Renault Fuego Turbo
Somewhere in the few remaining rational recesses of my brain, I know that owning a Renault Fuego is an awful idea. Terrible reliability, expensive parts, and nonexistent dealer support aren't exactly a great combination in a used car. Standard Fuegos were bog slow, and even the hot-rod Fuego Turbo wasn't exactly fast. Its mollusk-like contours and dated detailing are also very likely to inspire much derision and abuse from your friends. Driving a Fuego is unlikely to win you friends or to influence people.
Happily, I have a long track record of suppressing those flashes of rational thinking. Because, you see, I love the Fuego. Like the Isuzu Impulse, the Fuego upon its 1980 debut was an early adopter of the smoothly rounded hatchback contours that would come to characterize so many of the great sports coupes of the decade. The Renault 15 and 17 that preceded the Fuego were typical 1970s wedges, but the Fuego was slick enough to cheat the wind with a .34 cd--a good figure today, stellar in 1980.
Fast? Well ... no. The base Fuegos made do with double-digit horsepower ratings, with the turbodiesel coming in at 88 horsepower. The Fuego Turbo brought 130 horsepower and 9-second 0-60 ability to the table--albeit for a substantial price increase. That still wasn't fast, even by the standards of the time, but it was at least something close to respectability. The handling wasn't particularly special, which helped undermine the Fuego's sporty intentions.
Fuegos came out of the gate fast; they sold well in Europe for the first few years and were one of the last Renaults that sold in the United States in any real numbers. That is all relative, though; in absolute terms Fuegos were never particularly common, possibly because AMC dealers and customers didn't really know what to do with this quirky European. Since most began a remarkably rapid decomposition process upon purchase, there aren't many left here.
Sadly, most of the few remaining Fuegos are completely knackered; it has been ages since I've seen one that didn't have badly faded paint, a broken window, or white smoke trailing from the exhaust. It's sad, really, both because Fuegos aren't very good beaters--repairs are too expensive, parts are too rare--and because these were once boutique cars that, if remembered at all, are only remembered with derisive chuckling.
It's sad to me that so many Fuegos are unloved, even by their owners. I noticed a classified ad for a Fuego a few years ago in which the seller was asking for $400 and was "VERY flexible on price." Ouch.
So, why do I love the Fuego so? First, I love the style. I have a well-established weakness for turbocharged 1980s European sports coupes, and a similar one for sporty hatchbacks. The Fuego wraps up all of that in a sleek, lovably unique package. I like the aerodynamic lines, and I love the ribbing, rear spoiler and the fine, ribbed detailing. It is distinctive inside and out and stylish for its time; I think in a different situation and from a different marque it might be remembered reverently instead of forgotten.
The videos embedded here are the best videos I've run on Car Lust for a long time. We kick off with a Fuego Turbo commercial that hits me at every level.
0:04 - The guy in the sports jacket is driving with his hands at the 11 and 1 o'clock positions, which is strange enough, but when the road turns he's not moving his hands. No, he's tilting his entire upper body to steer. Does anybody actually drive like that?
0:05 - "Renault Fuego invites you to enter ... the TURBO ZONE." Sure, that trips my irony circuit breakers, but as a turbo true-believer, that line gets me genuinely pumped up. Heck yeah, the turbo zone! And what's even better, I now have a new phrase I can use when turning off the air conditioning in my buddy's car.
0:06 - Hooray, a driving glove purposefully changing gears! Shades of Ride, Pontiac, Ride.
0:08 - Ah, the obligatory reference to the dominant (though not championship-winning) Renault Formula 1 turbos of the early 1980s. Though I doubt Alain Prost or Rene Arnoux would have driven a Fuego.
0:09 - Evidently when the turbo kicks in the Fuego emits a jet-like sound and a pale blue light? I'm not sure whether that's supposed to imply turbine-like thrust, or if the strange light and the noise are meant to imply something alien. Regardless, this persists for the rest of the commercial, so it's obviously something Renault wanted to emphasize.
