French Revolution: Unusual Renault 5 Gordini Turbo Roars into Life! | Tyrrell's Classic Workshop

[@abarratt8869]

Unbelievably brilliant car. On a family holiday to France as a kid, we had a Fiat Uno (or something) hire car. It got broken into over night, trashed. The French police in the town were brilliant; they phoned up Hertz to explain the situation, and also did us the kindness of asking Hertz for a replacement. The Hertz guy was very apologetic but they'd got no more cars available. The French policeman explained to the Hertz that that was not an acceptable solution, and insisted that that a replacement was provided. We ended up with the Hertz branch manager's own R5 Turbo (presumably, a company car?), which was an absolute hoot in the French Alps. Always held the French police in high regard, after that!

[@doddsalfa]

“Fiat uno or something” was much more fun to drive than the standard Renault 5

[@billeves4627]

I remember seeing a Fiat Uno racing around Mount Panorama, Bathurst. Every lap when it went past the crowd would call out UNO! Like in the game, UNO.

[@vikos78]

@@doddsalfa Says who??

[@doddsalfa]

@@vikos78 i

[@doddsalfa]

@user-ek2ng7qb6c no but I have never driven uno turbo

[@NenadTrajkovic]

Old Italian and French cars are so quirky and fun to drive, nothing can compare to that experience

[@livestreammyevent717]

My first car which I bought in my final year at university in 1991 was a black Gordini Turbo. Previously owned and upgraded by a Cosworth engineer it was ridiculously fast. You got pushed back hard into your seat when you accelerated which put a big smile on the faces of first time passengers. It’s main issue was that it would often stall if you braked hard all the way to a standstill. It had a number plate which ended in POO and the previous owner had WINNIE written in the back window. It also had a diesel badge on the back. When I asked about the badge the guy said “would you steal a diesel car!?” It was so much fun to drive and overtaking anything happened so quickly. I had fun racing a few boy racers in their Peugeot 205GTIs and XR3i who didn’t stand a chance. I paid £800 for it and my insurance was £2000. It did about 15 miles to the gallon and you could visibly watch the fuel gauge move. As a result I sold it after a few years for £500 and bought a “sensible” car. I cannot believe how much these cars have gone up in value. Thanks for this video. It fondly reminded me of my younger days.

[@iain_tyrrell]

Wow- quite an ownership experience!

[@TheSaabClinicUK]

Not forgetting the SAAB 99 Turbo in 1977. 145BHP from its 2.0 8v engine with K Jetronic. In my younger years i had a 1981 Renault Fuego Turbo, which was a 1.6 pushrod engine with a carb and turbo. I think that was 135bhp. It was fairly quick for the day. It could be a nightmare to hot start as the fuel would boil in the carb.

[@UberLummox]

Right. And quick enough to quite well on the rally circuit. Finally out-doing itself with their 96 competition model. I did have a '78 Turbo for a very short time, but preferred my 96 & 95s (mountains of them!)

[@TheSaabClinicUK]

@@UberLummox I still have a Saab 9000 Aero 2.3T with 315bhp. Awesome car.

[@bolshevikproductions]

Yes. I had 1981 Saab 99 Turbo. 2 door red. With rare boot not hatch.

[@bolshevikproductions]

I also had rare 9000 Carlssoon in black

[@bolshevikproductions]

@@TheSaabClinicUKhad em Paul.

[@stanislavczebinski994]

Here in Germany, manual windows are referred to as "Kurbel-Tronic"😁 In English, it probably translates to "crank-o-tronic". Greetings from Germany!!

[@daweigo6851]

😅😅

[@-DC-]

First Generation Renault 5 Is an absolute masterpiece of design in all it's variants 😘

[@stephenphillips8956]

I remember seeing one of these as a kid around 1981. On the autoroute, returning from a camping trip to the south of France, it passed us at an outrageous speed before hopping to the inside and surging ahead, weaving between cars as though playing Atari. Never had I seen something so small move so fast - and in such a cheeky way. Emblazoned with Turbo stickers and badges it seemed to epitomise the era.

[@iain_tyrrell]

Yes- a real pocket rocket!

