FRENCH FURY: Ferocious Mid-Engine 1983 Renault R5 Turbo 2 Homologated Rally Champ | EP21
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- Опубликовано: 25 фев 2023
- Don't let the cute face fool you. The 1983 Renault R5 Turbo 2 is a ferocious, mid-engine, turbo-charged growling beast of French fury. Powered by a tiny 1.4 liter Cleon-Fonte inline four-cylinder engine, this 185 horsepower homologated Marcello Gandini-designed championship rally car uses a single Garrett turbocharger paired with a 5-speed manual transaxle that roars to life in the upper RPMs and produces 1.1 G of lateral grip. Nicole discovers the unexpected rumblings and nimble handling of Eric Charnholm's dream car and why the rally-transformed LeCar became known as the "Box of French Hate."
MORE ABOUT ERIC CHARNHOLM:
Eric is based in San Diego and owns Trade Up, a nationwide bicycle trade-in program available through many cycling retailers. He is a passionate car collector and builder who tragically lost his collection in a garage fire in December 2017. His 40-year dream of owning an R5 Turbo became a reality out of the ashes of the fire, and he has become the most enthusiastic owner of the quirky car in the world.
•••••
Created and Produced by Michael Badami and Nicole Johnson
Directed by Michael Badami
© Lawndart Limited
lawndartlimited.com
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#r5turbo2 #frenchfury #rallycar #renault #turbocharged #nicolejohnsonsdetour 
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French here, love to know that some people across the ocean can appreciate these little cars of ours. I think it ended up into the right hands :)
Eric the owner here: @MightyCoffeeMaker Hey, thanks! I pinch myself everyday that I have the opportunity to care for this wonderful little car. Love the French engineering! ABP
Thank you for watching!!
The Peugeot 205 T16 of the same era was another gem
@@benwu7980 Very rare
Yes imo in very good hands. But please forget about the hat. Just ridiculous. It is the same way about us cars. When if i ride it must i smoke a marlboro cigarette with a cowboy hat?
As a French, this video kind of made me emotional. The R5 Turbo 2 is a rare sight even in France; not many were produced, and a lot of them were lost over the years. Being born in the 90s, these cars are a testimony to an era I wish I would have known. We once were a country that really, deeply loved automobiles; and our manufacturers once had the audacity to build unreasonable machines for enthusiasts to enjoy. That time is long gone now. It's touching to see a foreigner like Eric be so passionate about what is essentially a blast from the golden years of our automotive industry. Even letting somebody else experience the R5 brings him sheer joy. This goes to show how good we were back then, and how shameful it is that we've been letting our legacy die off for decades.
Jump to the ground as the turbo slows to cross the borderline. Run like the wind as excitement shivers up and down my spine. - NP
Thank you for sharing with us!!
@@CarVideoCzar F yes! Sing it Geddy! LoL Honestly, I wish Neil was singing about an R5T rather then a Ferrari Barchetta...
Eric the owner here: This is a great comment and it is really interesting to hear your take on this as a Frenchmen (Frenchwoman?) But there is a glimmer of light as Renault is making noise that they may be bringing the madness back. A successor to both the R5 and the R5 Turbo may be on the horizon. Let's all now kneel down pray...
I really don't understand this comment - French manufacturers absolutely *dominated* the World Rally Championships in the 2000s when you would have been in your teens, for example!
After the rally deaths in 1986, the sport's rules changed and the cars became 'boring' and had to be closer to mainstream production cars .. so became, on the whole, unremarkable and you won't have bothered to notice them when growing up ...
The exciting vehicles moved to Rally Raid (like Paris-Dakar Rally) where Peugeot 205 T16s, 405s, Citroen ZXs dominated, with more success than they ever had in FIA rally championships.
The Group 4 car in this video is from a pretty narrow time-frame where the cars could be bought as road-going versions and still be special. Everything after that was either too super-car like for anyone to realy own, or (later) too normal a car to be excited about.
It is funny how a misunderstanding of historical circumstance can bring up emotions and disappointments about things that never really happened! French manufacturers continued to stay successful ... but sadly you didn't see it (maybe to busy looking into the past?) ..
Fair play to this guy for letting Nicole drive his pride and joy off road!
We agree!! Thank you for watching!!
Eric the owner here: Glad you enjoyed the video, thanks for watching!
@@abikepeddleri have a question to Erik the owner,
It seems that you are a fan of European cars.
But, witch European car is your dream car to own,drive or to see?
Agreed amazing guy. On loose gravel geez, hope sh did not endure any stone chips.. Beautiful colour too..😀
The algorithm It🔨❣️
A combination of this girl
and that car is… 🤯 (💘)!
🇫🇷👃🏽🇫🇷
…🚙…
As a french kid, this Renault was my dream car... so weird that american people know about this fantastic beast. A french legend. Your r5 turbo 2 is super beautiful ! Congratulations !!!
Yes it is! We're so glad you enjoyed watching..thank you!!
Eric the owner here: Not weird at all actually. Many Americans follow European sports, racing and entertainment. You know, we have Formula 1 in America, right? Thanks for watching, glad you enjoyed the video!
As a french guy living now in the west of Canada, this car reminds me a lot of souvenir. I was around 20 year old when it came on the market and let me tell you it was my dream car, sadly I didn't have the money to buy one. You can find on youtube some video of Jean Ragnotti and a Renault 5 turbo. This guy was a magician with this car. Thank Nicole for this good video.
Thank you..glad you enjoyed watching!
yeah same here, lovely french cars ,205 gti r5 turbo etc.. but all to expensive for this student at that time
Hii, in Italy the:Renault 5 turbo, Fiat uno turbo, Ford fiesta and 205 GTI said: LE BARE VOLANTI, for the dangerous appeal with tre road...Ciaoo, hi
oui la 205 gti 1.9 phase 2
mon dieu quel engin ... mais vraiment trop cher pour un gamin a l'epoque
@@bertrandlahid6528 130 HP, impressionant pour 800 kg de voiture....Ciao
Je suis Français et je vis en France. Cette voiture a bercé mon enfance, c'était un mythe bien réel ! Si vous pouvez l'essayer en version maxi Turbo, vous hallucinerez encore plus !
