We were involved in a terrible accident with my father's Fuego. The entire family was in the car when it was smashed between two giant trucks. When I opened my eyes, I saw my sister lying straight between the windshield and the dashboard. Remarkably, none of us were injured. We were pulled out one by one from the wreckage and soon realized that everyone around us was crying. They thought we were all dead. When I turned back to look at the wreck, I couldn't believe what I saw. The car was only a quarter of its original size. To us, that car is nothing short of a miracle.
I've bought a brand new Fuego 2.2L in 1983. One must remember, at the time, the Fuego was a million times ahead of what the american market was offering. The seats, Blaupunkt sound system and the overall road handling quality of that car was very convincing to me during my first test drive. I simply loved that car.
Same here! I remember when it debuted here in the States in 1982, and I thought it was cool as hell! Definitely a dream car for this then-6-year-old...
F. Lares Frankly, I can’t disagree with you on that score. I think the overall quality of most cars is only now starting to improve, and it’s really no wonder the Japanese makes (as always and to no one’s eternal surprise) are leading the way. Let’s face it: pretty much EVERYTHING that came out of Detroit from the early ‘80s to the late ‘00s was such complete and utter garbage. Do I fault the UAW for this? No; not at all. However, I do blame the management of the Big Three for historically ‘mailing it in’ over the past three decades, what with their cutting corners when it comes to such critical categories as safety and reliability. And the worst offender of all??? None other than our pals at good-old General Motors. Remember the Corvair? How about the Vega? Citation, then? Or even the Cobalt, perhaps??? Each one of those cars’ infamy was tied DIRECTLY to GM’s penchant for penny-pinching, and look what resulted: numerous injuries, deaths, and multiple lawsuits, all because The General failed to learn its lesson multiple times over. That said, I will happily continue to be a fervent Toyota devotee for life, mainly because they always ‘get it right’ and listen to their customers...
Had 3 Fuegos since 1987, was my daily for 5 years, doing 70 miles a day, in he Arctic north of Norway, crossing a mountain pass, weak for ont suspension, poor heater, but brilliant traction, light rear end. Drive them like I had stolen them, very reliable. Two rusted away, the hire I still have, it's been restored ed, and is no a sunny day car. Always loved the looked and design, really ahead of it's time, like the SD1
Before anyone else says it - yes, I can't say "Robert" correctly, and yes I know "Fiero" means "Proud" in Italian. Quite a few of you have pointed out the Renault 5 Turbo and 2nd generation model in 1985 were Renault's hot hatch. Yes, I forgot about that, which shows I should do a video on it to bone up. Thanks to everyone for letting me know!
Another brilliant video!! Long enough to get the details, but short enough to dip into when one has 15 minutes to spare. I suppose your videos are concise because you leave out things that go without saying, such as the Renault 5 being old hat by the late 80s.
I think you're gonna hit some views from Argentina, it's a beloved car here. The ultimate version, the locally produced "GTA Max" (Fire GTA Max: that's a proper car name, not MP4-12C) had a 2.2L with 123 bhp, even Maradona had one. The succes it had in TC 2000 championship with Traverso (the most known TC2000 driver ever) and Berta (the biggest name between local race teams), made it gain the heart of the pretty big local gearhead culture. There is even a crazy race where a Fuego catching on fire wins the race (google for the video: Traverso Fuego).
sure they had the 5 alpine/gordini and turbo at the time but it was a subcompact car so it was a smaller hothactch as a golf or an escort. the had no compact hothatch before the fuego and after that renault 11 turbo.
My first car was a 1983 Fuego 1.6, here in Canada. One unusual feature that might not be mentioned by anyone else was the oil level gauge on the dashboard, which when turning the ignition on, before the starter, showed the engine oil level without having to use the dipstick. I read at the time that the Fuego was the only non-exotic car to have this.
Hello! I'm from Argentina and something interesting is that the the wins that happened really affected the sales, 9 out of 10 people that entered on a Renault dealership asked for a Renault Fuego and 8 out of 10 people asked for a green one (that was the color that won the race)
I had an 82 1.8fi in the US. When I was in college. The WRONG time to own a French car!! It’s lack of reliability finally killed it, but I loved it while it ran. It’s heater was non-existent. The bubble rear window deposited snow right in the middle where you couldn’t see, and the location of the electronics for the rear lights meant that water dripped on them and ruined them giving you no brake lights. You couldn’t put a sun visor down without disturbing the rear view mirror. BUT, I could hyper-mile it to 42mpg. It was a BLAST to drive, with the rear seat down it was CAVERNOUS, and it had a front quarter-side light that would brightly illuminate the direction your turn signal was on, letting you see where you were turning, rather than only where you were pointed, rather like the turning headlights in the Citroën DS. It was EXPENSIVE to fix, but I LOVED it, and I peruses eBay for when they come up for sale, but I dare not buy one. (Mind you, I HAVE since owned FOUR Citroën DS/ID, so maybe I’m a glutton for punishment, but see least I can work on those cars...
When I lived I Denver Colorado I would often walk my German Shepherd puppy down a street lined with used car lots. Found a black/gold version with the cloth sunroof. It was five years old with 25k and was only $1950.00! I purchased is for $1500.00 and drove it for ten more years and 140k miles. It had a few cooling and electrical issues but since I had moved to Wisconsin where the roads are heavily salted it disintegrated within a couple years.
Great story Will. Coming from Ireland but growing up in Toronto, Canada I had a fondness for Renault's. My dad being a used car salesman, we saw our fair share and granted, probably Toronto's fair share of Renault's pass though our family. My first car was a little black 5 sport with cloth pullback roof. Mirror tint all around, you could get away with that sort of thing back then. It was the bomb! Too bad they all rusted away. I'd absolutely kill for another one. Cheers.
From Ireland myself and I had a few Renaults myself but the best one was a 1987 Renault 5 Gt turbo, what a blast of a car for a car with only 1.4 turbos it defied logic with what it could do.
One of the most popular cars here in Arg during the 80´s and early 90´s. In fact, the 81 model was imported from France until 1982 when Renault decided to produced it, alongside with the R18 (That was already in production since 1981). It has 3 different version during the time it was produced, 2.0 GTX from 1981 to 1985, GTX II that has some minor changes such as new alloy wheels and a new dashboard. The first mecanical upgrade was on 1987 with GTX II 2.2L, with the engine deplacement´s increse to 2.2L, rear disk breaks and a new 14 inch alloy wheels. In 1989, the GTA was launched, this has the mayor restyling in Fuego´s life, this also changes the previous aerodynamics form 0.34 to 0.32. In 1991, the GTA MaX was introduced, increasing the 2.2L engine Bhp from 116Cv to 123Cv.