0:19 - "Priced to move you from the here and now ... to the TURBO ZONE." So the Turbo Zone is the opposite of the here and now? If it implies the future, perhaps that's the explanation for the light?
I won't give the other videos the same in-depth treatment--partially because they aren't in English--but they are equally as entertaining. The ad seems to make the point that a man, mincing about from side to side (see the reflection at 0:19), can't lasso a Fuego. This stands to reason, though I don't understand the purpose of the exercise. But then he does ... and the car doesn't stop, the video stops. And then it is inexplicably branded with the Fuego logo. So Fuegos ran wild until Renault hired vaqueros to round them up and brand them?
The third video is a clip from Knight Rider in which a Fuego Turbo made a cameo appearance, overdubbed in French. There are some great moments here. My favorite moment is when the dramatic, purposeful music kicks in as Michael Knight fumbles slightly with the Fuego's strange door handle to climb in. Nearly as good is the ending, when the Fuego executes a gratuitous handbrake turn in the parking lot and then accelerates away at redline--still in the parking lot.
The images come from a variety of sources. The image of the red European Turbo up top comes from Fuego.net.pl, which gives a nice overview of the Fuego's history. The second image, of the silver GTX, comes from Flickr user Davydutchy. The gray Fuego in the ad shot shows the American front end; thanks to Flickr user cbilleque for the picture. The print ad at the bottom came from Flickr user Little Harp Seal.
--Chris H.
Cookie the Dog's Owner on August 06, 2008 at 12:31 PM
It looks like it was styled by a Giorgetto Giugiaro wanabee. Get rid of the goofy plastic ribbing on the front fenders and suddenly you have an attractive car.
Chris Hafner on August 06, 2008 at 12:46 PM
See, that's where we differ, Cookie the Dog's Owner. Remove the goofy plastic ribbing and you strip the character right away.
And it might look goofy now, but that plastic ribbing was tres chic back in the '80s!
David Colborne on August 06, 2008 at 01:55 PM
My mom's ex-boyfriend had one of these - I LOVED that thing. Some of the little-known quirks of those old Fuegos:
1. The climate control worked in reverse. Heat was to the left, cold was to the right. I remember being thoroughly confused by that when I was younger.
2. The shifting pattern was straight out of a Mr. Magoo special. To go from 1st to 2nd, you had to go down and slightly to the right. To go to reverse, you went down and slightly to the left. Guess how often somebody would do something silly like try to go straight down? Guess which gear your hand would slide towards if you did that? Guess what noise the Fuego would make when you did that?
3. The door handles were rather tricky, even if you got used to them.
Personally, I love the styling to death - considering the time it came from, it was positively space-aged. That said, they did NOT age well, and nobody seemed particularly inclined to try to maintain them worth a darn.
Rob the SVX guy on August 06, 2008 at 04:28 PM
I'm determined to find out who designed this car. It's very cool looking. I saw one ONCE, about 1.5 years ago, at autozone. I was very surprised, as it's a very very very rare day I see I car I've never EVER heard of.
Rob the SVX guy on August 06, 2008 at 04:29 PM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Opron
Foundinated.
Mochi Mochi on August 06, 2008 at 04:41 PM
I had a love hate relationship with Renault. I loved the R5Turbo. I test drove and Alliance - it was "unremarkable". I drove a LeCar sport edition - it was cute :) more later. I liked the Fuego from a styling perspective precisely because it was so French and so much of that time. It reminded me of the movie "Diva" and being on the streets of Paris in the 70s and 80s.
For good reasons, I'm not going to talk about reliability or power. What would be the point?!
The only thing I can say about Renault is that it had typical French handling of the time. That meant: supple ride, long suspension travel, reasonable agility, LOTs of body roll in the corners. The Fuego likely handled much like the LeCar - which was a tiny but fun car. It leaned A LOT! But that was how it was supposed to drive. It was French. Why - I don't know. But that was the convention. And if you accepted it that way then you were happy. If not - well there were German and Italian cars.