Bravo à vous et merci pour ce test !
J'ai fait exprès d'écrire en français, cela ne pouvait être autrement avec cette voiture ! 😉
Thank you so much for watching..we're glad you enjoyed it!!
Eric le propriétaire ici : Oui, bien sûr. Il faut parler français quand on parle Renault R5 Turbo ! Merci d'avoir regardé!
@@abikepeddler C'etait un réel plaisir, votre R5 Turbo est très belle !
Merci à vous d'aimer cette "petite" voiture française !
👍😉
Moi aussi elle m'a fait rêver cette bombinette. J'ai adoré la prononciation de Jean Ragnotti en Jean Rag' notti. 🤣
@@ggousier Jean Ragnotti était l'homme !
I am 45, THE car of my childhood, now an adult, it's still so beautiful to look at 😍. Congrats from France 🇨🇵
Thank you so much for watching!!!
Eric the owner here: Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for watching!
French here. My mechanic had one prepared for racing. He modified the commercial version to Rally B class specs with many parts sold by Renault. It shed a lot of weight and went from 250 hp to 470 hp. It was like driving a rocket powered go cart.
The other iconic French sports/rally car that came out after that was the Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 valve, another tiny little zippy thing. It was actually way more successful in class B rallies than it's Renault counterpart.
Back in the 80's and 90's, there were very few radars and speed traps on French highways, gas was cheap and tolls were reasonable, I would drive my Renault 21 Turbo station wagon from Paris to the Alps for skiing weekends at 180km/h.
I also enjoyed riding my Ducati 851 Super Sport around the curves of Dampierre and scraping the pavement with my footrests.
People loved driving and having fun cars. But the dark side was that a combination of more primitive structural engineering, no airbags, no ABS braking, the French wine making tradition and weakly enforced traffic norms lead to a very high death toll and the government cracked down with radars and speed traps everywhere. Add to this the price of gasoline, extremely expensive tolls (privatized highways) and the pleasure has been taken out of driving. Driving now has been reduced to going from point A to point B.
Thank you so much for sharing with us!
Eric the owner here: Yes, France speed has changed. The TDF riders are often faster then the automobiles. ha ha... Thanks or watching!
I had the chance to meet Eric and his R5 Turbo 2 while riding my bike in Rancho Santa Fe last year. As a European, I was excited to see this car in the US. Eric is a super nice guy, genuinely passionate, and the car is in fantastic condition! Great video!
Very cool! Thanks for watching..glad you enjoyed it!!
Eric the owner here: Hey TIm. I remember meeting you! Thanks for checking in and for the nice words. It was so fun shooting this episode with Nicole. She was utterly brilliant sharing seat time with in this fun buzz bomb. Thanks for watching!
@@abikepeddler Hey Eric! Good to hear from you! Really cool to see you guys having fun with the R5, especially on the dirt! Reminds me of the "Gravel for Breakfast" videos ahahaha! Hope to see you on the road soon!
Lies again? FAS FUS
@@NazriB ?
That is one iconic car, you just keep digging up gems Nicole!
Thanks..we're glad you like it!!
Great test drive, great car and great owner. In Europe this car is an ICON. The rally drivers of the time had balls the size of melons. RESPECT !!
We appreciate you watching...glad you enjoyed it!!
So cool and funny to see Eric going between "OMG please don't wreck this jewel" and "Yeah finally there's someone who appreciates this beast in the purest and truest way" the whole time. Great driving, appreciation, respect, and passion I see, keep it up!!
Eric the owner here: Masaki... It was super fun riding shotgun and experiencing this car from a different perspective. Normally it is my scaring the crap out of my passengers (which, admittedly, I take great pleasure in...) but in this case I got to play co-driver as well as give a little instruction on the cars behavior and tendencies. Nicole is a total pro so it was fun to watch her work.
Thank you so much for watching..glad you enjoyed it!
I'm blown away that Eric let you take it for a rip on a proper rally stage road! That is a proper car enthusiast, he knows the car can be cleaned, repaired and enjoyed again and again. My hats off to Eric and you Nicole for giving the Renault a solid thrashing!
Yes.. it was very generous of Eric to share this experience with us!! Thank you so much for watching!!
@Bryan Cohn Eric the owner here: That is pretty much the nicest thing anyone has said in the comments! I don't think anything more meaningful to me could be said then "proper car enthusiast". Wow. That means a lot. Thank you. ABP
@@NicoleJohnsonsDetour I just wanted to say I LOVE your channel & style. Btw you totally remind me of a petrolhead Sarah Silverman. Amazing!
Yeah, this guy seems pretty awesome. Really enjoyed his personality in this video. 👍 such a likable guy.
That car is made for driving. Having it parked would be a shame
I used to own one in the late 80's and when driving it felt like you were part of the car. The whistling of the turbo was orgasmic ...
Thank you for watching!
Tellement cool de voir l'une des plus incroyables voitures que la France ait produite être autant appréciée dans votre beau pays ! Merci Nicole pour cette vidéo 🙏
Thank you so much..that's very nice!! We're so glad you enjoyed watching!!
Seeing an American so emotional about a French classic genuinely makes me happy. Love this car since I am a kid and remember seeing it quiet often on the road back in the days. You sure don't see them anymore. Thank you for the video.
You're so welcome...we're glad you enjoyed watching!!
Eric the owner here: I love this car so much! Feel honored I get to care for it!
@@abikepeddler Congratulations on the car, you did an amazing job. I was always fascinated by it as a kid and still am all these years later! So sorry for the tragedy you had to endure, that is a tough one.
@@rosebuddesign635 Hey, thanks for the kind words...
Maybe even more than the really really cool Renault , I enjoyed the owner Eric"s enthusiasm and passion , getting over setbacks and moving on to pursue a lifelong dream , a true gearhead, awesome content Nicole , as always.
Yes we totally agree!! Thank you so much for watching!!
Eric the owner here: @Graham Johnston Thanks for the kind words and thanks for watching! APB
It’s just growling! Growling!! 😂
Merci depuis la France pour avoir rendu cet hommage à cette icône de l'automobile. Et... vive Nicole !