I owned a 1986 Renault 18 GTS; it was a good, comfortable car, the handling was nose heavy but the "1.7" engine was reliable and adequate. I always yearned for the 2.0 GTX or Turbo Fuego though...sadly rust was a huge problem for both models here in the UK.
My parents had a Renault Fuego from 1982 to 1990. I have fond memories of the car and thought it stood out even though I was so young at the time. When you see what large cars a family of 4 need these days, I have no idea how we got by without bother in such a small car.
I remember the Fuego quite well in Canada. I lived in a city ( not in Quebec) that had a large French representation. The Jeep dealer sold a lot for Fuego's. They were a nicely designed car. Too bad Renault couldn't hold on in Canada.
In case you wonder why it was sold by a Jeep dealer ... Jeeps got sold in the 80's & 90's in Belgium under either the Chrysler or Renault branding. Most of them were assembled in the Renault plant at Vilvoorde, Belgium, near Brussels.
I just love the styling of the car, it was love at first sight, and as a fact I love the styling of Renault cars, it has that Frenchy look and that's nice.
About the hot hatch.. did you forget the Renault 5 alpine turbo/Gordini, Renault 5 maxi turbo and the Renault 5 GTTurbo existed prior to the Clio 16V / Clio Williams?
This channel brings out the best most knowledgeable people. The detailed professional explanation on the history of design and engineering of these beautiful quirky cars, cars such as the Fiat Ritmo, Furgo, etc., is what was lacking on TH-cam.
That Fuego interior is exactly the same as a Renault 14 TS that I had and loved! Sadly after suffering 2 rear end accidents whilst sat at red traffic lights at the bottom of 2separate hills the car was written off.
Nice !, we had 3 Fuegos back in the day. Dad had a 1.6 GTL, and little ol me who was only 18 at the time got the 2.0 GTX. Later on i got the 1.6 Turbo. But the 2.0 was the better car. The 1.6 in both forms was a pushrod engine and terrible. The 2.0 was a OHC engine of much newer design from the 20 TS. The 2.2 engine from the 20 TX i dont believe was in any of the EU cars. It was for US only. It was the 2.0 engine just with a longer stroke. It was the first car in the world to have Remote central locking. It was also the first car in the world to have a Fully mapped Ignition system in the new Renix unit in the 2.0. Then in 85 the GTA V6 Turbo was the first car in the world to have a full mapped Ignition and Fuel system, again Renix, They were quite class leading back in the day. I still have a GTA V6 Turbo today, awesome car.
I had an 85 non-turbo 2.2 liter with an automatic and AC. This was in spring of 89 so the car was only 4 yrs old, and iirc it had about 65k miles on it. For an automatic four banger it was decently quick and the AC would crank out ice cold air. The Achilles heal, at least for me, was finding parts. At some point after 85 Renault had left the US market and AMC were no longer supporting Renault cars with parts and service. Being pre-internet days it was so difficult to find parts (at least in my KY town) that I ended up getting rid of it over not being able to find as simple as it gets part (a water pump) for it. After I’d traded it in I got a call a month or so later from someone who had bought it and they asked where I found parts for it, I laughed and said I didn’t that’s why I got rid of it. Lol. I probably would have continued to drive it through college if not for that.
Thanks for doing this video. I had two of these, N American versions. I had a white 83 Turbo and an Iris Mist (silver purple) 84 Turbo. I really loved those cars. Both had the beautiful tri-tone leather seats. True, 107hp was pretty appalling for a turbo, but on American roads, it was just fine for every day driving. the car was sleek, comfortable and had everything you could need. The quirky French-ness of the car made it positively endearing.
I remember as a child in the late 80’s asking my dad what a sign said as we entered the car wash, I clearly remember him laughing saying it said no Renault Fuegos. I assume the brushes on early car washes got stuck in the plastic mid body stripe. Dad what’s a ‘foo e goss’! Great brides as ever. 👍🏼
Lee Child , writer of the Jack Reacher thrillers , based his pen name off the then popular Le Car adverts .He explained in an interview that Lee came from Le (Car) and Child because it would place him alphabetically between Chandler and Christie on the bookshelves .
They are absolutely BEAUTIFUL but not reliable. I have one with a very good body but running right now. I love that it has the sunroof and I love that it DOES NOT have the turbo. Mine is black but am thinking in the future of having it painted something closer to Plum Crazy but a little lighter.
@General.E.Shady so by being a "suspension specialist" you actually replaced bushes, struts, ball joints and that sorta thing, but you were not actually able to comprehend how and why suspension works in 25 years. Good run pal, congrats ! Local community is thankful for your service ! PS: They're not even called that :))
The Fuego was replaced by the 9 and 11 Turbo variants, thought not direct replacements because they were smaller. Still they took its place in the coupe/sport segment, especially the 11 with very similar rear styling. And before the Clio hot hatch, the 5 GT Turbo made great success in Europe, more or less at the same time the 9 and 11 Turbo variants were introduced.
What is never revealed in these presentations is that the car had a 2 ltr longitudinal engine with a gearbox at the end driving the front wheels. It was a bloody pain on back roads, I spun mine a few times. There was no power steering, so really heavy steering and very noisy. But mine was reliable, I did over 100k miles in it (160k in total on the clock) but it rusted to pieces and required a lot of welding (lucky I could weld. Still, it enabled me to get a French girlfriend, now my wife!
I seem to remember that when these came out, the use of a space saver spare tyre caused a regulation change in the UK as it was the first car to be sold here with one.
The Fuego GTA Max here in Argentina was a total success due his good looking appearance and the success un TC2000 racing competitions with Juan María Traverso as the most successfull driver. Today the Fuego is a cult car with a legion of fans and a very high sell value. Great Vid!
I saw them regulary in the street they run fine, well first i cheat a little because where i live is the Renault/Alpine land (aka Normandy), and second some of them tell you "Kill me or restore me " but it's still nice to see them on the road between these montrous SUV.
I'm a long term Fuego owner (2 Turbos and a GTX) so I'm always intrigued by the comments on these TH-cam videos. After 15 years of ownership I am happy to say that I have found them to be reliable, comfortable, fast enough, sporty yet practical cars. Not perfect but if you want perfect reliability then you buy Japanese (not German!). The only negatives I hear are from people "who knew someone who had one". If you want the best from any car then you should take care of it properly. I've met plenty of previous owners who were always very happy with their Fuego's and I get lots of looks and good comments - even from younger people who've never seen one before (like most 1980s cars now!).