[@melconify]

Lovely video and an absolutely awesome car! Some facts worth mentioning also. The engine is longitudinal and sits behind the front wheels making it mid engined funny enough. The air filter housing has a valve, if you close the valve the air is sucked through the front gap and the red hose. This setting is used in the winter and prevents the carb from freezing. During summer time you open the valve preventing hot air being sucked in and prevents heat soak when it's really hot. The only electrical part on the carburator is a switch actuated when the second stage opens. The switch is connected to the ignition and delays it by a few degrees under full load to prevent knocking. If you use a good quality modern fuel (Shell V-Power, BP Ultimate) you can disconnect this switch and add some extra HP on the second stage by preventing the delay. It is possible to relatively easy weld in the gear mechanism from a 5 GT Turbo which makes shifting as good as a modern car. You can off course keep the original system for original sake but if you drive the car a lot the GT mechanism is just a good idea and makes life a lot easier. Suspension is both front and rear torsion bars, the front ones are longitudinal mounted. This means you can adjust the ride height very easily. Also on the front are double A arms which off course helps very well with the handling. As you say they have become quite rare but are very fun to drive, if you have any technical questions just send a message, my dad owns one (a "coupe" --> cup in fact, with racing history).

[@originalforgery]

OOOOO - now we're talking.... I had a black Gordini Turbo back in the day - FEA444Y never forgotten and always remembered as "fear"..... It planted the seeds to what came later - A proper, mid engined 5 Turbo 2 - mine being ex Peter Stringfellow. Had that for 6 glorious years with the Group B club - displayed on the cricket pitch at the Festival of Speed in 2003. The philosophy was simple... More air = more fuel can be added. More boost = more air etc, etc........ Glorious...👍👍

[@anthonyknox1493]

Nothing quite like driving a modestly powered car at the limit, rather than driving a supercar barely breaking a sweat! Great fun!

[@BanjoLuke1]

Back in my youth I was hitching in the Pyrenees and got a lift north onto France in a 5 Alpine, back before there was a blown model. The driver was keen and the hills were hilly. Even in a fairly asthmatic atmo 5 Alpine it was a memorable drive. This was before people really spoke of hot hatches. We now imagine that everyone had a Golf GTi by 1979, but there were really quite rare. And the (slower, but still lively) 5 Alpine/Gordini was rarer still in the UK. I still remember that slightly scary hitched ride over the Pyrenees. Narrow tyres, soft springs and a light body. Wonderful...

[@neilrobson3064]

“The Technician” - bringing these Classics back to life for those who remember them. Thank you…..

[@kelboization]

As a San Francisco-native, I salute your parking reference. You couldn't be more spot on.

[@rolfsvensson5777]

Also in Europe!

[@jessery475]

Thanks Ian, really appreciated the whiteboard explanation. Lovely way to visualise what's going on. Love your vids as always. Always a highlight of my Sundays, best wishes.

[@paulelverstone8677]

Superb fun. A friend of mine had an R5 Turbo and it is still revered among us to this day, some 30yrs after. And this is the thing about useable classics: they're dynamics (or limits of) are so accessible. It was the same with my Fuego Turbo, MR2 mk1 and MX5 mk1. Useable and fun without hitting silly speeds...

[@Rob-jg6wd]

Got my first speeding ticket in one of these southbound on the M6. Would do about 125 tops. Massive turbo lag. Incredible fun for a 17year old in 1985

[@XB10001]

This is the best cars channel on KZbin. So much knowledge! 👍

[@bandagefreak]

I bought a black standard Gordini in the London Road market in Glasgow back in the late '80s for a few hundred quid. I'd go "race" it with my college pals over the country roads - the body roll was hilarious! Every single tight bend at speed, the rear wheels would scrub off of the wheel arches and rain water would drip down my neck from the sunroof!! The front tyres got bald very quickly in that great little car! Thanks for bringing back some great memories!!

[@aussiebloke609]

6:56 One thing I would add regarding early turbocharged cars...I believe first production cars to use this tech were the Chevrolet Corvair and Oldsmobile Jetfire - all the way back in 1962. That said, the turbo certainly gained mainstream popularity in the late '70s and into the '80s.

[@iain_tyrrell]

You are of course correct. I should have mentioned this

[@MariyanTsonev]

Was thinking the BMW 2002 was the first turbocharged production car?

