5 High Performance Renault You’ve Probably Forgot

14 May 2022 Redazione News, Stories, Supercars Lounge

By Andrea Albertazzi / Photos Renault Group

Renault recently made a heartbreaking announcement, at least for any self-respecting enthusiast. After all, I’m pretty sure each and everyone of us has, at least once, lived some epic moments at the wheel of an RS model. Renault Sport closes its doors, or rather lets Alpine take care of carrying out the performance department of the brand, which expects to have an entirely electrified range by 2030. Of course, there are variables linked to the increase in charging stations, cost of electricity and laws imposed by the market, but in the meantime the time has come to say goodbye to those hot-hatches that have given us pure emotions like only pocket rockets are able to do. 23 years (Renault Sport was officially born in 1999 with the Clio RS) of fun for everyone, even if to be honest, the sports department already existed since 1976 with Gordini and Alpine. We’ll see what the future holds, but in the meantime we’ve decided to celebrate Renault with five high-performance models you may have forgotten, or even never heard of. That’s right, this time we do not focus on the various R5 Turbo, Clio Williams and Clio V6 in favor of models that deserve a last hurray, with the hope that a legacy of this caliber will not end up leaving us with only good memories.

FUEGO TURBO (1983-1985)

Produced between 1980 and 1992, the Fuego was a 4-seater coupe that revolutionized the design of the French brand. In 1983, after having gained considerable experience in the world of racing, a turbocharged petrol version was finally built, powered by a 1,565-cc equipped with a Garrett T3 turbocharger for a maximum power of 132 horsepower and performance like 9.5 seconds on the 0-100 kph and 200 per hour of top speed. The Fuego Turbo was immediately recognizable for its refined aesthetics embellished with BBS alloy wheels and “Turbo” stickers on the sides leaving no room for doubts: performance was the watchword here.

21 2.0 TURBO (1987-1994)

Renault continues its development of models powered by supercharged engines by expanding its offer and focusing on performance sedans produced by BMW and Mercedes. 1987 is in fact the moment for the R21 Turbo, a luxurious four-door that thanks to a generous 2-liter turbo engine puts to the ground 175 horses at 5,200 rpm and a maximum torque of 270 Nm at just 3,000 rpm, coming as a 4X4 or just with traction on the front wheels. It is a state-of-the-art engine, which thanks to a totally electronic management is able to control ignition, injection and boost pressure at the same time, ensuring both driving comfort and performance that stops the speedo at 227 kph of maximum speed.

SAFRANE BITURBO (1993-1996)

The Safrane is the luxury sedan that Renault introduced in 1992. With the increasingly ambitious goal of aiming directly at the prestigious Germans, it combines the practicality of a generously sized body with sophisticated solutions, both for the cockpit as well as for the mechanical compartment. In 1993, with the collaboration with tuners Hartge and Irmscher, dealing with the engine and chassis respectively, the Safrane was supercharged with 2 new KKK turbochargers that deliver 268 hp and 365 Nm of torque, appropriately distributed on both axles thanks to a permanent all-wheel drive system, thus standing out not only for its extraordinary performance, but for its extremely effective handling and on road behavior no matter the weather.

19 1.8 16v (1990-1995)

At the end of the 80s and after the dull results obtained by the various R9, R11 and R14, Renault needed to push into the sedan segment. With the intention of offering a new model that was however available with a five-door body, the R19 managed to bring a providential breath of fresh air. Just two years later – in 1990 – the top-of-the-range version was born, better known as the 1.8 16v. A forbidden dream for the youngest, the R19 16v was characterized by a design that enhanced its sportiness thanks to side profiles, more pronounced bumpers, dedicated 15-inch alloy wheels and the unmistakable spoiler at the base of the tailgate. Also available as a Cabriolet and Sedan, it was powered by an engine with a 4-valve cylinder head capable of delivering 140 horsepower, which under just 1 ton of weight guaranteed truly amazing performance.

LAGUNA 2.9 V6 (1997-2000)

The task of replacing the R21 in the upper mid-range of Renault sedans fell to the Laguna. With a completely new project and a design that was able to keep up with the increasingly fierce competition, this new model then made available also as a wagon immediately received the hoped-for consensus. Few people know that the successes obtained in the BTCC (British Touring Car Championship) have well-founded roots in the 2.9-liter, 190 horsepower street legal version produced between 1997 and 2000. In this case we have a naturally aspirated engine positioned transversely and combined with front-wheel drive only, but fun and driving involvement are absolutely worthy of granting it a place among the great sports Renault produced to date. Honorable mention for the unlucky – at least in terms of sales – third and last generation, which in 2012 and with a very aggressive design displaced a 238 horsepower 3.5 V6 under the hood.