@@BigCar2 I like this channel , because this is a celebration of the ordinary ,much like HubNut. We've all driven many of these once popular cars in our younger days but few of us have owned a Ferrari ...
I have always found that this car aged very well in terms of exterior design, a bit like the Peugeot 205. Interior and reliability are something else, but this car still has some appeal to me! Thanks for the story!
The advert with the Renault 18 chained in an amphitheatre is terrifying, like a nightmare!! The Renault model numbering system was nuts. I wonder if model designations could be a contender for a video topic? My parents had a 1989 Renault 21 that blew my and my friends' minds in the early/mid 90s with its remote central locking. I read that Renault sold a small muscle car in Argentina for a couple of decades- very random!! The Torino that was based on the AMC Rambler
@@nkt1 That's top trivia!! It has that feel about it actually, as though the car were inhabited by Rod Steiger. Can't do better than Leone and Morricone.
Another cracking vid Mr Big. Always liked the Fuego... Btw, I must say these bitesized Autosnacks really are a tasty treat from start to finish. Trouble is they always whet my appetite for more so i end up rewatching your back catalogue for much longer than intended! I'm not hooked tho... I can stop any time I want... Hmmmm... just one more episode and THEN I'll get back to work.....
Terrific looking car - definitely a high water mark for Renault design - Opron’s R25 was another highlight. Pity that Renault lost their nerve during the 90s and beyond.
Your choices of car models are always very accurate and interesting. Details like mentioning that the Fuego was popular in Quebec show that your information is very serious and relevant. Thank you!
My stepfather had a Renault Fuego, a really handsome 1.7 litre model like the one @ 4:55 same alloys and paint colour. He left the poor thing standing outside in the rain for years before some enterprising thieves stole it away circa year 2000 in the middle of the night onto a trailer (because the wheels couldn't turn any more). I'd like to think that this car is living a good life somewhere else because he'd slipped registering it as SORN so the DVLA had no records of it, but more likely it was stripped for it's surprisingly good body and intact interior.
The sketch of the 5 door Fuego blows my mind! A sort of 5 door R18 that never was. Looks a bit like a scaled down R25 which would have been under development at the same time. It’s a shame they didn’t put it into production. The Fuego’s problem was that it was never given the engine it deserved.
My dad had one when I was a very young child back in the early 90's. He absolutely loved it! There was a bracket which holds the clutch cable that broke, it went to a mechanic who specialised in european cars who said it needed a new clutch. Pulled the whole car apart to find it was only the bracket and couldn't put it back together right. Dad had to sell it soon after. He still spins a bearing at the thought of what happened to it.
Nothing to fill the gap before the Renault Clio ???? what about the Renault 5 GT Turbo launched in 1985, Renault was in the hot hatch market way before the Clio!
Yep I was wondering the same.. the Renault 5 GT turbo was amazing, a friend had one. The acceleration was sick and would burn just about any car off especially those pesky VW Golfs.
Yesterday, while watching some of your videos, I was wondering that it would be great to have one about the Renault Fuego: you just read my mind! Just one side note, before the Clio, Renault released the 5 Turbo and Turbo 2 in the first half of the 1980's, but if we don't want to consider it a hot hatch (due to its unusual changed layout for a 2-seat rear engine), there was also the Super5 GT-Turbo in the mid-1980 with a 1.4 Turbo also available in the Renault 9 and 11 Turbo.
I was thinking the same thing, the turbo and turbo 2, sure not hot hatches, but they had the GT turbo and actually even preceeding that in 1976 the R5 Alpine (Gordini in the UK), which was a hot hatch version, which was even launched 2 months before the original Golf GTI. So Renault were definitely in the hot hatch game as one of the first.
Remember the Fuego so well in the day down under in New Zealand, always liked the design in an 80's kind of way. Still looks half decent to me. Great upload as always 🖖
My grandfather had a black fuego for ten years and loved it. I think it looked quite futuristic, so I was quite suprised to hear it didn't become more popular. It's so 80's, I love it!
These were released when I was a teenager. I was way into my classic cars. Loathed most new releases. Except for these. I thought the Fuego was stunning. I still love them
sure they had the 5 alpine/gordini and turbo at the time but it was a subcompact car so it was a smaller hothactch as a golf or an escort. the had no compact hothatch before the fuego and after that renault 11 turbo.
I saw these in Europe in August 1990. I was completely smitten. I would love to drive one some day. A red one makes an appearance in a Roger Moore, James Bond movie. The design looks very Bertone like. Thank you.
Back in the day, that was the "saying". They were a poor mans porsche. But the same was also said of the Fiero. Where as the Renault GTA V6 Turbo was a Porsche 911 eating machine. It handled better than the 911 and was quicker too. (i still have one..)
@@dj_paultuk7052 Alpines are really the french answer to porsche. I really hope theyll introduce a few more alpine cars as the brand is now revived. Maybe something with the 3.0TT V6 from the new Fairlady Z as Renault are one with the Nissan company.
@@flylikealbatross7441 I really hoped they would have released the A110-50 prototype, it was just mad. Tuned Nissan GTR engine. This is the best sounding car in the world, Period.. th-cam.com/video/Q3jMqMnOGUw/w-d-xo.html
@@buttheyreinvestmentsdear3132 that was 20 years before the Boxster. But yes, the 924 was developed with Volkswagen and only had a 2.0L engine from Audi
My father bought the Fuego twice. But our main car was the sedan my mother drove. So I grew up with the Fuego. Its main features, that set that car aside from other cars of its era, and that make the Fuego a Fuego in my eyes, are the unusual central-locking system and the many wipers. The stripes serve the function to include the boot in the central-locking system.
Indeed, in Argetina Fuego car was kind of successful, and a desirable locally produced car, and have won many championships of local touring car racings, TC2000 Turismo Competición 2000 (no "El"). Here a review of its last incarnation/restyling Fuego GTA MAX. th-cam.com/video/nsdPhembWJg/w-d-xo.html
But is it? Bond never drove the Fuego in A View to a Kill, nor was he pursued by it, rather it was used by the bad guys (gals actually) when doing away with Bond’s accomplice. Bond did however chase Grace through Paris in a commandeered Renault 11, which qualifies that model as a Bond car in my estimation.
Great video! I forgot a bit about this car until I saw one driving in The Netherlands some weeks ago. I wanted to do some research so this videois right in time!
Big Car I remember the 5 GT turbo being very popular in the 80s - maybe sales figures don’t show that? They did have the 11 turbo though which was a true 1980s spawned hot hatch.