[@eieghn]

You have taken me back into my "time machine"..... I had a 1st gen R5 called a le Car here in the States that had the 1.4L Gordini engine, 5 Speed trans and the Gordini wheels. Carburated of course with a Wber 32/36 DGV. Maybe, MAYBE 100hp on a good day. BUT, I used to beat up on the flaccid American Muscle Cars with it as it weighed 1800lbs+. Years later, circa 1986, I rented a 2nd gen version of this car whilst in the south of France. It was a HOT ROD! I could cruise the left lane along the A8 and only get be beaten by a Big Merc or a Honda 1000R..... I love this car!

[@moviebod]

It made me smile as soon as I saw it. However, the Austin A40 Farina was the first hatchback and it just happend to be my first car, which I was given for nothing by a work colleague. The guy who gave it to me said "I wash it once a year if it needs it" I loved the video Iain. The car reminded me of my BMW 323i (E21) which was a second faster to 60.

[@julianstafford7071]

Was the Farina really a ''hatchback?'' I thought it had a hinging window and tail gate?

[@moviebod]

Most weren't but I think there were some possibly custom ones which were. It was a horrible car to own though!

[@julesrr4656]

Love it. Over the years, I have had 6 Renault 21 Turbos. They should not have been special but they were. Especially the Phase 1s. French turbo - accessible and fun.

[@brianwallace6566]

love the enthusiasm. love the legend cars in the background esp the use of the blue Ferrari as color contrast. love the great good humor.

[@UberLummox]

@1:27 Those '60s Renault 16s are mighty sharp looking especially now. They've aged really well. As has the Le Car/5. Great video!

[@julianstafford7071]

The 16's were great, we had a 16TX and it went really well. Rust was an issue, but so many other cars suffered too.

[@jeremyfdavies]

🤣 Haven't had so much fun in ages! "approximate" brakes... French gateau... what a laugh, and what a sweetheart of a car. BTW now that you've mastered gallic carbs, have a crack at my '68 Caravelle! Another great episode, perfect nerdiness.

[@mtbikesam68]

I learned to drive in my parents 1978 Honda Civic and then owned a 1979 Civic myself. I drove that car like I was racing most of the time and as with this Renault, one of the funnest ways to drive is low limits/high drama! You don't have to drive at insane speeds to explore the limits of cars like this and the first gen Civics. Positively LOVE those wheels too! Oddities are just as interesting, if not more so, than supercars because in many cases, they are in reach of mere mortals like myself! Cheers from the middle of the USA!!

[@glesgamail]

The white board explanation of how a turbo works evoked early Saturday mornings circa-1978 watching Open University maths lectures on BBC2. I didn't understand them either but enjoyed watching nonetheless.

[@institutmorningkiss]

Love the 3 bolt wheels ! So minimalist !

[@mythrusthelema]

Who else nerds out over the windows... Thanks for another fascinating video on a car that I didn't know existed. Also I loved the whiteboard explanation of the turbo systems. Keep them coming, Sunday mornings would be considerably less interesting without you.

[@markhodge7]

"The brakes are 'approximate' '" is the best line I've heard all year!

[@anonymous_bot_bot]

My first (not) car was a R5 le car2 mk1, shared by my brother and I. At the bank loan age of 18, I went Delta and still have an evo2 at the strong age of 50. Many memories of some crazy R5 mk1's, a friend gave me a mk1 le car Turbo I think around 1990 for a day, it was fabulous. I went integrale but always had a big love for them. In Ploiesti where I now reside a guy has a mk1 turbo which is immaculate. I'm very jealous but will never forget Raad's sons Gordini, a normally aspirated car which wen like a bat out of hell, his dad was an expert at these cars, Perth around 1990. Great days.

[@coldwarmotors]

What a treat! Great video, as always... Cheers from an R5 enthusiast in Canada!

[@stephenholland5930]

Thought you would enjoy that one, Scott.

[@andreasillenberger7225]

Located in Austria my father drove a R5 Alpine Turbo back in the days. Thanks for the reminder. Our car was blue - but what I read it was basically the same or at least very similar. It was succeeded by a R5 GT Turbo.

[@paulzon]

Citroen were the first car company to produce a hatchback in 1938 with the 'Traction Avant 11cv Commercial,' which also got the first modern, one piece hatchback after WW2. Hence I would imagine they'd be absolutely furious if their arch rivals, Renault, patented the idea over two decades later.

