The now wider spare wheel stayed under the hood, and air entering through the front grille was let out via vents in the bonnet, perhaps adding some downforce.

In the interior remained only two sporty front bucket seats, and occupants faced an avant-garde restyled dashboard, including an asymmetrical steering wheel.

[5] Although the standard Renault 5 has a front-mounted engine, the 5 Turbo featured a mid-mounted 1,397 cc (1.4 L; 85.3 cu in) Cléon-Fonte with fuel fed by Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection and a Garrett AiResearch T3 turbocharger OHV 2 valves per cylinder Inline-four engine placed behind the driver in mid-body in a modified Renault 5 chassis.

[7] The first 400 production 5 Turbos were made to comply with Group 4 homologation to allow the car to compete in international rallies, and were manufactured at the Alpine factory in Dieppe.

Known by the '8221' number in the chassis VIN, these featured an alloy-roof, a larger 1437cc engine, as well as a range of additional aerodynamic and geometry changes which allowed them to homologate the car that would compete against the Lancia Stratos and the Audi Quattro in Group B rally class.

[9] The original plan called for 1,000 Renault 5 Turbo cars to be built to meet the requirements for Group 3 homologation, with an eye to building an additional 3,000 factory U.S. Models for sale in the United States.

The R5 Turbo was conceived with dual intent, promoting the sales of the common R5 and being homologated in the FIA group 3 and 4 categories of the rally championship (today WRC).

The final Renault 5 Maxi Turbo Superproduction reached 385 PS (283 kW; 380 hp) and won the 1987 French Supertouring Championship that year.

After the factory ceased support, it underwent development by many teams and enthusiasts to compete in regional championships and local races in which it was ubiquitous and successful for almost 20 years.