Hi! So many memories! That car was a real "future car" and a hot car for everyone here in Argentina, even there are enthusiasts clubs. Thank you for tell us the story of the lovely car!
I was a young apprentice at a Renault dealership in the UK, when the Fuego came out, I thought they were ok, but I also remember replacing lots of burnt out fuse boxes under warranty!🤣 My favourite Renault of the period was the first generation Gordini 5, a fun little car, one of my jobs was to re torque the cylinder head on first service, which was a challenge as the rearmost two head bolts were buried way back under the firewall!
After watching some videos on a few of my favourite Volvo's, I was stoked to see my mom's favourite car featured too. My parents owned one back in the 90s, and from the stories my dad told: "The Fuego was the car we could drive from the Netherlands to Spain (1600km) and get out of it just as fit as we got in."
As a car enthousiast I really appreciate these videos very much! They must require a LOT of preparation to deliver this much of interesting information and presenting it so smoothly!
Well there's a lot of editing because I can do about 2 sentences before I break down. That's why you don't see me talking to camera in long bursts! The research takes the longest.
Thank you for this informative video. J Dewar McLintock enthused about the car in his book about the brand. You mention the remote door locking, or "PLIP", which he says was derived from the name of its designer Paul Lipschutz. The author points out that the Fuego was one of the first European mass production cars to have the emergency-only type of spare wheel. Also, it was apparently the first Renault since the Caravelle to have a name as opposed to a numerical designation.
I always liked Renault cars, the Fuego especially being something a little bit different and special. I didn’t like them enough to buy one, but you know, they looked cool. Another great video good sir. Only surprised you didn’t mention how much that rear tailgate glass cost 😜
I owned a Fuego Turbo (gas) and the best thing I remember were the plush seats. One of the finest cars from Renault in the 1980's was the 1987 Renault GTA coupe and convertible. I bought a tweaked coupe out of the junk yard for $150, had it pulled back into shape (more or less) and enjoyed one of the finest-handling FWD cars I have ever owned.
I had a 1.7 in black. It was good to drive, comfortable and relatively fast in its day. I did a number of 500 mile round trips to France in it and it was effortless. It could carry a few crates of wine too.
I wish the 5 door version in petrol and turbo diesel engines had been offered, I would've done it personally. It would have offered this sport coupé hatchback something for the familyman wife and three kids, and the turbo diesel would appeal to those who value fuel savings / economy over performance and still want the usefulness of 5 doors.
We were involved in a terrible accident with my father's Fuego. The entire family was in the car when it was smashed between two giant trucks. When I opened my eyes, I saw my sister lying straight between the windshield and the dashboard. Remarkably, none of us were injured. We were pulled out one by one from the wreckage and soon realized that everyone around us was crying. They thought we were all dead. When I turned back to look at the wreck, I couldn't believe what I saw. The car was only a quarter of its original size. To us, that car is nothing short of a miracle.
Holy shit man, thats a true miracle
I've bought a brand new Fuego 2.2L in 1983. One must remember, at the time, the Fuego was a million times ahead of what the american market was offering. The seats, Blaupunkt sound system and the overall road handling quality of that car was very convincing to me during my first test drive. I simply loved that car.
Hows it going so far?
I remember these when I was a kid in the 80’s. I still think the Fuego is a great looking car.
Same here! I remember when it debuted here in the States in 1982, and I thought it was cool as hell! Definitely a dream car for this then-6-year-old...
Agree, a very special car for does days.
rare stuff you will be strugeling to find one now rust killed a lot of these
F. Lares Frankly, I can’t disagree with you on that score. I think the overall quality of most cars is only now starting to improve, and it’s really no wonder the Japanese makes (as always and to no one’s eternal surprise) are leading the way. Let’s face it: pretty much EVERYTHING that came out of Detroit from the early ‘80s to the late ‘00s was such complete and utter garbage. Do I fault the UAW for this? No; not at all. However, I do blame the management of the Big Three for historically ‘mailing it in’ over the past three decades, what with their cutting corners when it comes to such critical categories as safety and reliability. And the worst offender of all??? None other than our pals at good-old General Motors. Remember the Corvair? How about the Vega? Citation, then? Or even the Cobalt, perhaps??? Each one of those cars’ infamy was tied DIRECTLY to GM’s penchant for penny-pinching, and look what resulted: numerous injuries, deaths, and multiple lawsuits, all because The General failed to learn its lesson multiple times over. That said, I will happily continue to be a fervent Toyota devotee for life, mainly because they always ‘get it right’ and listen to their customers...
Yes I'm 50 now but remember these as a kid. Bespoke but great looks still today.
The battle between the fuego and the XR4 was epic, and after 8 to 1 championships, the fuego reached the status of myth in Argentina.
Probably had a little bit to do with it being run by Berta and driven by Traverso...the Sierras had almost no chance against that ^^
Had 3 Fuegos since 1987, was my daily for 5 years, doing 70 miles a day, in he Arctic north of Norway, crossing a mountain pass, weak for ont suspension, poor heater, but brilliant traction, light rear end. Drive them like I had stolen them, very reliable. Two rusted away, the hire I still have, it's been restored ed, and is no a sunny day car. Always loved the looked and design, really ahead of it's time, like the SD1
Before anyone else says it - yes, I can't say "Robert" correctly, and yes I know "Fiero" means "Proud" in Italian.
Quite a few of you have pointed out the Renault 5 Turbo and 2nd generation model in 1985 were Renault's hot hatch. Yes, I forgot about that, which shows I should do a video on it to bone up. Thanks to everyone for letting me know!
Doesnt matter one bit - GREAT video, on a great car design 😉👍
Another brilliant video!! Long enough to get the details, but short enough to dip into when one has 15 minutes to spare. I suppose your videos are concise because you leave out things that go without saying, such as the Renault 5 being old hat by the late 80s.
I'm the max power days. The Renault 5 turbo were very desirable as all the hot hatches as far as I'm concerned.
@@flemmingsorensen5470 Agreed!
I think we can consider though the 1985 Renault Super 5 (2nd gen R5) GT Turbo with 1.4 turbo 115/120hp a hot hatch.
I think you're gonna hit some views from Argentina, it's a beloved car here. The ultimate version, the locally produced "GTA Max" (Fire GTA Max: that's a proper car name, not MP4-12C) had a 2.2L with 123 bhp, even Maradona had one. The succes it had in TC 2000 championship with Traverso (the most known TC2000 driver ever) and Berta (the biggest name between local race teams), made it gain the heart of the pretty big local gearhead culture. There is even a crazy race where a Fuego catching on fire wins the race (google for the video: Traverso Fuego).
th-cam.com/video/EjeY3LLDkig/w-d-xo.html There it is!
