Renault 5 Turbo and Maxi Turbo
The Renault 5 Turbo predated Group B: it was unveiled at the 1980 Brussels Motor Show with a turbocharged engine where the rear seats should have been. Under the Group B rules it was developed into the Maxi Turbo, an asphalt specialist with around 350 hp.
Renault 5 Maxi Turbo — indicative
Episode 7 — The Underdogs: Toyota, Opel, Nissan, Mazda, Renault, Citroën, Porsche & Ferrari
The little Renault that kept beating the giants on asphalt.
From homologation special to rally classic
The first 400 cars were built for Group 4 homologation at Alpine’s factory in Dieppe. Showroom demand was so strong that almost 5,000 were eventually sold, including the cheaper Turbo 2. For Group B came evolutions with a bigger engine, lighter components and better aerodynamics, culminating in the Maxi Turbo (1985).
Results
Jean Ragnotti, famous for his spectacular asphalt style, won the 1982 Tour de Corse and, in the Maxi Turbo, the 1985 event — the tragic rally on which Attilio Bettega was killed. In Portugal in 1986, after the works teams had withdrawn, Portuguese driver Joaquim Moutinho won in a Renault Galp 5 Turbo. François Chatriot also finished second in Corsica in 1986 in a Maxi Turbo.
The car never had four-wheel drive, which left it with no chance on gravel. In national asphalt championships, however — especially in France and Spain — it was a front-runner for years.
A mid-engined supermini: three world rally wins, two of them in Corsica with asphalt master Jean Ragnotti, plus a home win for Joaquim Moutinho in Portugal in 1986.
European and national championships
The Renault 5 Turbo won the French championship in 1982 (Jean-Luc Thérier) and 1984 (Jean Ragnotti), the Spanish title in 1983 (Genito Ortiz), the Swiss title in 1984 and 1985 (Eric Ferreux) and the Portuguese title in 1985 and 1986 (Joaquim Moutinho). The Maxi 5 Turbo won the Tour de France Automobile in 1985 and 1986, and François Chatriot lost the 1986 French title only on number of wins. See European and national championships.
Results in the World Rally Championship
World Rally Championship podiums of the car (all evolutions), year by year (1982–1986). win 2nd 3rd
3 WRC wins · 5 podium finishes, 1982–1986
Photo gallery 4 photos
Historic Group B cars photographed at events, demonstrations and museums; each caption states where and when.
Further resources
- Renault The Originals: R5 Turbo EN · museum
The mid-engined R5 Turbo road car and its rally career, from Renault's own collection. - FIA homologation: Renault 5 Turbo (form B-205) EN · archive
The FIA's homologation record with dates, extensions and the scanned form. - FIA homologation: Renault 5 Turbo, 1436 cc (form B-267, basis of the Maxi) EN · archive
The FIA's homologation record with dates, extensions and the scanned form. - Renault The Originals: Maxi 5 Turbo EN · museum
Renault's heritage museum page for the Maxi 5 Turbo that won the 1985 Tour de Corse.
More from Cars
Sources
- Wikipedia (EN), Renault 5 Turbo — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_5_Turbo
- Wikipedia (EN), 1985 World Rally Championship — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1985_World_Rally_Championship
- eWRC-results — https://www.ewrc-results.com/
All text is original writing for Grouve Sports Management Group, based on the sources above. Facts checked on 21 October 2026.
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SubscribeThumbnail photos on this page: 先従隗始 (Wikimedia Commons, CC0); Croquant (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0); TTTNIS (Wikimedia Commons, CC0); Brian Snelson from Hockley, Essex, England (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0); SG2012 (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0); Alf van Beem (Wikimedia Commons, Public domain).