[@DavidDatura]

Never seen so much piping and tubing in such a small engine bay before. And still quite a modern looking car design too. The later facelifted version even more so! A great little classic nowadays. And that Jaeger turboboost gauge…posh! 😆

[@dillpickle7468]

This was enjoyable, seening something more accessible to the average person. Cars are fun in all shapes, sizes and price points. Good job Mr T.

[@northernsoutherner2394]

Really appreciate the perfectly framed, drop dead gorgeous Iso Grifo @17 mins. What a shot! Great vid thanks.

[@butterfliesandtape]

110bhp from a 1.4 not bad going; my 1985 U11 Bluebird Turbo only managed 135 bhp from a 1.8, with fuel injection. Those Renault rims, wonderful!

[@varmastiko2908]

And it's a pushrod engine too, the Renault. Although this version had the crossflow head. They built the group B engines from this basis BTW. The later transverse 1.4 Turbo had a more simple counterflow head. On the mid engined 5 Turbo they used this engine here but with multi point fuel injection and other detail developments.

[@Inazuma68]

My uncle worked at Renault Switzerland and he had all these cars. The first R5 Alpine was in the 70is non Turbo and I think 1980 came the Alpine Turbo (as it was called here) and had 107 PS. That was a seriously fast car then. Later he also had the R5 GT turbo the Alpine 310, Alpine V6 Turbo and the Alpine Le Mans. All very cool cars.

[@varmastiko2908]

That's an awesome stable of cars. All very innovative and especially fun in the turbocharged versions which were true pioneers of the technology.

[@norton750commando]

I always found it much more entertaining to drive a slow car fast, rather than a fast car slowly. Plus you can be absolutely caning a car, and the cops will barely notice.

[@graememcfarlane5219]

Loved that ❤ thanks Ian. The French got such a bad press in the car community in the 80s but being an alfa man I've also owned a lot of renaults and Peugeots and have enjoyed every one of them 😊

[@grayfool]

Wow, a car I've actually driven in Iain's workshop. Who knew! I had a quick blast around the Suffolk lanes in the early eighties in a car that I was thinking of buying at the time. I can't remember exactly why I didn't buy it but, oh well, another one that got away.

[@manuelcogneau3712]

The atmo Gordini R5 version was in fact a 1.6 L block with 93HP compared to the 1.4 L for the Turbo version and 110HP. The Gordini name was recycled from earlier 1960’s Renault cars with sport credentials. Amédée Gordini was a French race driver turned engineer responsible for tweaking Renault engines transforming cars into pocket rocket well before the GTI era. The French version of the car was named R5 Alpine and Alpine Turbo, with a pretty and distinctive A5 logo. The Alpine name, was from the Renault division based in Dieppe (Normandy) where they manufactured and assembled the Alpine Renault A110 berlinette and later on the A310 sport cars. However a UK copyright on the Alpine name owned by Sunbeam / Simca / Talbot that merged into the Peugeot Group in the early 80’s prevented the name to be used this side of the channel.

[@chrisslater3174]

My stepson was showing me a photo of a local barn find series 1 GT Turbo this afternoon, and I got to reminiscing about these being my fave hot hatch, and how around 15 years ago, there was an even older Gordini turbo parked up locally just rusting away. I even Googled an image for him to see, only to find this posted when I got home! Fantastic coincidence, and such an interesting article for me.

[@markonmotoring]

These were fascinating little cars. I saw a red Gorduni Turbo when attending an event in 2021 with my MK1 phase 1 Mégane coupe. I know someone who owns a Renault 5 Alpine Turbo. The Alpine were LHD for other markets but Chrysler/Talbot I believe had the rights to the Alpine name at that time in the UK so the UK version was therefore named Gordini. The 5 in general had a few interesting quirks with its front/mid mounted engine sat behind the gearbox. On very very early cars the gear lever was a hockey stick style coming through the upper part of the bulkhead like in the R4 with a rod running above the engine to the gearbox. Some Renault's if that time such as the 4 and 16 also had body roll but incredible amounts of suspension travel, especially at the rear due to it's unusual design which gave the cars a different length wheelbase on either side. Citroen were not the only French cars to be quirky back then. 😅

[@jonj-lab4633]

I don't know what you were hearing up against the engine when you were setting the idle screw, but on my crappy laptop speakers I was hearing a distinct phasing in the sound when the mixture was rich, which disappeared when you nailed it. Tuning indeed! Bringing your musical ear to the day job (I'm a musician who records a lot, so I hear these things). Still, as you've said, the internal combustion engine is a powered air pump, and music is the decoration of time with sculpted air. My mate's older brother had one of these from new, have to say he didn't look after and ragged seven bells out of it. But, by the standards of the day at that price point, it was up there. Great video as always!