Eric the owner here: @Stephane Hubert Je suis un grand fan de l'ingénierie française. J'adore les voitures françaises! Vive la France!
Thank you so much..glad you enjoyed watching!!
This girl is INCROYABLE!
Merci d"avoir mis un berret pour conduire cette incroyable petite voiture 😁 . J'ai eu la chance de monter à bord de cet engin diabolique sur les petites routes de Provence... just WAOW ! de retour à la maison, il fallait laisser "redescendre" le turbo pendant 20 à 30 minutes; incroyable souvenir, encore merci à mon "poto" pour ces sensations.
Thank you...we're so glad you enjoyed watching!!!
Eric le propriétaire ici : Je suis ravi que vous ayez apprécié cet épisode et merci d'avoir regardé !
That Iconic Renault 5 Turbo rumble
Thank you so much for watching!! We're glad you enjoyed it!
Eric the owner here: No body better to expose this cars "je ne sais quoi" to then Nicole. She is truly passionate!
I enjoy Nicole’s enthusiasm and uncontrolled excitement for cars. Another great episode 👍
Glad you enjoy it! Thank you!!
I like that: "uncontrolled excitement:! that definitely sums it up! Thats why shes so refreshing to watch!
I like her pants....reminds me of the '70's.
@@NicoleJohnsonsDetour how can you drive well with a hat on? In France people driving with a hat are known to be slow drivers because it is disorienting for some reason.
@@sfertonoc Haha maybe it's all the years of driving with a helmet! I never even noticed the beret once it fired up!
I remember following one of these down an Alpine pass, in the dark. I could hear it all the time but the only way I could tell how far ahead of me it was, was when I saw the flames coming out the exhaust at the downchanges before the hairpins! Stupendous!
Oh wow! Thank you so much for sharing with us!!
Eric the owner here: Yea, I wonder if mine does that! That would be amazing. Thanks for watching!
@@ericcharnholm9595 Hi Eric, I’d be surprised if it didn’t! It was a great sight, especially in the dark! Awesome car, enjoy!
We lived 1 block from that fire, was sad to see those cars through the rubble of the building the day after. Glad to see this new toy, one of my favorites from when I was young. 🙂
Thank you so much for watching!
Eric the owner here: Oh, crud... Jason. You are making me tear up. Your comment is like we are apart of some weird shared experience. I was embarrassed the neighborhood could see this horrible loss and heart broken over the loss of my car passion. It was basically the singe worst day of my life and for months after I could not envision a way forward. But as I said to a prior commenter that also experienced a structure fire, you just have to force one foot in front of the other and then try and build momentum. I learned to walk again so to speak, only now I walk with a French gate.
@abikepeddler As we say in AA...one step at a time my friend. Brie in the good and exhale after 4th gear.... No? ( said with southern French accent 🤣)
@@abikepeddler 😪
En España somos fanáticos de ese coche.Felicidades por poder probarlo.
Thank you so much!! We're glad you enjoyed watching!!
Imagina estar de vacaciones en California y encontrarte esta máquina aparcada en la calle de un pueblo… y ahora seis años después conocer su historia… alucinante!! Ya me hubiera gustado a mi poder probarlo así…
em espanha em portugal em todo o lado amigo abraço.
These were built by Alpine in Dieppe. The Turbo 1 an 2 are absolutely awesome - having completely stripped and original Turbo 1 - 5 years ago for restored the actual conversion was quite rudimentary underneath the panels. To watch Jean Ragnotti fling one of these around is amazing. The original wheels had Metric tyres which now cost even more than the wheels fitted to this car - hence many people fit the Gotti option. Turbo 1s also feature Aluminium roof skins. They grip and grip and grip and then your upside down!
Absolutely love these - what a beautiful example - and a lovely feature you've made on it! 👍👍
Thank you so much for watching..we're glad you enjoyed it!!
Byron - did Alpine use the R12/R16 based mechanicals in there? - the gearbox looks familiar, but the top of the engine is different. Like it's got a little A110 / 1600GT DNA in the mix.
@@PiDsPagePrototypes It uses the Renault 4 Cylinder Cleon Fonte engine which debuted in 1962 and was used in the majority of small Renaults up until the early Nineties - so such cars as the Renault 4, 5, 6 ,12 and 18 all used it in some form or another. As the Mk1 Renault 5 or Le Car as it was known in America had a longitudinal Fwd engine layout with the gearbox at the bulkhead end of firewall it was a relatively easy job to swap the engine in to the rear. The Gearbox was the later Renault 20 variant of the unit that was used in the 16 - and the rear subframe suspension and cradle was lifted from the Alpine 310 with minor modifications in to the back of the 5's shell.
@@byronmills5952 As a 16TS owner, that explains why it looks so familiar. IIRC the 5speed version debuted in the 16TX, where the 16, TL and TS all had four speeds, which also found its way in to the S1 and S2 Lotus Europa.
@@NicoleJohnsonsDetour Byron's info, deserves a heart 😄
I had one in the nineties. In that time this car was insane. I was in group of 17 owners. Every month we drove to Paris and made a sport by drifting into parking places on the left side of the road. This because you could make a nice drift over the whole width of the road. We wrecked a lot of wheels. The nineties where the years I discovered French a lot.
Now that sounds like fun!!! Thanks for sharing with us!!
This is one of my favorite cars of all time.
Mine too!
Awesome!!! Thank you for watching!
@12:37 Eric: "No... no..." Nicole: We're going! 🤣 Thanks to Eric for letting Nicole drive, and much respect for daily driving it. 🍺
Haha!! Thank you so much for watching!!
So fun to be in the passenger seat and watch somebody with Nicole's driving chops pilot such an odd and fun vehicle. It was a pleasure.
@@abikepeddler ... except at 22:40 ;)
@@jamesengland7461 Ha ha... I got this.😳
I will never let her drive my car.
Fantastic car and an even more fantastic owner. The humility he showed when mentioning that he didn't consider it to be his car is laudable. This is how these cars should be.
We agree!! Thank you for watching!!
