My Motorsport Models

[Sentra Racer]

"Vive La France"

Renault 5 Turbo (Gp.4)

For some reason this car has always tickled my fancy. Renault took the little R5 shopping trolley, took out the 1,100cc front wheel drive motor and the back seat, and put in a 1,400cc Turbo motor where the back seat was and went rallying. Only 400 "homologation special" road cars were produced to meet the Group 4 rules with later versions using many more standard production parts. A total of 3576 "standard production" cars were produced over a four year period.


I have 3 rally car models, one built and the other two on the "to do" list, all based on the Tamiya kitset. Also one road car kit, also from Tamiya, that will end up looking something like the one in the photo. The rally kit is just a rehash of the road car kit and as such use's the same interior but with a roll cage added so is not very accurate. As it is an early Tamiya kit it is designed as a motorized model/toy so detail is limited.

#18 Bruno Saby (FRA) / "Tilber" (FRA)
1980 XXIV Tour De Corse
Result: 4th

I haven't been able find much info on this car other than it was prepared by the Bozian Team (a satellite team to the factory Renault Sport team) and according to my book, Rothmans World Rallying 3 by Martin Holmes, it was prepared to the much more obscure Gp.3 spec and was some 100bhp less than the factory car. It was also the debut for the R5 Turbo in the World Rally Championship.

#9 Jean Ragnotti (FRA) / Jean-Marc Andrie (FRA)
1981 49th Rallye Monte Carlo
Result: 1st

This was the first win for the R5 Turbo and the factory Renault Sport team in the WRC, and it was on French soil.

#15 Bruno Saby (FRA) / Chris Williams (GBR)
1983 XXVII Tour De Corse
Result: 5th

Again the car was run by the Bozian team but by this time with a lot more support from the factory. This was a good result considering the little 2wd car was well and truly being out classed by the newer, more powerful and faster Group B machines. The Lancia 037 filled the first four places.