[@trainmanbob]

I used to love Renaults. Never had a 5, but we had 4 x 25s on the company fleet, all of them V6 injections. As I was the boss I wanted a V6 Turbo but the waiting list was too long so I got a Carlton 3000GSi 24valve, in fact the first one in Gloucestershire G200BAD The Renault 25 was a super car but not for servicing. There was a small water hose, some 3 inches long at the back of the engine which was weakened due to its position and had to be changed frequently. The hose cost about £3 and about £1500 to change it...the engine had to come out. Thus I never bought Renault again. Loved the video as always Iain. Superb explanation of the various turbos. Many thanks. Cheers, Bob

[@alexanderfraser7791]

Back in 1998 when I passed my test my dad picked up a red one of these gordini turbo 5s for £100, had some mot still left on it. He worked in a MOT station in Glasgow as a manager and tester back then and we stayed up past Inverness so he would come home at the weekends, he told me about the car as I’d never heard about them and instantly I wanted it and I kept at him to give me it but he said it was needing a lot of welding so he fired it onto the YTS boy that worked in the garage he was the manager in for £200…. I was absolutely devastated, he ended up bringing me up a mk1 fiesta super sport which was cool but not a 5 turbo! The first car I ended up driving when I passed my test was a 1986 silver 5 turbo phase 1, I absolutely loved that motor, nobody within 100 miles had one (I never seen another) and that was the first of many, I had 7 in total, some great and some not so much (clutch and head gasket hassles as standard) had loads of escorts, fiesta rs turbos, Renault 19 16v chamade, a hatch 19 16v, 3 21 turbos (super fun) 2 cosworths (saph 4x4 and a decent 3 door) they were my favourites by far just for street cred and general look, 2 Clio Williams, all of the pug 205, 309, 306 gtis and a mi16, in different states as well, couple of Vauxhalls a calibra turbo, 2 Astra gte (one of them a 16v) but they were not my thing a couple of novas a gte and a sr, loads of xr3is, xr2, xr4i (no xr 4x4) and that’s just scratching the surface over a 5 year period but back the. 90% of these cars were cheap and very easy to get. If I had even a quarter of what I had back then I’d be a very wealthy man. Instead I now have a 2023 Astra 1.2 gs turbo and I think it’s a decent motor but not a patch on anything I had before and if I had the cash equivalent then I’d have bought 2 of them old things and had a great time! My father has a lovely old mk1 triumph in racing green with nice exhaust etc but pretty standard other than the pipe but that’s just a bit old for me, definitely a 80s fan and some 90s of course

[@iain_tyrrell]

Quite the collector!

[@bebop2599]

Keep returning for new vids which never disappoint. Thank you Iain

[@bugattieb110ss]

Along with the Vitesse, this is your best video yet! I always thought these were a blow-through (pressurised carb) system like the later R5 GT Turbo, rather than having the carb before the turbo. How in God's name can it meter the mixture accurately with the fuel having to be spun through the compressor before it enters the cylinders???! Obviously, it works but all that piping is hilarious. I own a 1983 Mitsubishi (Colt) Lancer turbo and the turbo system is light years ahead by comparison.

[@tp84102]

My dad had a 1.0 TL version, white with beige/brown interior... and 34hp. First car I ever drove... just amazing. Can still remember it's license plate!

[@TheOnlyJizz]

I've had countless performance cars over the years, but my 3rd many many years ago at the age of 18 was a metallic blue R5 Gordini Turbo, and I loved it. So much so that for my 50th birthday present to myself I will be ordering the new electric version of the R5 early next year. Can't wait.

[@dappergent9422]

Hat's off to Tyrell's video. As a child of the seventies, I loved this era of cars. The Renault 5 was one of my favourites. 🇫🇷

[@Miwna]

My mother had a few Renault 5s when I was young. However they were not fast nor particularly reliable. I remember several cold mornings when it wouldn't start and me and my brother had to push start it. But I always dreamt of the turbo versions, especially the one with the engine at the back. But this version is probably more suitable for everyday use. What a lovely little car.