BTW: Did you notice the wheel lift at 18sec in the ad? They got the Fuego airborne - or they ran into too much lean - hard to tell exactly :)
Mochi Mochi on August 06, 2008 at 04:47 PM
Nice work Rob - you can see the Citroen relationship. Another French car with a lot of suspension travel and lean. But man they are nice!
You know - if you took a Fuego and replaced the electronics, added swaybars, some mild hub spacing, lower springs, and dropped in a Honda Engine and transmission - you'd have a bad-ass car with some cool styling.
Shawn on August 06, 2008 at 11:15 PM
The Fuego seems like a sister car to the Alfa Romeo Milano when it comes to slightly awkward but otherwise cool 80's styling. They both have the dramatic sloping black trim (Renault in the front quarter panels, Alfa in the rear quarters).
Even in Turbo form, the 'quick getaway' in the Knight Rider vid seemed a bit labored. Maybe she should've spent a little less on hair products and upgraded to a faster car.
My favorite Renault story concerns my elderly next door neighbors when I was growing up. They had been dedicated Cadillac buyers for years, purchasing a new one every 2 years like clockwork. Twice weekly they would wash whatever current one they owned. My dad owned a Beetle convertible and the neighbor would always remark at its German solidity and build as compared to the inferior fit and finish he noted on his Caddys.
One day I walked outside to see him not washing his Fleetwood, but a brand new Renault Alliance. A salesman had actually convinced him he was buying a German car and he traded the Cadillac for it! After proudly coming over to brag about his new Deutch-mobile, I was quick to correct him that'd he'd actually bought a Frog car. He didn't keep it a month, and a new DeVille took its place soon thereafter.
Paul on August 07, 2008 at 11:02 AM
My dad had the turbo and gave me use of it as soon as I got my license. I immediately started autocrossing with it, to some mixed success. After around two months my times suddenly got much worse, and my fuel consumption went through the roof. We traced it back to messed-up fuel injector that was dumping too much fuel into one cylinder, so it wasn't firing. We got the car repaired, and then my mom found out that I was "racing" the car, so I never got to establish how fast I was actually capable of going.
Fun car, bizarre shift pattern, impossible for my size 14's to heel and toe and I still miss it. To my 16 year old mind it was just like a Porsche 944, cool & swoopy.
Brian on August 07, 2008 at 03:23 PM
It sure does have a similar rear-hatch / spoiler type of thing going on, doesn't it? Kind of reminds me of a Porsche mated with a Ford Capri.
johnnygt on August 07, 2008 at 04:39 PM
watch my french fuego turbo
http://www.renaultclubeportugal.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=4316
isitacrossfromchris on August 10, 2008 at 07:04 PM
Chris,
Now I'm ticked off that someone thought of the screen name "johnnygt". Being a Johnny G. I should have thought of that years ago. And to think that I had a Pinto GT too. Can you erase his comment so I can claim the name? "johnygt2" just doesn't have the same pop.
Buster on August 14, 2008 at 05:27 PM
Ok, I am wondering if I need to go to confession all at once, or just in drips and drams at a time.
(sigh)
Yes, I also owned one of these - and an Alliance. And while we are in soul-bearing mode - also a Chevy Citation Sport. And a Chevette. Let's not forget the AMC Gremlin. I guess the only car I owned which wouldn't cause one to point in my general direction and laugh is either a Chevy Nova or a '69 Olds Delta 98 Luxury Sedan. The Olds had a 455 Rocket engine with a six pack carb. The only thing I couldn't pass was a gas station.
One time I took the Olds out with a full tank of gas intent on see what that engine could really do. Five MPH rolling start, seven percent grade uphill, one mile long. Crest of the hill, one mile later - 125 MPH and still pulling. Of course, I was also one-quarter tank lighter in fuel. Not too shabby for a 9,000 pound car. And I am pretty sure one could sleep six in the trunk.
But I digress.
