Renault 18 Turbo
Renault added a turbocharger to an everyday four-door saloon, making strong mid-range performance part of a practical family car.
1981 Renault 18 Turbo (nakhon100).jpg · nakhon100 · CC BY 2.0
More than a set of wheels.
The Renault 18 arrived in 1978, but the Turbo was presented at the 1980 Paris Motor Show and is shown by Renault as a 1981 reference vehicle. It became Renault’s first turbocharged production saloon. A Garrett T3 fed extra air into the 1,565 cc engine, while a five-speed manual and front-wheel drive kept the familiar R18 layout. Wide alloy wheels, low-profile tyres, a black rear spoiler, front spoiler and revised negative-offset front geometry signalled that this was not the ordinary GTL or GTS.
Look a little closer.
Renault advertised the Turbo with dramatic slogans, but its shape still came from a sensible four-door family saloon—an early version of the everyday performance car idea.
Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.
Turbo power without a sports-car body
The engineering trick was not merely adding a spoiler. Renault adapted turbo technology to a mid-size saloon and kept four doors, front-wheel drive and family space, broadening where high-performance hardware could live.
Source: The Originals Renault Museum · R18 Turbo ↗Why 110 hp must stay separate from 125 hp
The 1981 launch-era car used Renault’s 110 hp specification. Later Turbo versions reached 125 hp, so a generic R18 Turbo number can quietly shift the profile to a later phase. The period UK brochure confirms the 1,565 cc, 110 bhp DIN configuration.
Source: 1981 Renault 18 Turbo UK brochure scan ↗Where these facts come from
- The Originals Renault Museum · R18 Turbo
- 1981 Renault 18 Turbo UK brochure scan
- FIA Historic Database · Renault 18 Turbo (1565)
Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed October 1, 2026.