Following the 400-unit homologation production run that allowed the Renault 5 Turbo to comply with Group 4 regulations, the French manufacturer sought to simplify the exciting hatchback by revealing the Turbo 2. The revised car was cheaper to make while not losing its performance edge. The Turbo 2 made use of standard Renault 5 components; replacing light alloy panels for steel equivalents, the Bertone dashboard and seats were phased out, the interior fitted with that of the Renault 5 Alpine Turbo. The Turbo 2 utilised the same 1.4-litre engine from the Turbo and offered similar performance, with a top speed of 200 km/h and accelerating to 100 km/h in just 6.9 seconds.

The Renault 5 Turbo 2 offered here is believed to have been built for delivery to the United States, and imported by Bavarian Motors Inc. Accompanied by a CARFAX document—chronicling the car’s movements in the US—the first recorded entry is the Renault gaining road registration in Wenham, Massachusetts, in October 1989. At this point, its odometer read 5,422 miles. Its next activity was a change of ownership in 1999, though staying in the same state. The 5 Turbo 2 remained in Massachusetts until 2015, when it was marked for export from the state of Georgia to the United Arab Emirates. Its periodic odometer readings tally with its 15,603 miles recorded at the time of cataloguing.

The Renault presents in metallic navy, complemented by chrome- and gold-finish split rim alloy wheels that so typically stylise the 5 Turbo 2 as one of the era’s defining “hot hatches”. Inside, the biscuit-coloured carpets and darker seats are set against a black dashboard featuring a three-spoke Renault steering wheel. A defining car of its time, the potential enjoyment offered by the Renault 5 Turbo 2 far outweighs its compact size.