched in 1947) and this then new engine was the C-type or Sierra engine as it was called and later became the Cleon Fonte engine. Cleon named after the factory in Normandy where it was built which is now the assembly point for the Zoe's electric motor and fonte meaning cast iron in French as the block was cast iron. The C-type started as 956cc and gradually progressed to 1565cc. My Volvo and your Dacia has the 1397cc C-type as does the R5 turbo. Renault managed to bore the C-type to 1397cc for the likes of the Volvo 340 without any major modifications. To get the same block to accommodate 1565cc, Renault staggered each pair of cylinders to be vertically off-set. This engine design was in production until 2004 for the Dacia in Romania.

[@d2factotum]

I'd forgotten just how laggy those 80s turbos were. Learned to drive in a Daihatsu Charade turbodiesel and there was just nothing below 3000rpm--which, considering the red line was at 4500, didn't give a lot of room to manoeuvre! (Modern ones are much better, incidentally, I've never noticed any appreciable lag in the pick-up of the 900cc turbo petrol in my Dacia).

[@likesp33d]

I had the 2.0L GTX back in the day. Beautiful to drive and to look at. Had added some subtle styling touches and larger wheels.

[@vaughanwarburton9623]

My sister and her boyfriend had a red non turbo 1 in the late 80s and I miss seeing them on the road

[@tedburnard841]

Nearly bought a near new 2.0 GTX in late 84, but having missed my Alfetta, I went for a 2.0 Alfa GTV instead.

[@timhancock6626]

You chose a proper car of course...

[@adrianchell]

It was a toss up as to which would have been less reliable.

[@tedburnard841]

@adrianchell, actually I had the GTV for 4 years and it never let me down (except for a dead battery once)

[@rydermike33]

Must say I do like the 'epilogue' portions of your reviews, showing the light clusters etc. Very good. Nice car the Fuego and as rare as hen's teeth in the UK.

[@Mrflash222006]

The lag is real, tbh Thats what you get with a carb and turbo of that era

[@mariusoprean7459]

Masterpeace at that time!!!!! Renault has not cange things for Eanglad..... LEARN BEFORE YOU SPEAK ABOUT AUTOMOBILES !!!!! THAT CAR RUNS !!!! NOT THAT ENGLISH GUNK ONLY IN SEVICE !!!! TURBO AT THAT TIME !!!!!!!

[@pizzalover3]

Great video, really enjoyed it; good sound too , can hear you clearly too when you're driving - new mic?

[@HubNut]

This was all recorded on the mobile phone.

[@mattw8332]

Renault are truly the masters of ride comfort. Love the velour upholstery. I would guess that the blanking plug next to the trip computer is for optional Air conditioning perhaps? Hope you are doing well, Ian. The current pace of your videos is absolutely fine imo.

[@yesitreallyisme]

Made me travel back in time Ian, Was the best car by far I had had by then. Mine was resprayed nearly the exact same colour as that one but the sprayers took it upon themselves to spray all the plastics and bumpers the same colour, this was way back in the days of cellulose and I must say she looked amazing, I only have one faded pic of her left and was only looking at minutes before I turned on and saw you were testing that one and nearly blew my socks off, my daughter jumped when i swore and said I don't believe it :) Nice to see you taking it easy.

[@paulelverstone8677]

Smashing car. I ran one of these in the UK back in the late 90's and it was a lovely place to be. More of a Capri/Manta competitor, it was fully loaded with kit and one of the nicest interiors I've ever sat in. Turbo boost would fall in like a hod of bricks around 3.5k and wouldn't last because they didn't really like to rev. I would have one again, if nothing else for the nostalgia. Oh, and l live in France now and you rarely if ever see them...

[@veritasvincit2745]

A school caretaker had one when I was a young teen in the early 1980s. We were hugely impressed. I have to say that the styling has held up really well.

[@mouhamedmouhamed1137]

واش هادي طوموبيل ولا طوبة

[@catbreath007]

I'm in West Yorkshire & know the whereabouts of an old unloved Fuego, it's in someone's overgrown garden out in the countryside near Wakefield. It's been there for years and only just visible from the road due to the garden growing up around it ! Does anyone wants to know where it is ?

[@thestarmusic]

@Hubnut Another great video and thanks Ian for this one, I'm slowly getting through a lot of your "classic" vid's. I owned the predessesor of this a Renault 15 which was basically a sporty looking "12". By no means a bad thing because the 12 was a fantastic car of which I have had the pleasure to own many through the years. I always wanted a 17 but sadly they are as rare as hens teeth nowadays.

[@71simonforrester]

The 15 was beautiful!