How have I only just discovered your channel! It ticks all the boxes for me and with you presenting it too! Loads of content to start enjoying 😃 thank you 🙏🏼
Yay!!! We're so glad you found us!! Hope you enjoy watching!!
What is your favorite moment with this Renault? If you haven't already done so, please subscribe, comment, like and share! It helps the RUclips know how you feel about this episode, so it will show it to new viewers of our channel! I love how passionate you all are and appreciate every one of you! Hope you enjoyed this very fun episode!
Probably one of the times you got on the boost and looked at Eric with eyes as big as saucers!😀
Won't be long until you guys can import a Renault Clio V6, it's spiritual successor.
What Renault 😃 ?? You look awesome ❤️❤️
When Nicole first starts the car and looks at me like: "Oh, this is going to be a good day!"
"OK, stop talking; we're gonna go drive. "
What an exceptional vehicle. This Renault and the Lancias of that Era were amazing. The Rally wins these cars amassed astounded so many people over the years. It makes them the truly collectible cars they are. Thank you for this share...
And thank you so much for watching!! We're glad you enjoyed it!!
Eric the owner here: Hey, thanks for watching! Glad you liked this episode.
Tu oubli la 205 T 16.
Love everything about this car!
Used to own a much slower Peugeot 106 Rallye, but the french car makers really knew how to make the most chuckable little hatches. Best fun I've ever had on winding roads.
Love to see a legend like this being used as intended, thanks for keeping it in such great condition!
We're so glad you enjoyed watching!! Thank you!!
Nicole, I can't thank you enough for reviewing this car! Here in EU, this thing is a Legend. Glad to see that people from across the pond do share the love for this vehicle. And congratulations to the owner, the car is in mint condition. Greetings 🇮🇹
Thank you so much for watching..we're glad you enjoyed it!!
Eric the owner: It is a legend worldwide among all the Group 4/B fans. I pinch myself that I have the honor to own and care for such a unique car. Thanks for watching!
FRENCHY : Cela me fait un grand plaisir de voir les personnes d'autres pays apprécier autant notre petite française sur-vitaminé !!!!
Merci de faire continuer la légende mes amis 🙂
ENGLISH :It gives me great pleasure to see people from other countries enjoying our little French girl so much !!!!
Thank you for keeping the legend alive my friends 🙂
Thank you so much..we're glad you enjoyed watching!!
Eric the owner here: It was our pleasure! Thanks for watching!
@@abikepeddler Yessssssss !! 🙂
I love these videos. I also love the fact that the owners want their cars to really be driven, it goes to show how genuinely enthusiastic they are and how they want to share in that enthusiasm.
Eric the owner here: I just do not understand people that own cars like this and put them away. Cars like this should be shared with the public! Reading some of the comments below, some state they have never heard of this car or have never seen one in person. That is tragic. One of my favorite things to do with this car is take it to places where it is just so out of it's element. Home Depot to get potting soil. Starbucks to get a Grande Mocha. Or even getting a Covid Booster... in your Renault R5 Turbo. The look on peoples faces is priceless.
Yes..we agree!!!
Dream car for many french kids back in the 80’s.
Eric the owner here: And one American kid living in Southern California...
Thank you for watching!
Oh my god!!! i saw this car five years ago by myself in carmel by the sea, I am spanish and i was spending my holydays in California and i shooted a lot of pics of this car who is parked in the streeets of carmel. I was so excited to see one of my favourites cars of all times in the USA… I came back to my country telling to my friends this is one of the best things that i saw in my trip to USA
And now thanks to you i can met the owner and the history of this unit, thanks!!
That is so awesome!! Thank you so much for sharing with us!! We're glad you enjoyed watching!
Eric the owner here: That is fantastic RuNRiOT! I bought the car in late 2018 and drive it through Carmel in October of 2018. It likely was this car. I was only there briefly as I was driving the car south to San Diego, California at the time. It is so rewarding to have conversation with Europeans about this car as it means as much to them as it does to me. Most of them are just so shocked that it is here in the United States they hardly know what to say. Friday I was at a coffee house and a French speaking person raced out of a nearby business because of this car. They had a hard time forming questions. It was funny. We both laughed. Thanks for watching! ABP
This car was a devil 😈, I’m French and it was amazing the sound. It’s like a flat 6, a particular sound that you recognize among a thousand.
Thanks from France.
Love the sound!! Thank you so much for watching!!
@@NicoleJohnsonsDetour I watch and I’m a follower ✌️
Personally I have a golf cabriolet gli 1.8i 112hp 😎
Eric the owner: Still is the devil. 😈
@@abikepeddler 🤣🤣
It's a legend! I have seen it win local races all the time at the time no other vehicle in the same category could beat this thing, incredible machine
Eric the owner here: @Teacno V That is amazing! Where did you have this opportunity? I am very envious!
Thank you for sharing!!
@@abikepeddlerAT the time I lived in Ecuador and saw some amazing car races, many brands compete (I am sorry I do not know what ware the race event's name)
Different categories, the Renault turbo competed with many brand's, Porch, Mercedes, Japanese brands, and the Renault was always the winner
I am french and born in 1981. One reason that could explain the reputation of being a widow maker is that it was relatively cheap compared to the other cars that had the same amount of horse power. So, a lot of young and inexperienced drivers could afford it, especially on second hand. Those kind of cars were also called "three climber" because... well if you miss the turn ;) ...
The Peugeot 205 1.9L GTI 130 HP was also quite impressive. But the true demon was the Peugeot 205 T16 (turbo 16 soupapes), 200 HP 4X4 !
Thank you so much for sharing with us!! Very interesting!
@@NicoleJohnsonsDetour erratum : I wanted to say "tree climber" and not "three climber"😋
Eric the owner here: Fun fact: The R5 Turbo was the most powerful French car you could buy when it was released. And while 160 bhp was not much, it was enough to make it climb trees for sure. Can you imagine if Renault had the foresight to have engineered 4WD into the package? It would have dominated WRC for years!
This car is a Icon in Europe . I had a Renault R5 Williams but the Turbo was always a dream to have .
Thank you for watching. We appreciate the comment!
