Renault 5 / Renault Le Car

Renault 5 / Renault Le Car
Type: 3/5 door hatchback
Years: 1976-1984 (in N.America)
Bling Rating: 0.4/5
Zing Rating: 3.9/5
Price Rating: 3.7/5
FunCheapFactor: 5.77

One of the original superminis, the Renault Le Car (as it was known in North America; Renault 5 elsewhere) is a living fun cheap car legend. Tough, nimble, quick, quirky, odd, and oddly reliable, the Renault Le Car carved out a peppy supermini performance niche.

Marketed in North America by American Motors Corporation (AMC: remember the Eagle?), the Le Car was Renault's first performance mini. The early Renault Le Cars came with a whopping 55hp generated by a anemic 1.3 litre four cylinder engine, but that would soon change.

Later, that engine evolved into a potent 160hp 1.4 litre turbo charged lump, marking the Le Cars arrival on the performance scene. It had already arrived on the rally scene, and was a familiar site--in turbo, AWD guise--on rally courses around the world.

For the fun cheap car Affictionado, the domestic market Renault Le Car Turbo is a great choice for cheap, fun, and fuel efficient transportation. In most North American markets the Le Car is rare these days, but in certain districts they can be found quite easily, and often, have been driven as grocery-getters and town run abouts, meaning they're still in fairly decent shape.

The Turbo version of the Renault Le Car, while nothing compared to a newer turbo charged car, is nonetheless quick, responsive, peppy, and surprisingly fun to drive. They love to rev, and rev quickly, and corner well with a decent set of tires. While Renault parts are getting difficult to find these days, links to overseas Renault parts suppliers can be easily found online.

In addition to peppy turbo charged engines and reliability that often belies their generally cheapish assembly, the Renault Le Car scores major style points--if you're in to quirky, unusual, and distincively French styling. And if you are, the Renault Le Car just might be the fun cheap car you've been looking for.

Renault 5 / Renault Le Car Links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_5
http://www.cardomain.com/MakeModel/Renault/LeCar