Unregistered
Chassis no. PT 8220E 00001

- The most powerful 2WD Group B car
- Ex-Carlos Sainz
- The ultimate R5 Turbo
- Superbly preserved

The Renault 5 Turbo came about thanks to Jean Terramorsi, the deputy head of product management for Renault responsible for limited-production models. In 1977, he conceived a sporting version of the company's star, the little Renault 5, but simply improving its handling or power output - as with the R5 Alpine - was not enough. Terramorsi felt he needed to turn it into a true rally car, using Renault's key technology: the turbocharger.
With its mid-mounted turbocharged engine, strengthened chassis and special suspension, its steel, polyester and aluminium body and its spectacular rear, far wider than the front, the R5 Turbo, presented to the press in 1978, was the subject of great passion. The first version (Group 4) in 1980 won the Monte-Carlo Rally and the Tour de Corse. Just 20 examples of the next version, logically named the "Tour de Corse" (TDC), were built for the 1983 season, in accordance with the new regulations for Group B, which replaced Group 4.
It soon became clear, however, that the car was outclassed by its rivals and a radical re-think was called for. Patrick Landon (head of Renault Sport's rally department) received the whole-hearted backing of Gérard Larrousse, the managing director of Renault Sport. A four-wheel drive model, like the Audi Quattro or forthcoming Peugeot T16, was a possibility, but the Group B regulations required that a series of 200 cars be made available through the dealer network in order for 20 cars to be built for competition! It was inconceivable, given the budget allocated by Renault.
The difficulty of the TDC was that the rear wheels were too small. To fit larger wheels, Renault had to increase the engine capacity from 1397 to 1527cc, with the help of a crankshaft with a 5mm longer stroke, and a 1mm larger bore. With the multiplication factor for turbo engines, this let it exceed the limit for the 2-litre class. A series of 200 R5 Turbo 2s was offered to customers with a larger engine, the type 8221 instead of the 8220 of the R5 Turbo. It should be noted that this limited run of Turbo 2s had an aluminium roof, as on the R5 Turbo "1".
But the changes did not stop with the engine: the future Maxi 5 was a complete reworking of the TDC: the front and rear wishbones, hub carriers, anti-roll bars and shock absorbers were all different. The gearbox had a magnesium sump and the car's unique bodyshell was strengthened. The brakes were initially identical to the TDC but the diameter was later increased to 299mm. François Bernard was responsible for the chassis and Philippe Coblence for the engine. Coblence drew on Renault's research in F1 into fuel-injection, the ignition system, turbocharging and the air-to-water intercooler made by SECAN, a subsidiary of Chausson.
In particular, the injection of water into the intake manifold reduced the temperature of the air by 10°. The large SECAN intercooler specific to the model was relocated from the left rear wing to above the gearbox. The turbo meanwhile was moved to the right in the wing, with a special mechanism to limit the intense heat produced, and the exhaust was routed ahead of the right rear wheel, to reduce the heat generated in the engine bay. The engine now produced 350bhp at 6500rpm, with very high maximum torque of 311lb·ft, 72lb·ft more than the TDC!
For homologation reasons, 20 Maxis were assembled, but thanks to the valuable information provided by Patrick Landon, it can be stated that when the 20 cars were presented to the FFSA, ten were assembled "dry", with no fluids, and were stripped down immediately afterwards. Only ten cars were in running order and were sold with a certificate enabling them to be registered (Archives of P. Landon):

Series no. 701: registered 7499 YA 91, works car in Philips colours, sold to Dominique de Meyer in 1986
Series no. 702: registered 9489 YB 91, works car in Philips colours, won the Tour de Corse in 1985
Series no. 703: registered 5555 SP 30, sold to the Gard Departmental Council for Philippe Touren
Series no. 704: registered VA 4650 M (SP), supplied to FASA Spain for Carlos Sainz
Series no. 705: registered 27 FJE 75, supplied to DIAC Renault for François Chatriot
Series no. 706: registered 194 FGL 75, supplied to Renault Compiègne for François Chatriot
Series no. 708: registered 367 YC 91, works car in Philips colours, sold to Pascal Thomasse in 1986 with the identification plates of no. 701
Series no. 709: registered 40840 (AND), sold to Gérard De la Casa in Andorra
Series no. 710: registered 4838 TE 14, sold to Gérard Paquet
Series no. 712: registered 21 RG 28, sold to Renault Chartres for Didier Auriol
711 was a kit kept by Landon's team, 713 was a kit sold to Renault Chartres and 707 was a kit supplied to either FASA or DIAC.

The semi-official teams, such as Renault Chartres, DIAC or FASA Renault Spain in effect received a complete car which could be registered and a second as a kit ... Renault Chartres thus competed with two cars with the same registration number for Didier Auriol: one (712) sponsored by 33 Export, the other (713) by Philips. For Renault's DIAC subsidiary, which specialised in car finance, François Chatriot's first car (706) caught fire on the Rallye des Garrigues in 1985. It was immediately replaced in competition by 705, then completely rebuilt using the spare bodyshell. Renault Classic still owns four Maxis, including the real DIAC car (705), which has never left its reserve collection, and two "Philips" cars, one of which has the registration papers of 702.
It should not be forgotten that half the Maxis were stripped down for parts! The numerous bodyshells and mechanical components available during the Maxis' time in competition meant they could be rebuilt from standard R5 Turbo bodies, Maxi bodies damaged in accidents or even from new Maxi bodyshells still available when Group B came to an end. It is important therefore to be able to trace the history of these legendary cars, which symbolise the wild years of Group B. We will look now at the history of Carlos Sainz' cars, including the very fine example from Lohéac.