Eric the owner here: I assume you mean Clio Williams? I would LOVE to have a go in one of those! That blue paint with the gold wheels... it just looks like fun in box form!
As someone who loves big cars I have to admit I often find myself thinking that no car can give you more joy than a hot hatchback.
On this drive in the passenger seat I would have probably been in need of a sick-bag 🙃
I googled for pictures of the original seats - pure 80s madness.
Thanks for another great episode!
We're glad you enjoyed watching!!!
@Mahatma Striker Eric the owner here: Hey, thanks for watching and thanks for the great comment. I agree with you. Hot hatches have their place. So fun! ABP
Being an older youngster, from Europe, I remember seeing these cars rallying. They were awesome. Congrats on this feature 💪🏼👍🏻
Thank you so much!! We appreciate you watching!!
Ha ha ha, love the berets, neckerchief, and b&w striped shirt, aw haw haww, mon ami!
The French are traditionally such masters at refining new technologies; automobiles, bicycles, airplanes. Just beautiful.
Awesome!! Thank you so much for watching!
Eric the owner here: Yes, so true. The Citroen DS, SM and 2CV are absolute marvels of engineering.
Thanks a lot for the video and the love you display for this small but capable car, which happens to be a legend in Spain to this day as well. Congratulations!!
Eric the owner here: Spain also has one of the best parts suppliers for these cars!
Thank you...we're so glad you enjoyed watching!
I can't imagine American's deception when travelling to France when they realise no one is wearing berets :/
Nice to see one of our legendary car in the US and to know there is some enthusiasts about it!
Keep the good work on this channel!
Glad you enjoyed watching!!
😂😂😂
No berets?! I am disappoint.
@Yep Le Bloop
What do you mean, nobody’s wearing berets? I’m in France and I wear a beret everywhere I go.
Being American, I try my best to fit in with the frogs.
@@Brinta3 that doesn't make sense, ever seen a frog wearing a beret ? 😛
(French here)
Hearing "Renault" pronounced as close to correct as the accent can do, is a delightful change, as is seeing an owner who's not afraid of taking his pride and joy down a dirt road,... Then Nicole barely able to take her eyes off the road while learning how the French do "Add Lightness". This is a great episode.
@ Nicole - if you get the chance, get behind the wheel of the true first "Hot Hatch" (nearly a decade before the Golf,..), a Renault R16TS. It rides like a luxury car, grips like a rally car, has the same mid-front layout as the Citroen DS, and Torsion Bar suspension all round, so can go from freeway to dirt field without loosing it's cool.
Thank you so much for watching!! We appreciate your suggestion!!
Eric the owner here: I do my best when pronouncing Renault. I know my pronunciation is to sharp. There should be a lot more roll in how it is pronounced. The "R" is silent and the rest just sort of spills out. I will practice. One of my French bud's is always giving me crap for how I say it.
@@abikepeddler He was praising your pronounciation, though ! It's good, don't worry about it.
@@dozo1211 Yea, glad somebody was giving me props on my pronunciation of "Renault" because a number of others thought I butchered it. I'm good either way... I am now having to practice "Pajero" as I just bought a 1997 Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution and nobody seems to agree on how that is pronounced. 🤔
I'm french and I love this car ! I'm really happy that she is now in such passionate & good hands ! :)
We're so glad you enjoyed watching...thank you!!
Eric the owner here: Hey thanks Will! Nice of you to say. I promise to take great care of her until the next owner takes over someday... likely my son Jason.
Refreshing to see a guy can be so in love with his car.
Yes it is! Thank you for watching!
I" m just in the middle of a deep full restoration of the same R5 turbo 2 ,really proud to put my hands on this rare piece !!!!
That's great...thank you for sharing!!
Eric the owner here: You go Dom! Bring that car back to life!
@@abikepeddler 👍😀
Now that is a Prince of an owner to let you take his prized possession into that scenario. Sir, you are truly a gentleman and outstanding owner. As a past owner of 930s and always loving the R5 since it was released, this was a pleasure to watch and empathetically understand all that was going on. Terrific video and thank YOU!!
We're so glad you enjoyed watching!!
Eric the owner here: @Josh Scism Thanks for the kind words... Gotta use these cars as they were designed! Thanks for watching! ABP
Oh, Nicole has another video, I clicked play before I even read the name of the episode. Never fails to impress. Thanks for sharing!
You are so welcome! We're glad you enjoyed it!!
Love the subject matter, your energy and authenticity.
Thank you!! We appreciate you watching!
Thanks for this one, a real trip down memory lane! A good friend of the family took me out in his in late 80's and I still vividly remember the experience.
Apart from the obvious glories, two things really stood out at the time. Firstly the absurd driving position, which Nicole immediately picked up on, and secondly and the pull (as a passenger and very unexpected for that time) when he properly floored it. This is a true legend and much loved in the UK, its the nuts, the dog's bollox ... a compliment not give lightly.
The look on Nicole's face when she's at the wheel warms the heart big time!
And what a total dude for how he cherishes and looks after this fantastic machine, and the hilarious look to the camera at the end that says it all!!
Thank you for sharing with us!! We're so glad you enjoyed watching!!
A friend sent this video to me this morning because he knows I also own a R5T2. One of the best videos I have seen. Well balanced material between the passion of the owner, factually correct on the technical as well as a test drive by Nicole to boot.
Eric is right about the support from the community. It was always there even back in 2006 when I got mine. But with the internet and also the resurgence of cars from this era it has been much easier to source parts. Nice job Nicole!
Eric the owner here: @seeking truth Thanks for the comment and the support. This is typical of the R5T community as a whole. Many nice people all helping each other keep these car alive and kicking!
We're so glad you enjoyed watching!!!
If you're ever looking to swap I have two very well behaved Children who are a delight to be around ;D The envy is stronger than the force but the respect for you owning and keeping it alive is far more. If I ever get rich can I come drive it - standard rules "Bend it, pay for it".
Amazing car, there is one in my town, in perfect condition but not for sale. The sound is just incredible!
I own RS197 but this one is legendary!