[@jean-jacqueskaselorganreco6879]

wonderful little thing,and finally everybody should have such a tiny little "préciosité" in his collection like the Autobianchi A 112 Abarth as well.Many thanks for the very detailed explanations to the turbo-system as well

[@PalaceofPlacentia]

i had a 1988 Renault 5GT turbo , i loved that car it was quick and went round corners on rails a brilliant allrounder

[@martinclapton2724]

I remember when the original non turbo 5 Gordini was released , about 1979, they advertised it as a modern Cooper S . Looked particularly eye catching in their traditional metallic blue livery and Gordini motifs.

[@TheBTG88]

It was Saab that pioneered turbo charging for average road cars, starting with the 99 in 1977. Using a 2.0 liter 4 cylinder fuel injected engine tuned for mid-range power, rather than top end power. This created a very usable and reliable turbo car for everyday use. Later, the Trionic system provided even more control of air, fuel and spark.

[@sdry1688]

I think Saab was the 1st with a turbo badge but BMW were a tad before with the BMW 2002tii

[@TheBTG88]

@@sdry1688 That BMW was developed to exploit top end speed and as such was not very usable as a daily driver, hence why they only produced 1,672 cars before production was ceased. As said, Saab produced a car that made practical use of the turbo, having apply power during normal driving situations.

[@lindaoffenbach]

Another Sunday evening delight. Wonderful. The renowned Gordini engines are such twinkling stars in their own realm. Even a Renault Dauphine could be fitted out with one, then the Renault 8 (R1130), and they've continued the formula so many times over, adding a turbo later etc. All car brands using standard Renault engines could be rather easily fitted with a Gordini as far as I'm aware, turning a trivial average day mom's and dad's car into a serious little nipping darter on the road, of course with upgraded brakes and suspension as well. Profound joy on the Autobahn I can imagine, hahah. Thank you so much Iian for another superbly articulated lecture on turbo technology as a welcomed bonus; they are so straightforward to process in a most relaxed manner 🙂

[@ging93]

“Approximate” is a great way to describe the brakes 😂

[@eldorado767]

Soon as Mr. Tyrrell went to the white board I got another cup of coffee and settled in for some serious nerdiness.

[@NielsHeusinkveld]

In the late 80s, a lady across the street had a Renault 5. It took ages to start, every time. Eventually it did. At one point she got a different car. Still a Renault 5. Also took ages to start.. :)

[@justinsheldon5015]

I can guarantee in the late 80's , when my car was a mini 1000 , at the age of 18, for a mate to turn up in a Gordini Turbo , it was madly fast. His was a metallic blue and I do remember the sota front seats. He obviously blew it up and the engine was replaced by Renault dealer. The original engine, I believe had Gordini on the rocker cover and the replacement said Alpine. It was slightly different and , whether it was a pacebo feeling of a brand new engine, but he thought it was a lots quicker than the original one. It was an awesome car . I always loved those wheels with the typical 3 bolt design.

[@lfo414]

The Gordini/Alpine cylinder head dragged the ancient Renault engine into the modern [!] era. The first time I saw under the bonnet of a turbo, I did the where the hell does the air go routine like you. Don't lean on that nsf wing after a run though, there's a silencer directly underneath!

[@Stevieboy130664]

The basic 5 was a brilliant design - very long travel suspension. My mum had one and it was as cool as small everyman cars got in those days.

[@jonntischnabel]

Lovely car, when I was 25 I had a phase 2 GT turbo, it was such a nice little car, and I miss it a lot. ❤

[@voodoonights1671]

The Black Countach looks amazing in the background of this. Another great video and good to see something less exotic.

[@alandowney5851]

Nice one Iain. The carb setup had a big advantage over fuel injection. By mixing the fuel into the air and allowing it to fully evaporate you can drop the intake temperature by about 20 degrees C. Makes a big difference to the potential maximum horsepower if you haven’t the space for an intercooler.

[@ArchimedeanEye]

The downside being uneven air fuel ratio / fuel distribution per cylinder. I've measured it on different engines and yes the charge is much cooler, but it's not worth the pain of air fuel ratio variance in each cylinder.

[@markhodge7]

Yours is a brilliant channel Iain. I always learn something I hadn't known before. Cheers!

