The Renault Supercinq celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. This popular French city car achieved great success thanks to its many variations. Among them, the Baccara, which created the luxury city car segment. ALEPOC invites you to rediscover this French car through the trial of a beauty Renault Supercinq Baccara. With its robust and high-performance 1,721 cc engine, high-end equipment, and Conolly leather interior, this version ensures a journey through time. Discover why it is presented as the most versatile of the Supercinq..

 

Renault Super 5: a Renault 5 modernized

A famous designer: Marcello Gandini

 

Renewing a successful car is always very difficult. The Renault 5 has been widely acclaimed by customers thanks to its innovative designRead "50 Years of the R5: It Doesn't Lack Air"Taking over from such an icon of popular French cars was no small feat. The firm with the diamond logo has called upon a renowned designer, Marcello Gandini.. The author of the most beautiful Italians has already worked for Renault by drawing the fabulous Renault 5 Turbo.

For the Super 5, Gandini undertook the task of modernizing its features. The design is more contemporary, smoother, while still being unmistakably recognizable. Inside, the dashboard might not be the most ergonomic., but it stands out for its original treatment of the meter caps.

Available in three and five doors, or even as a utility vehicle with the Renault Express, the Supercinq became the best-selling car in France between 1986 and 1989.

 

The first luxury city car: the Super 5 Baccara

The Renault Supercinq has to compete in a highly competitive segment. The Peugeot The 205 gives it no respite with its sporty GTi version. and its more powerful engines on the GT versions. During the facelift of the Supercinq in 1987, the engineers from Renault decide to introduce new finishes and a new engine to fill the gap between the TS and the GT Turbo.

 

The Renault Super 5 GTX and Baccara make their appearance with under the hood the F2N engine 1721 cm³ with 90 hp. If the GTX aims to be a bit more grand touring, Baccara innovates and creates a new segment. : that of the luxury city car. It is distinguished from the GTX by several points:

 

  • The Super 5 Baccara is only available in a three-door version.
  • The Super 5 Baccara comes standard with beautiful Comet alloy wheels.
  • The Super 5 Baccara features a very beautiful Conolly leather upholstery, typically found in luxury cars.

The name Baccara, which symbolizes French luxury, is not new at Renault since it is already used on the R25 sedan. With the Supercinq Baccara, Renault offers the promise of having all the refinement of a prestigious French sedan in a compact size. Unprecedented !

Despite its exorbitant price, putting it on the same level as the sporty version Super 5 GT Turbo, the Baccara enjoyed some success in affluent neighborhoods thanks to its exclusive colors and enhanced equipment.

  • Remote central locking
  • Electric windows
  • Power steering
  • Onboard computer
  • Folding bench
  • Full painting
  • Plastics of the same color as the leather upholstery
  • A rear shelf with an integrated cover to store your suit jacket: the height of luxury

 

The Super 5 Baccara charms with its colors that transport us back to the 1980s. The interior and equipment have been carefully designed, but What about its engine and road performance ?

 

On the road with the Super 5 Baccara: versatility

 

A new engine: the 1721 cm³ F engine

Initially offered with the venerable Cléon Fonte engines, the Supercinq enters the big leagues with the adoption of a new engine from the F range. Under the hood of the small car Renault, we then find the 4-cylinder naturally aspirated engine with a dual carburetor of 1721 cm³, codenamed F2N.

Starter, contact. The four cylinders start up with a characteristic noise. Some engines have a distinctly recognizable sound signature. A Cléon Fonte has its own music, and so does the F engine. It's hard to describe, but vintage car enthusiasts know what I'm talking about. Once the idle is set, I am going to explore the surroundings of Lake Salagou., a popular resort area in Hérault. The hilly roads allow me to make use of the 90 hp and 138 Nm of torque from the F2N engine.

 

Despite its age and nearly 200,000 km, the engine is still lively. Smooth enough at low revs to move effortlessly around the city, it delivers a nice liveliness beyond 3500 rpm up to 6000 rpm. Far from being the sportiest in the range, it combines both character and flexibility, which perfectly suits the luxurious definition of the Baccara.