Aguante Traverso no me importa nada!!! Jajajaja
y no nos olvidemos cuando se le iban reventando los neumáticos...
@Carlos Brito 4to 4ta - es cierto
Fue el coche más cercana a la KITT (Pontiac Trans Am) como no las vendían Pontiacs allá.
La Renault 11 fue linda también.
"Renault didn't have a hot hatch"
Renault 5 Turbo : ahem.
Yeah you all got the 5 turbo we got Le Car.
T/A Plus Hemi hahahah
Tiago João Silva we got the gt turbo
sure they had the 5 alpine/gordini and turbo at the time but it was a subcompact car so it was a smaller hothactch as a golf or an escort. the had no compact hothatch before the fuego and after that renault 11 turbo.
@@LaFritePerreGoatI am sorry but I have to disagree with you there. It was the same size as the Peoguet 205 GTI. Which took the crown from golf GTI.
My first car was a 1983 Fuego 1.6, here in Canada. One unusual feature that might not be mentioned by anyone else was the oil level gauge on the dashboard, which when turning the ignition on, before the starter, showed the engine oil level without having to use the dipstick. I read at the time that the Fuego was the only non-exotic car to have this.
Hello! I'm from Argentina and something interesting is that the the wins that happened really affected the sales, 9 out of 10 people that entered on a Renault dealership asked for a Renault Fuego and 8 out of 10 people asked for a green one (that was the color that won the race)
Hello!, I'm from Argentina too, that's really interesting facts, I'm thinking about getting one next year 😅
In 1981 aged 20, I used to see an advertisement on a billboard as we went shopping on the weekly bus in Cornwall. At 24 I had a 2 litre TX.😊
I had an 82 1.8fi in the US. When I was in college. The WRONG time to own a French car!! It’s lack of reliability finally killed it, but I loved it while it ran. It’s heater was non-existent. The bubble rear window deposited snow right in the middle where you couldn’t see, and the location of the electronics for the rear lights meant that water dripped on them and ruined them giving you no brake lights. You couldn’t put a sun visor down without disturbing the rear view mirror. BUT, I could hyper-mile it to 42mpg. It was a BLAST to drive, with the rear seat down it was CAVERNOUS, and it had a front quarter-side light that would brightly illuminate the direction your turn signal was on, letting you see where you were turning, rather than only where you were pointed, rather like the turning headlights in the Citroën DS. It was EXPENSIVE to fix, but I LOVED it, and I peruses eBay for when they come up for sale, but I dare not buy one. (Mind you, I HAVE since owned FOUR Citroën DS/ID, so maybe I’m a glutton for punishment, but see least I can work on those cars...
I was just a small kid at the time but I was spotting them on the highway when we did our summer France↔️Spain trips. Good memories.
When I lived I Denver Colorado I would often walk my German Shepherd puppy down a street lined with used car lots.
Found a black/gold version with the cloth sunroof.
It was five years old with 25k and was only $1950.00!
I purchased is for $1500.00 and drove it for ten more years and 140k miles.
It had a few cooling and electrical issues but since I had moved to Wisconsin where the roads are heavily salted it disintegrated within a couple years.
Great story Will. Coming from Ireland but growing up in Toronto, Canada I had a fondness for Renault's. My dad being a used car salesman, we saw our fair share and granted, probably Toronto's fair share of Renault's pass though our family. My first car was a little black 5 sport with cloth pullback roof. Mirror tint all around, you could get away with that sort of thing back then. It was the bomb! Too bad they all rusted away. I'd absolutely kill for another one. Cheers.
From Ireland myself and I had a few Renaults myself but the best one was a 1987 Renault 5 Gt turbo, what a blast of a car for a car with only 1.4 turbos it defied logic with what it could do.
One of the most popular cars here in Arg during the 80´s and early 90´s. In fact, the 81 model was imported from France until 1982 when Renault decided to produced it, alongside with the R18 (That was already in production since 1981). It has 3 different version during the time it was produced, 2.0 GTX from 1981 to 1985, GTX II that has some minor changes such as new alloy wheels and a new dashboard. The first mecanical upgrade was on 1987 with GTX II 2.2L, with the engine deplacement´s increse to 2.2L, rear disk breaks and a new 14 inch alloy wheels. In 1989, the GTA was launched, this has the mayor restyling in Fuego´s life, this also changes the previous aerodynamics form 0.34 to 0.32. In 1991, the GTA MaX was introduced, increasing the 2.2L engine Bhp from 116Cv to 123Cv.
My first car, I will always love the Fuego.
how long did it last you?
The Fuego was, and still is a FANTASTIC looking car. I absolutely loved them back in the day. Great upload, thanks.
Eric George it looks like a rip off of the trueno
@@randomram3491 Never seen one.
@@randomram3491 the rear ends are completely different.
I owned a 1986 Renault 18 GTS; it was a good, comfortable car, the handling was nose heavy but the "1.7" engine was reliable and adequate. I always yearned for the 2.0 GTX or Turbo Fuego though...sadly rust was a huge problem for both models here in the UK.
My parents had a Renault Fuego from 1982 to 1990. I have fond memories of the car and thought it stood out even though I was so young at the time. When you see what large cars a family of 4 need these days, I have no idea how we got by without bother in such a small car.
Lucky you.
Our family of 4 car was a Fiat 600. Go figure it.
I´m proud to be a part of this. I did own a FUEGO a lot of years.
I remember the Fuego quite well in Canada. I lived in a city ( not in Quebec) that had a large French representation. The Jeep dealer sold a lot for Fuego's. They were a nicely designed car. Too bad Renault couldn't hold on in Canada.
In case you wonder why it was sold by a Jeep dealer ... Jeeps got sold in the 80's & 90's in Belgium under either the Chrysler or Renault branding. Most of them were assembled in the Renault plant at Vilvoorde, Belgium, near Brussels.
I just love the styling of the car, it was love at first sight, and as a fact I love the styling of Renault cars, it has that Frenchy look and that's nice.
About the hot hatch.. did you forget the Renault 5 alpine turbo/Gordini, Renault 5 maxi turbo and the Renault 5 GTTurbo existed prior to the Clio 16V / Clio Williams?
Definitely!
And the Renault 9/11 turbos.
This channel brings out the best most knowledgeable people. The detailed professional explanation on the history of design and engineering of these beautiful quirky cars, cars such as the Fiat Ritmo, Furgo, etc., is what was lacking on TH-cam.
Glad you like them!