[@paulfixdivcars5614]

What a lovely car with it’s 110hp engine! My first “new” car was a 5 GT Turbo (aug 1988, F reg.), it was fast but it appears only to have 10hp more!

[@tdelorean2071]

Very very nice clip Thank you’re really a car guy. Love you tell about all cars build outside the box not just the high price range rich toys. Thank you for that. Tommy from Germany

[@niklaswejedal463]

As someone who are quite obsessed by small french cars, and own this one's great-great-great grand child - a 2008 Renault Modus tCe (that also got a turbo!... but mostly for the sake of better fuel economy), this sure was a treat to watch! Nothing more fun than to take a small, but adeqately powerful little Renault on a twisty back road - love it! A question for Iain: is there more to the "Italian tune-up" than just a good story? When I bought my Modus, the previous owner had been a senior citizen that most likely never ever had driven it hard or at more than 70 km/h. When I test drove the car before buying it, I felt there wasn't very much happening, when I applied some beans. Now, having owned it for a couple of years and having driven it in a more - let's say -sporty way, it feels way, way more peppy. I haven't done anything to tune it, so is it my dose of "Italian tune-up" that has made it more responsive and lively? Now it is so much fun I will never ever sell it... Also - I take it the French blue pull-over was chosen on purpose? 😁

[@iain_tyrrell]

No, the Italian tune- up is real. It really does work!

[@SturbokSensei]

Thank you so much for selecting a whiteboard that doesn't make that horrible squeaking noise when you draw on it!

[@alistair.a.cookie]

My mum had one of these when they were still current, unfortunately met its demise in 1987 after a tyre blew out on the M27 and it ended up on its roof. Ours was black with gold pinstripe and a tan interior, I still have the steering wheel from it tucked away somewhere. A marvellous trip down memory lane, thanks Iain!

[@mitchellharris9854]

I really enjoyed this video. I love the engineering and quirkiness. I also like your enthusiasm about a car that when compared to your usual Lamborghini and Ferrari, is pretty mundane.

[@Nige1146]

The late brake show did a barn find edition on one recently that was laid up in a barn. Very rare cars!

[@jamesbrett6518]

Love the whiteboard. Carbs are witchcraft. Can't wait for the inter (after) cooler and charge cooler explanation

[@gerrywatson261]

Thanks Iain for this awesome review of this blast from the past! 😀

[@richardsedorski1206]

Brilliant vid those were the days had a normal 5 turbo the power from the 1.4 engine was phenomenal.👍👍👍

[@GT380man]

Even the non turbo R5 engine was pretty powerful. The R5 TS was so light that you didn’t need much!

[@andya857]

Had a 78 Le Car Turbo imported from Germany here in Canada .Was fun and drove good...

[@bigbloodaxe]

I remember this car, back in the day my neighbour had one! Great stuff Iain, loved the turbo lesson too 😀😀

[@bolkoschuseil7484]

Another really great Tyrrell workshop this time focussing on a car quite a distance off the "normal" scope we see in your garage! Thanks for all the details you share! I love this!

[@AndyS63]

I owned one in the early nineties. It was red with those very comfortable front seats. Did a few track days in it and it didn’t embarrass itself. I sold it in 1992 when I bought a 5 Turbo 2. They were called Gordinis in the UK as the Chrysler group had the ownership of the Alpine name.

[@yebo56]

Brothers mate had a convertible version, in the early 90s. Deafening wind noise on motorway. Written off after a 7 series rear ended it at low, low speed. Edit: it had Recaros with speakers in the headrest too, iirc, super impressive for a 12 year old

[@CaptHollister]

One doesn't often get to correct Mr. Tyrrell, but here goes: General Motor's first hatchback model was the Chevrolet Vega launched in 1970, which means it predated both the Fiat 127 and Renault 5. Ford's first hatchback was the Pinto, launched in 1971, the same year as the Fiat 127 and ahead of the R5. When it comes to pioneering turbo cars, we also have to turn to the US. The first two production turbocharged cars were the Turbo version of the Oldsmobile Jetfire with a turbocharged version of the Buick aluminum 215 which would become the Rover V8 motor, and the Chevrolet Corvair Monza Spyder which had a turbocharged, air-cooled, flat-six, rear-mounted engine (sound familiar ?). Both of these cars were launched in 1962.