Renault announced a 0 to 100 km/h in 9.4 seconds at the time, a very respectable score made possible by the very good five-speed manual gearbox, with a smooth and precise shift. The clutch is easy to use with a shallow travel depth.

 

A very good driving behavior

 

The Renault Supercinq has introduced a new platform more modern derivative of the Renault 9 and Renault 11. The engines are then in a transverse position. The suspension is quite standard. with:

  • McPherson struts, coil springs, front anti-roll bar
  • Torsion bars, rear anti-roll bar

 

Once accustomed to the slightly off-center driving position, one quickly feels confident behind the wheel. French cars have built their reputation for their road handling, thanks to our many winding roads. Safe driving behavior is paramount.

The Super 5 does not deviate from the rule with a stable rear axle. The front axle, which is feeling the impact of the extra weight due to the new engine, is quite lively for an old French car. If the power steering fitted as standard on the Baccara is very practical in the city, it dilutes the sensations on small roads.

The assistance is not tied to speed, and the steering becomes too light at higher speeds, making it difficult to detect the limits of grip and understeer. However, the small size and limited body roll make for exciting drives.

I lower the window using the switch positioned at the center of the dashboard, my elbow rests on the door, and I transport myself to the late 1980s, lulled by the sounds of the nature in Hérault and by the scents of leather and gasoline mingling inside the cabin. The seating is regal, worthy of the most luxurious sedans, and The suspension offers a good compromise between comfort and body support.. Thanks to the 900 kg lightweight.

I even had the chance to test it under "Parisian" conditions in the traffic jams organized by our friend Stéphane Thuret, the owner of this Super 5, who lent it to us for participate in the second edition of the Bouchon de la N9 in Clermont-l’Hérault, of which we were partners(article coming soon). Last year, it was the legend Daniel Elena who was sitting in my place. behind the wheel of the same car, as we mentioned in our dedicated article.

In traffic jams, the Super 5 handles without any trouble. The engine has enough torque to start smoothly and it handles idling well without any jerking.. The car does not particularly overheat, even though mechanical parts like the fan are put to the test.

The braking system, although not very important in traffic jams, is adequately sized for the car. The bite is sufficient without being very strong. The Super 5 is equipped with:

  • 238 mm ventilated discs at the front
  • 180 mm drums at the rear

Renault Super 5 Baccara: The Assessment of an Extraordinary City Car

The small popular French car was produced in more than three million copies until 1996 in all its versions, but the Renault Super 5 Baccara might be the best of them all. in many ways:

 

  • It offers respectable performance halfway between sportiness and grand touring.
  • She inaugurated a segment never seen before and has a distinctive history.
  • It features all the equipment of the time with an added dose of charm.

The pros:

  • Spare parts for the Renault Super 5 are easily foundFor the mechanical part and inexpensive.
  • The reliability of the 1.7 engine is widely proven thanks to its cylinder head designed like a diesel engine.
  • Its exorbitant price for the time, on par with a GT Turbo, makes it a true collector's item today.
  • The Renault The 5 and the Super 5 are in vogue with the launch of the new version. The rating is increasing, especially for the beautiful versions.
  • A versatile car, easy to drive, which can be an excellent way to start in the world of popular classic French cars by using it every day as a "daily".

 

To watch:

  • Rust can be its enemy around the windshield bay and the rocker panels.
  • The dashboard plastics are fragile and are becoming difficult to find.
  • The carburetion was faulty at the exit. factory with the carburetor base and spacer that would deform (hesitation during acceleration, excessive fuel consumption). Since 1991, there is a new device that addresses this issue.
  • Oil leak on manual gearboxes from 90,000 km and weakness of the 2nd gear synchronizer.
  • Frequently stressed universal joints that tear between 60,000 and 80,000 km.
  • Electronics quite weak.

It is with a touch of nostalgia that I hand over the keys to this new type of city car.. Thanks to Stéphane for the trust and the loan of this Renault Super 5 Baccara. For enthusiasts, know that it is for sale, feel free to express your interest.