Guide price: £70000 - £80000.
- Only 16,898 miles (27,190km) Factory Stage 2 185bhp upgrade
- Very rare, original, Bordeaux colour with Beige Interior
- Owned by two US private collectors. Imported into the UK early 2018
- Comprehensive history. Lovely. Unrestored and unmolested
In 1980, Renault introduced their new R5 Turbo as a pure homologation special to compete in 'Group 4' racing and international rallies. The 5 Turbo was based on the production Renault 5 Alpine, but Renault Sport engineers scrapped the standard front-engine, front wheel drive layout in favour of a mid-engine, rear drive setup. In 1981, Jean Ragnotti and his co-driver Jean-Marc Andrie won the Monte Carlo Rally outright for Renault, and the following year Ragnotti won the Tour de Corse. In 1984, 'Group B' homologation was sought for the Renault Maxi 5 Turbo to enable it to contest the World Rally Championship and the following year, Ragnotti added another Tour de Corse win with the Maxi 5 turbo. After the first batch of 400 road cars had been made to satisfy 'Group 4' homologation volume requirements, a second generation, known as the 'Turbo 2' was to follow.This extremely low mileage example was supplied new by Sun International in California to Don Marsh, the well-known racer and car collector. He bought two at the same time, a Black one and this Bordeaux (Maroon) car which was fitted with the Factory Stage 2 185 bhp upgrade (larger intercooler and wastegate shim) prior to delivery. Don used the car for an occasional blast in the California sunshine and kept it until 1998 when it was purchased by a fellow collector with 7,200 miles (11,600km) on the clock. When he took possession, he removed the factory seats, wheels, steering wheel, and pedals to preserve them and avoid wear, and they were reinstated when he sold the car in 2017 prior to it being imported to the UK in early 2018.The very smart Bordeaux exterior retains the original soft sponge roofline spoilers, plastic intake ducts, fog and headlamps and the Beige interior is in excellent condition with authentic seats, steering wheel and luggage straps. The car sits on the original Turbine Alloy Wheels with Michelin TRX tyres and the correct Gotti steel spare wheel remains unused. To make the driving experience a little more civilised the car has been updated with an Alpine Digital Receiver, Bilstein Adjustable Shock Absorbers, and a bespoke  Aluminium Exhaust. Other than these modern updates, the Turbo 2 remains mainly true to its roots. The Renault is complete with a large History File including original Sun International documentation, Invoices, Parts Manual, Workshop Manual, 2018 Export and Import documentation, HPI and Carfax Reports, UK V5, and an MoT valid until January 2019.Thinly disguised, road-going rally cars of this nature tend to lead a hard life and it is very rare that a Turbo 2 will have belonged to a couple of considerate collectors from new and come to market unrestored and unsullied.