The Renault 5 Supercinq GT Turbo occupies a precise place in French automotive history: it was simultaneously a mass-market hot hatch and a championship-winning rally tool. In metallic blue, this Norev 1:18 die-cast ties that dual identity together, linking the production road car to Alain Oreille's celebrated 1989 FIA World Rally Championship Group N title. Norev has long been regarded as the benchmark for French road-car replicas at this scale, and the R5 GT Turbo is among the most historically significant subjects in their catalogue.
A 1397 cc Garrett Turbo
Introduced as a Phase 2 variant in 1987, the Renault 5 Supercinq GT Turbo used a 1397 cc C-series inline-four mated to a Garrett T2 turbocharger. Phase 2 cars received an improved intercooler over the earlier specification. The GT Turbo was compact even by the standards of the era, and its performance made it one of the most entertaining French hot hatches of the late 1980s.
Alain Oreille and the Group N Championship
Alain Oreille is the driver most closely identified with the Renault 5 GT Turbo in competition. He claimed the FIA Cup for Production Cars — Group N category in both 1987 and 1989, and in 1989 he secured the outright FIA World Rally Championship Group N title. Because Group N regulations demanded near-standard road cars, the same bodyshell sold at Renault dealerships was the one competing at international level. Metallic blue references the period factory and promotional livery associated with Oreille's championship campaign, making this colour selection historically coherent rather than arbitrary.
Norev's 1:18 Die-Cast Replica
Norev has been the principal maker of French road-car replicas at 1:18 for decades, and their die-cast construction brings sharp panel definition and accurate body proportions to a challenging small-footprint subject. The GT Turbo's characteristic bodywork details — the wide bumpers, rear spoiler and side cladding introduced on the Supercinq generation — are represented in die-cast metal. The metallic blue finish reflects the promotional colour associated with the Oreille era.
Where This Model Sits in a Collection
Within a specifically Renault-focused display, this 1:18 Norev sits at the intersection of road-car and competition history in a way few other subjects can claim: the same car, the same livery colour, a championship proven in Group N.