@@DeedsGallagher Lol Pass on the children. Been there, done that. Actually, when I was looking for the R5 T2 16 years ago I was very reluctant to buy because of hearing all the horror stories of parts, reliability etc. A acquaintance in England told me to just go test drive it and go from there. I did and fell in love with the car. I did not buy it that day for the amount I wanted to pay but when the previous owner could not get the price he wanted on ebay I got the phone call to come pick up the car. On the way home I was even confronted by a Subbie WRX that wanted to race. I didn't push it after owning the car for only a few hours and didn't want to blow up my new acquisition. A little nerve racking at the beginning but over time I learned how to wrench on the R5 T2 which had similar systems to many european cars of that time. In fact, it has made me more fearless in buying older cars as they are much simplier than modern day cars that require alot of diagnostic equipment exclusively owned by the dealership. In the end, cars are pretty well mechanically the same. You just have to spend the time to figure them out. The R5 Turbo community has been extremely helpful as well as communications on the internet.
That car has a beautiful engine noise, one can almost tell they'd be super great around twisting courses. Greetings from the UK.
Greetings to you!!! Thank you for watching!
Merci pour cette vidéo Nicole. Cette voiture est mythique 🙌. Bonjour à tous les compatriotes sous les commentaires. Vive la France 🇫🇷
Thank you..glad you enjoyed watching!!
Same for me. I have wanted one for 41 years. Road & Track had one listed for sale at the back of the magazine for at least a year in 1983 and I drooled over that ad every month. Never got one but still love it!
Thank you for sharing!!
@@NicoleJohnsonsDetour I am giving the 2023 GR Corolla Morizo some serious consideration. Seems to run along the same theme as the R5 T2 in a modern version. My last Corolla was a '78 SR5 Sport Coup with 1600 2TC aluminium head engine. I got it in '83 and everyone thought I was dumb for putting TRD performance cam, dual-Weber side-drafts, and a Monza exhaust system in it. That little car was a screamer. Redline was 6800 rpm but it would make power up to 7500. Bulletproof engine and super close 5-speed with 3.90 rear end. That was a fun car!
And the DNA from this car was carried over into the Peugeot 205 T16 the most successful Group B rally car 🚗 I love your enthusiasm and joy you bring another great video 👍
Glad you enjoyed it!!!
Eric the owner here: The T16 is simply amazing. I got up close and personal with one in 2019 at an Italian/French car show in Van Nuys CA. I just stood there in amazement. What a car!
Not quite. Heuliez did the bodywork for the 205 T16, whom also did work on the original R5 Turbo. Both cars were individual efforts.
@@user-vk4vd7vr5t Marcello Gandini and Marc Deschamps did the exterior styling of the Renault R5 Turbo while at Bertone in 1978.
@@abikepeddler correct
I remember hearing about these cars in the day. It was widely known that it was faster than snot. Eric has done a marvellous job of bringing it back to life as it would have been and is obviously a true officianado of the type. Nice job driving it, Nicole and thanks for sharing this.
Our pleasure!! Thank you for watching..glad you enjoyed!!
Afficionado is the word
The face Nicole makes when she fired it up...... 💪🦾💥👏☀️!! Mrs Johnson, you make (some unknown & very interesting ) cars cool by driving them & presenting them to the public with a massive funloving openness that's VERY catching... Thx a billion🤙😇👍
Thank you so much. We're glad you enjoyed watching!!
Just discovered this channel. OMG I love this woman’s enthusiasm for cars❤
Thank you so much...glad you like it!!
Thank you for showing this very special vehicle!
😊
It was our pleasure!! We apppreciate you watching!!
After years of all those English lads, I think Nicole Johnson is my new favorite car reviewer. Great interviewing style. Great personality. Great stuff!
Eric the owner here: @Honest Reviewer I am biased but I agree! This is why I agreed to do the episode with her. Not only is Nicole an exceptional listener but she's genuinely interested in the vehicle, the history behind it and the owners story. I am very grateful to the Detour crew for this opportunity not only for the life experience but also because my beloved car is now burned onto (Celluloid? Hardrive? Cloud?) forever (Or until RUclips is taken over by Elon).
Did you know that Elon Musk once owned a 1993 McLaren F1. He had to sell it when he agreed to join Tesla. Can't be driving a petrol burning car while trying to peddle EV's. True story.
Thanks for watching! ABP
Thank you so much!! We truly appreciate that!!
@@abikepeddler That comment is almost even better than this exceptional episode. Especially the last part of your comment, hillarious...🤣 Take care of you and your beautiful car(s?)
I never knew car that small could go that fast Nicole you learn something new everyday.
C’est génial ! Vous êtes une jeune femme Américaine et vous tombez pour une icône automobile Française, Renault en l’occurrence. C’est formidable ! Bien à vous !
Greetings from France ! 🇫🇷🤝🇺🇸
Thank you so much for watching...we're glad you enjoyed it!! Greetings to you!!!
I’ve lost my love of cars over the years, watching the passion you have for them has rekindled that spark. It’s infectious, thank you.
Thank you so much..That means so much to all of us here at Detour!!
Eric the owner here: The great thing about cars as a hobby is there is a car for every mood, every need and every lifestyle. I hope you find a perfect match...
@@abikepeddler Hi Eric, I agree. I’ve built a 1984 5.0l Firebird TransAm KITT replica, I’ve a Reliant Scimitar rotting on the drive and am now getting my Sep 2001 Red/White Mini Cooper back on the road after 13 years on the drive, it’s with BMW right now having thousands of work done. Sometimes life events can happen that dampen the passion… it’s time to pick it all back up.
@@iandale You go Ian! Get them running again and use them! (Especially the Scimitar! Is it a GTE Shooting brake by chance?)
@@abikepeddler yeah, it’s a 1979 3.0l Scimitar GTE SE6B. When I first left school my first boss (now a billionaire) had me polish classic cars in a barn at his home that we’d imported from California back to the UK for resale including Jag E-Types, XK120’s, XK140’s, Porsche 356, Austin Healey 3000’s etc. That Scimitar with its Smiths clocks and straight leg seating position feels like an E-Type.
The body lines and rear end are absolutely stunning ! - The Renault 5 not bad either !
Thank you for watching!!
