Renault 5
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- See also Renault 5 Turbo for the mid-engined sports car
The Renault 5 is a sub-compact automobile produced by the French manufacturer Renault.
The 5 was produced in two distinct generations between 1972 and 1996.
Phase 1: 1972–present
The original 5 was Renault's first foray into the supermini market, and its most prominent feature was its styling by Michel Boue (who died before the car's release), which included the steeply sloping rear hatchback, and front end. Boue had wanted the rear lights to go all the way up from the bumper into the C-pillar, in the fashion of the much later Volvo V70, but this was not to be. The lights remained at a more conventional level.
Underneath the skin, it borrowed heavily from the Renault 4, using a longitudinally mounted engine driving the front wheels with torsion bar suspension. Engines were of overhead valve design borrowed from R4, R8 and R12, and ranged from 850 to 1400 cm³.
Early 5s used the idiosyncratic dashboard mounted gearshift in true French style, but this was later dropped in favour of a floor mounted item. The other distinctive feature was the door handles, which were formed simply from a cut-out in the door panel and B-pillar. Other versions of the first car included the Renault 5 Alpine (Renault 5 Gordini in the United Kingdom), Alpine/Gordini Turbo, and the "Renault Le Car", which was designed exclusively for the United States market.
There was also a highly successful rallying version. It was named the Renault 5 Turbo, but it being mid-engined and rear wheel drive, bore little resemblance to the road-going version. Driven by Jean Ragnotti this car won the Monte-Carlo Rally for its first race in World Championship.
A four-door sedan version was called the Renault 7 and made by FASA-Renault of Spain.
The original Renault 5 continues to be built in Iran by Pars Khodro, as the Sepand.
Phase 2: 1985–96
Renault_superfive.jpg
The Phase 2 Renault 5, often referred to as the Supercinq or Superfive, appeared in 1985. Although the bodyshell was completely new, the classic 5 styling parameters were left untouched. The biggest change was the adoption of the transversely mounted powertrain taken directly from the 9 and 11, plus a less sophisticated suspension design, which used MacPherson struts.
The most popular version would prove to be the 5 GT Turbo, which was a car beloved of "boy racers" through the 1980s. But the model was starting to show its age by 1990, when it was effectively replaced by the more modern and better-built Clio which was instant sales success across Europe. Production of the Renault 5 was transferred to Slovenia when the Clio was launched, and it remained on sale as a budget choice until the car's 24-year production run finally came to an end in 1996.
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