Renault 20 and 30 deserve some content ♥️
That Fuego interior is exactly the same as a Renault 14 TS that I had and loved! Sadly after suffering 2 rear end accidents whilst sat at red traffic lights at the bottom of 2separate hills the car was written off.
The fuego still a good looking car.
Often seen nowadays besides panelbeating and mig/tig welding equipment in garages.
Macchina eccezionale! Soprattutto bella; confortevole, ben accessoriata! Ricordo con molto piacere ! Grazie !!
Prego Gianni
Nice !, we had 3 Fuegos back in the day. Dad had a 1.6 GTL, and little ol me who was only 18 at the time got the 2.0 GTX. Later on i got the 1.6 Turbo. But the 2.0 was the better car. The 1.6 in both forms was a pushrod engine and terrible. The 2.0 was a OHC engine of much newer design from the 20 TS. The 2.2 engine from the 20 TX i dont believe was in any of the EU cars. It was for US only. It was the 2.0 engine just with a longer stroke. It was the first car in the world to have Remote central locking. It was also the first car in the world to have a Fully mapped Ignition system in the new Renix unit in the 2.0. Then in 85 the GTA V6 Turbo was the first car in the world to have a full mapped Ignition and Fuel system, again Renix, They were quite class leading back in the day. I still have a GTA V6 Turbo today, awesome car.
And i had 2 Fiero's too.. A sucker for 80's Coupes...
I had an 85 non-turbo 2.2 liter with an automatic and AC. This was in spring of 89 so the car was only 4 yrs old, and iirc it had about 65k miles on it. For an automatic four banger it was decently quick and the AC would crank out ice cold air. The Achilles heal, at least for me, was finding parts. At some point after 85 Renault had left the US market and AMC were no longer supporting Renault cars with parts and service. Being pre-internet days it was so difficult to find parts (at least in my KY town) that I ended up getting rid of it over not being able to find as simple as it gets part (a water pump) for it. After I’d traded it in I got a call a month or so later from someone who had bought it and they asked where I found parts for it, I laughed and said I didn’t that’s why I got rid of it. Lol. I probably would have continued to drive it through college if not for that.
Thanks for doing this video. I had two of these, N American versions. I had a white 83 Turbo and an Iris Mist (silver purple) 84 Turbo. I really loved those cars. Both had the beautiful tri-tone leather seats. True, 107hp was pretty appalling for a turbo, but on American roads, it was just fine for every day driving. the car was sleek, comfortable and had everything you could need. The quirky
French-ness of the car made it positively endearing.
Glad I could help!
I remember as a child in the late 80’s asking my dad what a sign said as we entered the car wash, I clearly remember him laughing saying it said no Renault Fuegos. I assume the brushes on early car washes got stuck in the plastic mid body stripe. Dad what’s a ‘foo e goss’! Great brides as ever. 👍🏼
I remember seeing these signs in the UK. At least one said that it was because the rear windows were easily broken by the brushes.
Just posted the same (virtually) comment. I thought I'd be the only one to remember that.
Fun fact:
Le Car, the name of the Renault 5 in the USA, means "the coach" in french
coach bus yes never tought about it!
Like the Megane Coupé was named for the first years Coach. ;)
In the US we found the name to be as cute as the car, and they sold quite well
@@IntyMichael Only in Germany
Lee Child , writer of the Jack Reacher thrillers , based his pen name off the then popular Le Car adverts .He explained in an interview that Lee came from Le (Car) and Child because it would place him alphabetically between Chandler and Christie on the bookshelves .
They are absolutely BEAUTIFUL but not reliable. I have one with a very good body but running right now. I love that it has the sunroof and I love that it DOES NOT have the turbo. Mine is black but am thinking in the future of having it painted something closer to Plum Crazy but a little lighter.
It actually handled quite well, with a smart front suspension that made going around corners a true pleasure.
@General.E.Shady so by being a "suspension specialist" you actually replaced bushes, struts, ball joints and that sorta thing, but you were not actually able to comprehend how and why suspension works in 25 years. Good run pal, congrats ! Local community is thankful for your service !
PS: They're not even called that :))
@General.E.Shady Did you use the special Renault-tool for that?
Had a GTS when I was 19
VOD796X
Loved it ❤️
The Fuego was replaced by the 9 and 11 Turbo variants, thought not direct replacements because they were smaller. Still they took its place in the coupe/sport segment, especially the 11 with very similar rear styling. And before the Clio hot hatch, the 5 GT Turbo made great success in Europe, more or less at the same time the 9 and 11 Turbo variants were introduced.
This is probably one of my favourite channels on TH-cam, I love getting such an insite into all these cars !
Trivia: The Fuego starred in the 1985 Bond movie "A view to kill", where it is driven by the antagonist sidekick "May Day"
I noticed that as well. I thought of that as soon as I saw this video.
That movie was, I presume, heavy funded by Renault. Remember the car chase with the Renault 11.
It was actually the car of Jenny Flex. One of May Day's henchman
@@dorientjewoller113 Product placement for sure !!
What is never revealed in these presentations is that the car had a 2 ltr longitudinal engine with a gearbox at the end driving the front wheels. It was a bloody pain on back roads, I spun mine a few times. There was no power steering, so really heavy steering and very noisy. But mine was reliable, I did over 100k miles in it (160k in total on the clock) but it rusted to pieces and required a lot of welding (lucky I could weld. Still, it enabled me to get a French girlfriend, now my wife!
I seem to remember that when these came out, the use of a space saver spare tyre caused a regulation change in the UK as it was the first car to be sold here with one.
The Fuego GTA Max here in Argentina was a total success due his good looking appearance and the success un TC2000 racing competitions with Juan María Traverso as the most successfull driver. Today the Fuego is a cult car with a legion of fans and a very high sell value. Great Vid!
When I was around 20 I wanted a Fuego. A buddy of mine had the R15 and I loved the design. Never got to it, though. Doubt there are many left today.
I saw them regulary in the street they run fine, well first i cheat a little because where i live is the Renault/Alpine land (aka Normandy), and second some of them tell you "Kill me or restore me " but it's still nice to see them on the road between these montrous SUV.
I'm a long term Fuego owner (2 Turbos and a GTX) so I'm always intrigued by the comments on these TH-cam videos. After 15 years of ownership I am happy to say that I have found them to be reliable, comfortable, fast enough, sporty yet practical cars. Not perfect but if you want perfect reliability then you buy Japanese (not German!). The only negatives I hear are from people "who knew someone who had one". If you want the best from any car then you should take care of it properly. I've met plenty of previous owners who were always very happy with their Fuego's and I get lots of looks and good comments - even from younger people who've never seen one before (like most 1980s cars now!).