[@iain_tyrrell]

Thank for the clarification on the turbo cars. The Renault 16 hatchback was launched in 1965.

[@davyboy888]

I had a three year old Mk2 5GT Turbo in 1992 - incredible car. So fast with amazing handling. Virtually nothing could stay with me down a twisty B-Road. I have an immaculate low mileage Clio 182 right now and reminds me every bit of the the 5.

[@chrisjparsons75]

I love your videos Ian. I really enjoy the learning journey you creat and the white board is a great way of explaining the workings. Please keep doing them.

[@christianlewisphotography6910]

It’s great to see you bringing in cars like this as well as the exotics. One car I owned that I would love to see in your workshop videos is a Daihatsu Charade GTti. It was a 1 litre 3 cylinder turbo and was very entertaining to drive. They were out around the time of the newer version Renault 5 GT Turbo.

[@alanlofus3100]

The original R5 wrap-around bumper has a significant flaw - when it was freezing weather if it got nudged it would shatter and to clear the resulting fragmented pile literally had to put it into a bucket - I KNOW THIS because many tears ago, whilst manoeuvring, I nudged a R5 bumper, in my Riley Elf mk3 (chromed steel bumpers), at the M3 Fleet services petrol station east-bound and it cost me drastically on my insurance premiums ! ... it is etched on my mind !!!

[@jamesnbd57]

I had the plain, non-turbo, Gordini in black with the ‘loco’ style slotted alloy wheels in the early 80’s. I did get the wheels off the ground on a tight corner (ambition over experience) fortunately the overhanging grassy bank on the other side of the B road tipped me back up and on track. Not a scratch on it, my trousers and ego a different matter.

[@markdawson4625]

Oh how I wanted one back in the day!! Lovely trip down memory lane Iain.

[@davidhinkson8856]

Excellent explanation of how the turbo system works and I always find it fascinating when you have a somewhat "everyday" car in the workshop among the usual high end vehicles.

[@PaulBriden]

Hardly an everyday car they did not sell that many of them in the turbo format.

[@noelht1]

My uncle Ian had one of these back in about 84/85 I think. I’ve still got a photo of it when he came to our house in it. I remember the turbo boost gauge which I think said Jeagar on it which is probably right. But it was in blue and it was a rare thing and it was really nippy.

[@stevesmith2214]

Ahhhh the iconic R5! Both my parents had them in the 70's, a 5TL and a 5TS. I worked at a Saab dealer in the late 70's when the 99Turbo was launched, Hoffirfic turbo lag, but what a piece of kit that was. They used to get so hot under the bonnet that the wiring melted and the paint blistered. The factory sent out a kit to retrofit asbestos lined covers to cure the issue, The 5TS had the first iodine additional driving bulbs I's come across, built into the headlamps, with an extra switch to activate them, such and advance on the feeble sealed beams that most British cars had at the time. Started me off with my love affair with French cars that lasts to this day. Have to say the windows seem to work better than the snails pace ones fitted to the 308's and 328's.

[@donalmilmo-penny3085]

I drove a Renault 5 in the '90's that I thrashed reliably up and down the country for a couple of years. I grew quite fond of it. Once you got used to the extreme body roll and the 145 section tyres you could hustle it along with reasonable haste. The best part was I bought it for two packets of Silk Cut purple from a lady who had parked it up some time before. It ran on the sniff of an oil rag, and never saw a mechanic under my ownership; cheap motoring at its finest.

[@GaryMunro-c4h]

Another super informative video. Reminds me of back in the day when I had a friend who fried his turbo by not letting it cool down, those were the days. Found the whiteboard session fascinating, would love to see a Turbo / Supercharger compare and contrast whiteboard session.

[@michaelguerin56]

Thank you. Nice little toy, plus … the only clear and concise description of the basic automotive turbocharging options that I can recall viewing. It is one thing to read/hear about intercooling and intercooling plus aftercooling BUT the basic dynamics of mixing the fuel and air tend to be omitted.

[@iain_tyrrell]

Thank you!

[@fredperry523]

Takes me back to my first car - a Renault R4, great memories.

[@peterbarber8053]

This evoked many memories. I had a Renault 5 TL in the late eighties and my older brother had the R5 Gordini.

[@the5th2000]

110hp is a very impressive output for an old 8v pushrod engine. And I'd say it feels quite enough! Very cool car