@@NicoleJohnsonsDetour when you coming to UK😍
Une voiture mythique en France ! Mon beau-frère en possédait une que j'avais essayée. Une bombe ! Bonjour de la France à tout le monde !
And hello to you!!! Thank you so much for watching!
Legendary era for rally cars.
Yes!! Thank you for watching!
We had a lot of R5's around here in the 80-90's...so different from the R5 Turbo...amazing. Nicole has the charm to bring out the best in the guest... 😉
That's very nice...thank you. We're glad you enjoyed watching!
Eric the owner here: Europe got so many great hot hatches over the years that we did not get to experience here in the United States. Now that many of these cars are legal for import into the U.S. collectors are buying them so they too can experience the magic. Nicole is an outstanding host and so fun to share seat time with!
Thank you!!!! 😍
And thank you!!! We appreciate you watching!!
So excited for another video. Nicole you are a unicorn. The cars in your videos are always very cool and unique, but it's your knowledge, curiosity and genuine excitement/enthusiasm for these vehicles that really makes it worth watching. So endearing. Keep up the fantastic work.
I'm very jealous you get to drive the cars. The look on your face while driving is priceless and you definitely have the skills behind the wheel.
By the way The French Berets were a nice touch. 👌
Thank you so much..we truly appreciate that!!
I got goosebumps while rewinding my entire childhood as every year through my village (in France) a rally race was organised, and every year before each race we had the right to access the list of all the cars enrolled for the race, and with my father and friends, we were excited to check that list to know whether or not a R5 turbo among other cars like the Clio Williams, or 205 turbo 16 were going to take part of it.
Thanks for reviving, through this video, part of these golden memories, much love!
Thank you..we're so glad you enjoyed watching!!
Eric the owner here: Oh man, this is just an amazing comment! I can't imagine a childhood like that! The United States is so deprived of cars like the Clio Williams, Clio V6, 205 T16 and most any other great rally inspired car that I can't imagine waking up the morning of a race and checking the start list to see if my favorite car will be appearing. Amazing.
I owned a '83 Renault 5 Alpine Turbo. It's little sister. They spit flames and don't forget the typical fauteuils in the front.
Sweet...thank you for sharing!!
Eric the owner here: Great car! We did not get anything like the 5 GT Turbo's. Although the GT/Alpine Turbo's had less power then the 5 Turbo, they also weighed a good bit less. I'm guessing around 2000 lbs (900 kilos)? Is that about right?
I was really excited for this video, I remember meeting Eric for the first time a long time ago and him telling me he had one of these and then finally seeing it in person is just a true gem. I thought the closest I’d ever get to one is these is through video games!
We're so glad you enjoyed watching!!
@Ducati Kalib Oh, gee, I wonder who this is. 😁 Wasup my man?! Thanks for checking out the video and chiming in. Where is your RUclips channel with your Renault adventures? To busy after chasing down M3's at the Nurburgring?
Hi ! So cool to see this french legend living in such good hands ! As another french guy, I started driving in a 45 HP Renault 5 GTL. Fun to see that the inside door panel, including the locker, was pure stock ! Thumbs up for the philosophy of this man !
We agree!! Thank you for watching!!
So cool that I can smell the inside of an old French car just watching this video
We're so glad you enjoyed it!!
Eric the owner here: So great you mentioned that. Yes, it smells like petrol, brakes and bad decisions. Glad you enjoyed the vid. Thanks for watching!
my brother in law had one of these back in 1998, and it was awesome!
Thanks for sharing!!
Eric the owner here: What happened to it?
Got two of those beauties. One was fully restored and painted in bright black wit dark brass details. The other one was fully repurposed to race in classic rally around Europe. Certainly they are not comfy cars, and the driver must be gentle with them to get the best performance without losing the back end, crashing into a nearby oak... Both are one of the most precious cars on my collection.
Aweome...thank you for sharing with us!!
Eric the owner here: Any person that owns and R5 Turbo is going to have a very interesting taste in cars. I bet your collection fits that description... Thanks for watching! ABP
What a great channel... a beautiful nerd who loves cars and knows how to to drive them! What's not to like? ❤
Glad you enjoy it! Thank you!!
Ah, you got to love YT algorithm... High production quality and excellent presenting. You rock girl, please never stop!
We're so glad you enjoyed watching..thank you!!
So many french comments for our iconic R5Turbo 2 it made us dream as kids. Thanks for this refreshing video.
You're so welcome!! Thank you for watching!
@@NicoleJohnsonsDetour You deserve it. You are so enthousiastic. It's pretty rare to see these cars in good condition even in France or Europe.
@@nicolasbanach3837 Eric the owner here: I am hoping to bring mine to France so if you see me, say hello!
@@abikepeddler Live a message when you have the dates and the place and I ll see if I could meet you there
Absolutely love this series.
Awesome...thank you so much!!
So nice to see passionate people talking about the ‘Creme de la crème’. More like this! To the owner, we love you and your car. Thank you for taking care of our heritage and sharing it with us.
We're so glad you enjoyed watching!!
Eric the owner here: Thanks Stijn for checking out this episode. It was so fun using the car as the Renault engineers intended.
@@abikepeddler Hi Eric! Thank you for responding! It was SO MUCH FUN watching you talk about the car in a very passionate way. Not many unique car owners take the time to talk to someone about their passion in the way you do. You deserve the car, and the car definitely deserves you. I wish you two many many safe kilometers. Kind regards from Belgium!
As French , you've made a better video about our treasure than us.
Congratulation, from Paris with love.
You are so kind!! Thank you..we appreciate that!!
Eric the owner here: So glad you enjoyed this icon of French racing.
Ok. The French manicure, striped shirt, scarf, baret, the glasses and the miming whilst driving the Renault. Awesome! Great video as always! Thank you 😊
Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for watching!!
Oui oui!