Back to the land of cheese-eating surrender monkeys. What else can one say about cars that had more wallow than a pig farm? Sure there were the novelty bits (to American buyers) like the backwards hood (opened at the base of the windshield, hinge at the bumper), and the interior lights that were rocker switches and inexplicably placed beside your head on the frame.
Never had more noise been generated in a car with less discernible movement - as the Germans would say, sturm und drang. And the edges of the sheetmetal, especially 'round the hood, had more sharp edges than a warehouse of ginsu knives. Were you to own one of these masterpieces of French engineering, you couldn't help but admire it in the driveway and think -
No wonder they lost the (bleep)ing war.
Chris Hafner on August 15, 2008 at 10:48 AM
Buster: "Ok, I am wondering if I need to go to confession all at once, or just in drips and drams at a time. (sigh) Yes, I also owned one of these - and an Alliance. And while we are in soul-bearing mode - also a Chevy Citation Sport. And a Chevette. Let's not forget the AMC Gremlin. I guess the only car I owned which wouldn't cause one to point in my general direction and laugh is either a Chevy Nova or a '69 Olds Delta 98 Luxury Sedan."
Buster, you're among friends. This blog is for people like you. I also am a fan of the Citation X11 and the Chevette - and we've already written about the AMC Gremlin.
http://www.carlustblog.com/2008/04/car-lust--amc-g.html
autumn on September 12, 2008 at 12:11 AM
It's a stylish auto. Nice article.
RacerS3 on September 16, 2008 at 11:22 AM
I remember the Fuego's when they were new. It's funny I thought it was uglier. Looking at these pictures it looks better than I remember. I think the biggest problem I had with the Fuego was it's name. I know this sounds stupid, but it reminded me to to much of Pepe Le'Pue. Fuego just sounds like somthing you would say while you fan your hand past you nose after getting a wiff of a bad smell. I dont know, I am sure its just me.
Buster and Chris: I also had a X-11 Citation and I had fun driving it. I know I am going to get flack for this but I raced a guy once with a Conquest TSI, I got a good jump off the line on him and we ran to a little over 80mph and he could not close the gap on my X-11. I just remember being suprised that the X-11 I bought from my aunt for $1000 could hold its own aginst one of the early and popular high-performance imports.
ac.3000 on September 26, 2008 at 02:49 AM
I also love the hatchback and all of the glass content. But the car was somewhat let down by the blend grille treatment and the really excessive overhang in at both ends...
I do remember sitting in a Fuego at an AMC dealer in Toronto and being impressed by the interior fit & finish.
tim palomaki on October 11, 2008 at 04:11 PM
I have a 1983 renault fuego turbo in showroom condition it has 9500 original miles stored in temp controlled area its whole life still runs on the original trx michilens tires dont have time to show here off. would win car shows hands down!!! KIDS keep me to busy WILL SELL asap. make me a offer TIM PALOMAKI 906-892-8476
Barry Jones on October 13, 2008 at 12:00 PM
When I was 15 my Dad bought me a brand new Fuego off the showroom floor. I was the only person in town to have one. Too bad I ragged the heck out of it. I had a great stereo installed, roll down the windows and the strange looking moon roof and I would have that car packed with girls in a hour. We would put 100 mile a night just driving around town. They warned me about the rear window, that it was not meant to be slammed. One night mad about a girl I am sure I slammed the rear window and helplessly watched as the window fell into a million pieces, I just started crying....I loved that car
Warren on November 27, 2008 at 06:54 PM
Others still like them as well- big fan growth in Europe and of course South America still has biggest fan base.
Parts are readily obtainable and not expensive.
Although prices are slowly rising they still give more bang for you buck than similar era cars.
http://fuego-gtx.8k.com/index.html
Warren
Australia
Warren on November 27, 2008 at 06:55 PM
Others still like them as well- big fan growth in Europe and of course South America still has biggest fan base.
Parts are readily obtainable and not expensive.
