Hot Hatch, The French Way: 1985 Renault R5 Turbo 2 Up For Grabs In The U.S.

The concept of a rear-drive, mid-engine hot hatch is crazy, even by today’s standards so you could imagine the impact of the Renault R5 Turbo when it was first launched in 1980.

This particular example is a 1985 Turbo 2 version that was bought new by the seller in Germany before importing it legally into the US.

Finished in Metallic White over a tan cloth interior, the car has covered just under 60,000km (around 37k miles) and looks in a very good condition indeed.

R5 Turbo are essentially a different car from the normal Renault R5s as they feature a modified chassis which hosts the engine in the middle while power goes to the back. This one also comes with a factory-installed roll cage

Speaking of which, propulsion comes from a turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder produces 182hp (185PS) instead of the standard 158hp (160PS), thanks to the addition of an official Renault Sport kit that includes a larger intercooler, stronger couplers and a special wastegate shim that allows for a boost increase to 1.7 bar (24.6PSI).

The car comes with a lot of spare parts too, which is always nice considering the rarity of the French pocket rocket, along with a California BAR sticker and complete EPA paperwork and DOT certification.

If you think that this is as cool as it gets, head over to Bring A Trailer and check this beauty being auctioned live now.