If you were French you could feel how much cring-ey it is ...I don't think any American white youtuber would go to film a rap concert sporting a blackface , yet here it's exactly the same and everyone cheers it for some reason .... Maybe it's "light" 2023 version of the 1945 journals hyping French women being supposedly of little to no virtue , thus enticing young American soldiers to enlist for D-day , and the subsequent series of rapes onsite by us soldiers that "liberated" us from the nazis that most US industry giants financed ( General Motors , ford , the Bush family ) post Weimar hyperinflation ....Or the rumor spread by American soldiers that French people were "smelling bad" ( well obviously forgetting to mention that It was after 5 years of rationing and no soap being on the shelves anywhere in occupied France , besides the ones you could craft yourself with rancid cooking oil and the very little lye available ) .....
@@benoitguillou3146 oh, get over yourself. It was humor, not racism or any of the crimes you mentioned.
Thanks so much for doing this feature Nicole. As always, you did an outstanding job and brought us a truly special car and a passionate owner. I’ve been fascinated with these from the beginning and this is a neat opportunity to get a closer look. You’re the best! As a side note: I can’t imagine what this guy went through after that fire. Huge kudos to him.
Thank you for watching. We're so glad you liked it!!
Eric the owner here: Hey, thanks for the nice words 58raceguy. Fire was unfortunate. Nobody was hurt but the loss of the vehicles was tough. Didn't know if I wanted to participate in the car collecting hobby again after the fire. The loss was just too painful. But a good friend of mine gave me his beat up 1964 VW Beetle and that drew me back in. And I gravitate towards the odd and interesting cars, not the typical Porsche 911/Corvette stuff and that is why Nicole was perfect to share this R5 Turbo with the RUclips community. She is all about the awesome and interesting.
@abikepeddler Eric thank you for sharing your feelings and experience, especially as difficult as it was. I’ve never been in a position to have a collection of cars, but the ones I’ve owned I’ve been pretty attached to so trying to put myself in your shoes is beyond my comprehension. A good friend of mine lost his collection of vintage cars (along with most everything else he owned) in the fires in Paradise, CA. some years back and I’ll never forget talking through it with him. I’m thankful for you that you had a friend who was willing to step along side of you and aid in getting you back into the hobby... that’s a true friend. Blessings on you and best wishes as you enjoy your fantastic R5 Turbo. Hopefully other unique and interesting cars are in your future as well. And I agree, Nicole is the best at what she does and the perfect person to introduce us to your car.
@@58raceguy Couldn't have said it any better!
Merci pour ce bel hommage. Une voiture mythique en France, et vous l'avez respecté, merci :)
Thank you for watching..we're so glad you enjoyed!!
I owned an early 80s Renault LeCar. I used to pretend that it was a baby R5. Reality... it wasn't anything like an R5. But, it was a nice thought! Super cool car!!
Thank you for sharing...love it!!
Eric the owner here: My friend had one in high school as well. We also pretended it was an R5 Turbo and treated it as such. We spent nearly as much time in the car airborne as on the tarmac.
Thanks for another great video. It's fun to see how enthusiastic the owner is about the car and the history, and how willing he is to use it as intended.
We appreciate you watching! Glad you enjoyed it!!
"your job is to sit there and look pretty." "on it!" love this guy 😂
someday I will make a cute little demon car like this. 🥺
Haha!!! Thank you for watching!!
Eric the owner here: I do what I am told! ha ha
❤❤❤❤ Definitely an 80’s Top Love for me too !!! I used to have to work on the LeCar… a car with only 3 lug nuts per wheel. Always always loved the R5 Turbo…. So cool. Great Video ( as always) !!! Thanks for catching the sounds and the “feel” of that beauty !!!
Thank you so much for watching!
Wow, so happy to stumble upon a great video of my favorite rally cars! I'm still grinning like a kid!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching!
Eric was so nice to let you drive this, on the appropriate road...
He's right, Jean Ragnotti was the man with R5 Turbo, and he still is. He does a lot of shows in France with his R5 and random ones.
My best friend (who knows J.Ragnotti personally) has a R5 Turbo too (13km only). This car is pure joy to drive, "Une Bombinette" (a Little Bomb).
Great video! Cheers from France
We're glad you enjoyed watching!! Thank you!!
Eric the owner here: Great story! Tell your friend he needs to drive his car more. 7800 miles is not enough!
@@ericcharnholm9595 He drives it, regularly but not on a weekly base, maybe something like once a month. He has so mutch cars to drive (and a lot of old Renault like the R5T)... He has several Renault garages, and regularly organises some shows (more like some "gathering")where people come with their Renault sport car, old ones and new ones, like Alpine etc... J.Ragnotti often comes to these events, he is such a nice and humble person... He knows EVERYTHING about the car, he is the car... Quiet impressive to see him making donuts in a room sized area
EDIT: You have a veny nice car Eric, seuls les connaisseurs possèdent cette voiture.
@@superfastjellyfish78 Je suis tellement contente que vous ayez apprécié l'épisode autant que j'ai aimé le faire avec Nicole !
@@abikepeddler I did. She's very enthusiastic!
What a great car! My parents had quite a few ordinary Renault 5's back in the day (70's till 1987 or so) and when I saw this one for the first time (early 80's) I was so amazed, first at its looks and then at its price: if I remember well it was 65.000 Dutch guilders (1 guilder was a little bit less than the Deutsche mark or 0.45 Euro in today's money), whereas the normal R5's were well under 20.000 guilders (maybe entry-level even under 10.000). This is a very fun and still informative video, keep it up!
Thank you so much for watching..we're glad you enjoyed it!
These sold for $19,900 USD in 1983 and could be purchased through a company in Redondo Beach California called Sun International.
Glad I found this video!! The R5 Turbo has been one of my favorites for decades. Was a poor grad student when these were new, and fell in love with them then. Never had the money to own one after graduation, so lived vicariously through building a scale model of one, taking a very basic kit and detailing it so it looked more the part. Go, Renault!
Thank you for the comment...love it!!! We're glad you found this video too!!
Hello from France !
This his one of my favorite french cars, i love it.
You are lucky 😁
Hello to you!! Thank you so much for watching !!
Eric the owner here: I feel honored.
I see these occasionally in car shows in the UK and they are stunning. This along with the 205T16 are probably my two fav French rally cars.
Thank you for watching!!
Eric the owner here: I agree! I saw a T16 at a car show in Low Angeles 2 years ago and I am still buzzing about it today! What a thing!