Loving the Gallic flavour of late! Please can you do some more Renaults 😀
I'm spreading the love, so unfortunately not (at least the next 3 cars).
@@BigCar2 so many cars, so little time...
@@BigCar2 I like this channel , because this is a celebration of the ordinary ,much like HubNut. We've all driven many of these once popular cars in our younger days but few of us have owned a Ferrari ...
@@shaunw9270 yes hubnut is another man who also champions the once common sight on our roads but which now have a warm charm
@@colindowd9756 Yes , exactly 👍
I have always found that this car aged very well in terms of exterior design, a bit like the Peugeot 205. Interior and reliability are something else, but this car still has some appeal to me! Thanks for the story!
4:27 that Lancia though!
The advert with the Renault 18 chained in an amphitheatre is terrifying, like a nightmare!! The Renault model numbering system was nuts. I wonder if model designations could be a contender for a video topic? My parents had a 1989 Renault 21 that blew my and my friends' minds in the early/mid 90s with its remote central locking. I read that Renault sold a small muscle car in Argentina for a couple of decades- very random!! The Torino that was based on the AMC Rambler
Directed by Sergio Leone, with music by Ennio Morricone, no less.
@@nkt1 That's top trivia!! It has that feel about it actually, as though the car were inhabited by Rod Steiger. Can't do better than Leone and Morricone.
Oh yes. Loves these as a kid. Watching now!
a great car that was very important in my country. Excellent report. a big hug from Argentina
Thanks Fabian!
My first car! I had a bronze '80 GTS like the Turbo diesel in 4:56. Loved the space but hated the understeer...
Thanks for the video. I had one Fuego in 1985, my unforgettable first car.
Another cracking vid Mr Big. Always liked the Fuego... Btw, I must say these bitesized Autosnacks really are a tasty treat from start to finish. Trouble is they always whet my appetite for more so i end up rewatching your back catalogue for much longer than intended! I'm not hooked tho... I can stop any time I want... Hmmmm... just one more episode and THEN I'll get back to work.....
:) A 10 minute video is SO much easier to make than a 20 or 30 monster.
6:56 TC2000 hellyea, cheers from argentina men, nice work in the history of the cars!
Terrific looking car - definitely a high water mark for Renault design - Opron’s R25 was another highlight. Pity that Renault lost their nerve during the 90s and beyond.
Only until Patrick . Le Quement took over Renault design to produce stunning looking cars like the Vel Satis ,Safrane and Megane !
Your choices of car models are always very accurate and interesting. Details like mentioning that the Fuego was popular in Quebec show that your information is very serious and relevant. Thank you!
I always wanted to find one of these kinda cool.
My stepfather had a Renault Fuego, a really handsome 1.7 litre model like the one @ 4:55 same alloys and paint colour.
He left the poor thing standing outside in the rain for years before some enterprising thieves stole it away circa year 2000 in the middle of the night onto a trailer (because the wheels couldn't turn any more).
I'd like to think that this car is living a good life somewhere else because he'd slipped registering it as SORN so the DVLA had no records of it, but more likely it was stripped for it's surprisingly good body and intact interior.
But wouldn't you consider the R5 Turbo as hot hatch?
The sketch of the 5 door Fuego blows my mind! A sort of 5 door R18 that never was. Looks a bit like a scaled down R25 which would have been under development at the same time. It’s a shame they didn’t put it into production. The Fuego’s problem was that it was never given the engine it deserved.
The Fuego wasn't pure coupe IMO, maybe something inbetween the coupe and the hatchback. Way more practical then Capri or Manta.
My dad had one when I was a very young child back in the early 90's. He absolutely loved it!
There was a bracket which holds the clutch cable that broke, it went to a mechanic who specialised in european cars who said it needed a new clutch.
Pulled the whole car apart to find it was only the bracket and couldn't put it back together right.
Dad had to sell it soon after.
He still spins a bearing at the thought of what happened to it.
🥺
Nothing to fill the gap before the Renault Clio ???? what about the Renault 5 GT Turbo launched in 1985, Renault was in the hot hatch market way before the Clio!
Yep I was wondering the same.. the Renault 5 GT turbo was amazing, a friend had one. The acceleration was sick and would burn just about any car off especially those pesky VW Golfs.
I really like the 5 door version @ 2:56 to 3:00. Looks very squat, upmarket and sporty with those wheels as well.
Yesterday, while watching some of your videos, I was wondering that it would be great to have one about the Renault Fuego: you just read my mind!
Just one side note, before the Clio, Renault released the 5 Turbo and Turbo 2 in the first half of the 1980's, but if we don't want to consider it a hot hatch (due to its unusual changed layout for a 2-seat rear engine), there was also the Super5 GT-Turbo in the mid-1980 with a 1.4 Turbo also available in the Renault 9 and 11 Turbo.
I was thinking the same thing, the turbo and turbo 2, sure not hot hatches, but they had the GT turbo and actually even preceeding that in 1976 the R5 Alpine (Gordini in the UK), which was a hot hatch version, which was even launched 2 months before the original Golf GTI.
So Renault were definitely in the hot hatch game as one of the first.
Remember the Fuego so well in the day down under in New Zealand, always liked the design in an 80's kind of way. Still looks half decent to me. Great upload as always 🖖
Please cover the Opel Manta. I loved this car at the time.
yes there is very few infos about vauxhall manta and calibra online i would love to know more about them
my uncle has three of these old feugos , one is a 1.6tl , one a 2.0 tx? and a turbo , they are cool cars and still in mint condition :-)
Consider doing a video on a Fiat X19
Funny I was thinking the same thing
I second that suggestion.
My grandfather had a black fuego for ten years and loved it. I think it looked quite futuristic, so I was quite suprised to hear it didn't become more popular. It's so 80's, I love it!
When I bought my first ever car in 1988, it was a choice between a silver Fuego or a silver 1981 Toyota Celica. Thank God I bought the Celica!
These were released when I was a teenager. I was way into my classic cars. Loathed most new releases. Except for these. I thought the Fuego was stunning.
I still love them
Agree, totally.
Doh! No hot hatch?? How about the R5 Gordini, Gordini turbo, R5 mk2 GT Turbo? Running from 1979 through to the launch of the Clio 16v in the 90s?
sure they had the 5 alpine/gordini and turbo at the time but it was a subcompact car so it was a smaller hothactch as a golf or an escort. the had no compact hothatch before the fuego and after that renault 11 turbo.
fabulous to see archive footage of now incredibly rare cars, partic Rens 15, 17 and 30
Renault had a hot hatch. The 5 GT turbo.
