The best Renaults of all time

Renault 5 Turbo

Like some of the best cars, the Renault 5 Turbo was motorsport-proven. A tarmac rally specialist – taking multiple wins in Corsica and Monte Carlo – that only went extinct with the arrival of the savagely powerful, four-wheel-drive Group B machines. But only after Renault had built a gorgeous roadgoing version.

Early production Turbos were built for homologation featuring a 160PS (118kW) 1.6-litre four-cylinder motor with a Garrett AiResearch T3 turbocharger and fuel injection. Underneath its Bertone-designed body, the 5 Turbo's engine is mid-mounted with massive vents sprouting from behind the doors. Bertone's magic extended to the interior with a right-angle-spoke steering wheel, blue everywhere and some of the nicest sports seats in any car. These were sadly removed in the Turbo 2. 

Renault 4

The Renault 4 will soon be resurrected as a small and practical EV, with a raised ride height much like the original. On sale in 1961, the classic 4 was a rival to the Citroën 2CV with similarly plush riding and soft-roading credentials but none of the Citroën’s lentil-eating connotations. The Renault was also larger inside and claimed to be the world's first mass-produced hatchback with a rear door hinged on the roof and the added practicality that brought next to the small hatches in rivals.

At 1961's Paris Motor Show, Renault was so proud of its car's suspension that it had a rough-road demonstration area where customers could experience the car's butter-smooth pliancy for themselves. The Renault's price was a crucial lure in the car's home market; the basic 4 sold for a few tens of a Franc cheaper than a Citroën 2CV. But when we say basic, we mean 'basic'. You have a single sun visor, no window washer and no interior door trims. C'est la vie.

Renault Safrane

The Renault Safrane comes from a time when mainstream manufacturers built big cars with options like Ford Granada, Vauxhall Carlton and Senator, Toyota Camry, Peugeot 605, Fiat Croma and Citroën XM vying for your hard-earned cash.

The Safrane lacked a USP that marked it out from its many rivals, but it was a much better car than the Renault 21, which it replaced with far improved structural integrity and vastly better refinement. To say the Safrane didn't have a USP isn't entirely true; the (oddly) manual-only 258PS (190kW) Biturbo was an all-wheel drive executive express built with help from German tuner (usually of BMWs) Hartge. Just 806 Biturbos sold, confirming there was, sadly, little appetite for a big, luxurious hatchback with a manual gearbox.  

Renault Espace

Back in 1985, if you wanted to carry seven people, you got an estate with tiny extra seats in the boot or a cumbersome old-school offroader with benches. Then came the Renault Espace, with seven full-sized seats suitable for adults and car-like handling that felt like a revelation back in the day. With front seats that swivelled around to face backwards, plus two rows of rear seats that folded into makeshift tables or could be removed entirely, the Espace may as well have invented the word 'practicality'.

The Espace drove more like an estate car than an SUV. Plastic body panels meant it was lightweight for its size, and highlights of the range included late V6 models and the early four-wheel drive Quadras. 

Renault Clio Williams

Kicking off the list we have what is considered one of the greatest hot hatches of all time. If there is one genre that French manufacturers have always excelled in, it’s the hot hatch. The Clio Williams was the first real contender to wrestle that crown away from the Peugeot 205 GTi. Even today, when choosing the perfect car to tackle a challenging British B-road, the Renault Clio Williams is hard to beat for pure driving fun.

Renault 5 GT Turbo

Getting from 0-62mph in 7.5 seconds, the Renault 5 GT Turbo was the fastest hot hatch you could buy in 1985 thanks to a punchy turbocharged 1.4-litre motor and a, erm, '1980s' approach to safety that means it weighed 853kg or less than the last Lotus Elise. '1980s' is also how you'd describe the power delivery as you waited for the Garrett T3 Turbo to chime in for maximum power of 120PS (88kW) and 164Nm (121lb ft) of torque.

Nowadays, it's how the GT handles going down the road, not its straight-line performance, that stands out. Being lightweight gives the GT a terrier-like enthusiasm in bends, and the unassisted steer is a delight. The GT chooses predictable handling over the more ballerina-like (and hedge-ready) Peugeot 205 GTI.

Renault Clio V6

If there was a car to summarise why I love Renault, it is the Clio V6. I’m regularly told that it was a pretty poor car to drive, but that doesn’t take away any of the appeal. Someone in Renault HQ made the decision to replace the rear seats of a Clio with a 3.0-litre V6 and I don’t know how anyone can react to that other than to applaud. 

Renault Sport Spider

It may not have been a commercial success, but the Renault Sport Spider was a key car in returning a sporty image to Renault in the late ‘90s. It borrowed that sweet 2.0-litre engine from the Clio Williams and placed it into a lighter all-aluminium chassis weighing just 930kg making it a lot of fun to drive. 

Renault Megane R26.R

Probably the definition of a marmite car, the design of the late ‘00s Megane certainly caused debate. The advertising campaign centred strongly around the rather large rear-end and the shaking of the arse. As soon as the R26.R version was released, it was not the bums that were wagging, it was the tongues.

Out-performing the Porsche Cayman S around the Nürburgring, it really showed what stripping all the weight out of a car can really do. Renault managed to strip 120kg from the standard Megane R26 with power remaining the same at 230PS (169kw). This resulted in a lap time around the Green Hell of just 8 minutes and 16.9 seconds.

Renault Avantime

The final entry may raise a few eyebrows, but just give me a second to explain. If there was ever a car that epitomizes why you should love Renault, it is this. The Avantime is a massive middle finger to conformity. What other car manufacturer would decide to make a two-door pillarless people carrier? C’est magnifique.