Although prices are slowly rising they still give more bang for you buck than similar era cars.
http://fuego-gtx.8k.com/index.html
Warren
Australia
panoramix on December 11, 2008 at 08:40 PM
You guys in the US are lucky to have had the turbo 130hp models, in argentina the only engine options were 2.0 and 2.2L on a 34/34carb. The fastest model here, and also the last model to leave a factory in 1992, was the 123HP Fuego GTA MAX. The Fuego GTA was the 1989ish restiling of the fuego:
http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/5300/8voaniversariomuseodelagq1.jpg
I always linked it's existance to the local racing championships obtained at that time (that would explain why renault didn't even bother to sell the Fuego GTA even in france or spain):
Here is Traverso winning a race with the "Fuego on Fire" (c)1988
You HAVE to watch this!!:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckrQX8BrTD4
some more sierra/fuego dogfight:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leKMdP8aMwY&NR=1
The GTA MAX on the other hand actually added performance instead of just looks, by means of some engine tuning by Oreste Berta, the same guy that worked on getting those tc2000 fuegos their results:
Campeones del TC2000:
1986 Juan María Traverso Renault Fuego Berta Sport 1986
1987 Silvio Oltra Renault Fuego Benavidez Competición 1987
1988 Juan María Traverso Renault Fuego Berta Sport 1988
1989 Miguel Ángel Guerra Renault Fuego Berta Sport 1989
1990 Juan María Traverso Renault Fuego Berta Sport 1990
1991 Juan María Traverso Renault Fuego Berta Sport 1991
1992 Juan María Traverso Renault Fuego Berta Sport 1992
1993 Juan María Traverso Renault Fuego Berta Sport 1993
Mike on January 06, 2009 at 01:17 PM
I had 3 fuegos in all. First one was an orange 1.6 GTS which was nicknamed the lozenge by my mate at uni.
Next up I managed to find a turbo version which apparently used to belong to a renault exec. It was black with the spoked alloys and had all the usual electrics as well as a full foldback electric sunroof and full black leather interior. It also apparently had a horse on the bonnet which was removed by the previous owner. I wish I'd had it with the horse which is sad i know.
I loved that car and found it pretty nippy. Unfortunately due to stupidity of youth I smashed into the back of a Fiesta one stormy night and made a right mess of the front. Sold it for £150 in the end :(
Had another black turbo after that but it was a piece of junk with a silver bonnet and the turbo smoked like hell.
I haven't seen one on the road for years...
InSaNeBoY on January 22, 2009 at 11:11 AM
Love mine, I drive it in the summer to and from work (60mi total daily trip) It's been a good, completely reliable, car for me. it's a 1985 2.2L 5speed manual that's fairly well loaded, big electric fold back roof, A/C, cruse control(doesn't work), rear wiper, power windows, power locks, keyless entry(don't have the remote though)...
it's done 171k mi and it's still in great shape. (picture was taken last fall, at 170k mi)
http://homepage.mac.com/macomber/Cars/Fuego/fuego.jpg
POlson on January 22, 2009 at 11:44 AM
I bought my ‘84 turbo in 1987 from a couple that put 35K on it before upgrading to a BMW 3 series. I paid $3500, way less than the MSRP (I think these were $20K new?). I stuck racing strips across the hood and requisite fuzzy dice from the mirror. It had a leather interior, huge cloth moon roof, electric everything, big hatch and fold down rear seats, great stereo, tons of gauges. Metric tires you couldn’t find anywhere. Lots of torque pull, especially in the wet, where wheel hop was common and ferocious, and when the turbo hit at 3K rpm, you knew it. The engine had center plug hemi heads, and the brakes where balanced by a load detector in the back. I thought it was pretty advanced for the time. I took this car to 100+ mph (based on rpm, the speedo only went to 90) more times than I should have in my foolish youth, and surprised a few 944's. People forget what dogs cars were in the early 80's, post Oil Crisis. This car was fast for a 1.6L with some curb weight. When the turbo blew at 80K I replaced it for lots of $$, and when it blew again at 100K I bolted the oil feed pipes together and sold it for $100. These were well loved in Europe; I had foreign students drooling over mine.