Arguably the first hot hatch.
@@Your.Uncle.AngMoh ackchyually, the first hot hatch was the Simca 1100 ti. It was launched in 1973.
I saw these in Europe in August 1990. I was completely smitten. I would love to drive one some day. A red one makes an appearance in a Roger Moore, James Bond movie. The design looks very Bertone like. Thank you.
5:08 - that was the moment you lost your channel to TH-cams stupid algorithm that has probably already designated you a harasser 🤣
Great documentary, the Fuego is so a special rare car even in my youth it was not common to see one.
"A poor mans poor mans Porsche." That's exactly what it was...
Back in the day, that was the "saying". They were a poor mans porsche. But the same was also said of the Fiero. Where as the Renault GTA V6 Turbo was a Porsche 911 eating machine. It handled better than the 911 and was quicker too. (i still have one..)
Renault 924
@@dj_paultuk7052 Alpines are really the french answer to porsche.
I really hope theyll introduce a few more alpine cars as the brand is now revived. Maybe something with the 3.0TT V6 from the new Fairlady Z as Renault are one with the Nissan company.
@@flylikealbatross7441 I really hoped they would have released the A110-50 prototype, it was just mad. Tuned Nissan GTR engine. This is the best sounding car in the world, Period.. th-cam.com/video/Q3jMqMnOGUw/w-d-xo.html
@@buttheyreinvestmentsdear3132 that was 20 years before the Boxster. But yes, the 924 was developed with Volkswagen and only had a 2.0L engine from Audi
My father bought the Fuego twice. But our main car was the sedan my mother drove. So I grew up with the Fuego.
Its main features, that set that car aside from other cars of its era, and that make the Fuego a Fuego in my eyes, are the unusual central-locking system and the many wipers. The stripes serve the function to include the boot in the central-locking system.
Indeed, in Argetina Fuego car was kind of successful, and a desirable locally produced car,
and have won many championships of local touring car racings, TC2000 Turismo Competición 2000 (no "El").
Here a review of its last incarnation/restyling Fuego GTA MAX.
th-cam.com/video/nsdPhembWJg/w-d-xo.html
An excellent dive into Fuego facts! I've always loved the Fuego's styling. Sadly, there just aren't more than a handful left here in the States.
Aca en Argentina,quedan muchas,y en muy buen estado.
The Fuego - Technically a James Bond car!
So is the Citroën 2CV!
@@BigCar2 Indeed! I nearly put "The affordable James Bond car that isn't a tin snail!"
@@BigCar2 and the Sherpa maybe?
And the Alfa GTV6
But is it? Bond never drove the Fuego in A View to a Kill, nor was he pursued by it, rather it was used by the bad guys (gals actually) when doing away with Bond’s accomplice. Bond did however chase Grace through Paris in a commandeered Renault 11, which qualifies that model as a Bond car in my estimation.
Great video! I forgot a bit about this car until I saw one driving in The Netherlands some weeks ago. I wanted to do some research so this videois right in time!
"Renault didn't have a hatchback til the Renault clio"
Renault 5 turbo: am I a joke to you?
But the Renault 5 was a spent force at that point.
Big Car I remember the 5 GT turbo being very popular in the 80s - maybe sales figures don’t show that? They did have the 11 turbo though which was a true 1980s spawned hot hatch.
@@BigCar2 shade thrown....
@@Kenny_P_abz There is the very tiny chance of course I'm talking absolute rot and I made a mistake. No, couldn't possible be that... 😉
I always get excited when I see you’ve uploaded a new story 👍🏼
Me too!
Hi! So many memories! That car was a real "future car" and a hot car for everyone here in Argentina, even there are enthusiasts clubs. Thank you for tell us the story of the lovely car!
You’re welcome!
Add a youngster, I used to get these mixed up with the Isuzu Piazza, a very similar- looking 80's car
The fuego GTA Max was developed in Argentina exclusively for our own market ..a very nice car indeed still to this day ..
can't wait for your take on the Laguna/Megane,
i own a 2010 Laguna 3 coupe and i'm very happy with it
My Uncle had one in the 1980’s in England. Was very pleased with it. Especially in the winter time in snow. He said it’s handling was first class.
Memories. I’ve had two of them. Great cars.
I was a young apprentice at a Renault dealership in the UK, when the Fuego came out, I thought they were ok, but I also remember replacing lots of burnt out fuse boxes under warranty!🤣 My favourite Renault of the period was the first generation Gordini 5, a fun little car, one of my jobs was to re torque the cylinder head on first service, which was a challenge as the rearmost two head bolts were buried way back under the firewall!
After watching some videos on a few of my favourite Volvo's, I was stoked to see my mom's favourite car featured too. My parents owned one back in the 90s, and from the stories my dad told: "The Fuego was the car we could drive from the Netherlands to Spain (1600km) and get out of it just as fit as we got in."
As a car enthousiast I really appreciate these videos very much! They must require a LOT of preparation to deliver this much of interesting information and presenting it so smoothly!
Well there's a lot of editing because I can do about 2 sentences before I break down. That's why you don't see me talking to camera in long bursts! The research takes the longest.
Thank you for this informative video. J Dewar McLintock enthused about the car in his book about the brand. You mention the remote door locking, or "PLIP", which he says was derived from the name of its designer Paul Lipschutz. The author points out that the Fuego was one of the first European mass production cars to have the emergency-only type of spare wheel. Also, it was apparently the first Renault since the Caravelle to have a name as opposed to a numerical designation.
I always liked Renault cars, the Fuego especially being something a little bit different and special.
I didn’t like them enough to buy one, but you know, they looked cool.
Another great video good sir. Only surprised you didn’t mention how much that rear tailgate glass cost 😜
I bet it was a pretty penny.
I owned a Fuego Turbo (gas) and the best thing I remember were the plush seats. One of the finest cars from Renault in the 1980's was the 1987 Renault GTA coupe and convertible. I bought a tweaked coupe out of the junk yard for $150, had it pulled back into shape (more or less) and enjoyed one of the finest-handling FWD cars I have ever owned.
I had a 1.7 in black. It was good to drive, comfortable and relatively fast in its day. I did a number of 500 mile round trips to France in it and it was effortless. It could carry a few crates of wine too.
I wish the 5 door version in petrol and turbo diesel engines had been offered, I would've done it personally. It would have offered this sport coupé hatchback something for the familyman wife and three kids, and the turbo diesel would appeal to those who value fuel savings / economy over performance and still want the usefulness of 5 doors.