Parallel Parking...
 

...rally racer style...
<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/BZWeue-NPhY"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/BZWeue-NPhY" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>

Amateurs!

There was a video (I do not have the link) of a stunt driver doing that on a city street (I believe for a movie) between two parked cars! He did practice first to get speed/steering correct then they parked the two cars. He comes down the street, swings out, locks handbrake and parks it between them with no additional movement!

much respect for the r5......what a crazy little car :D

R5s are so cool, esp. when you see one in person, up close.

From a distance it looks kinda like a LeCar with flares, but up close, it has such cool detailing. Really a low production race car for the street. I'd love to have one of those.

Up until a few years ago, there was a shop in seattle that would build a mid-engined R5 turbo from donor renaults. I think the company was called R-sport.

They also sold performance bits for regular R5s (LeCars). Crossflow heads, headers, suspension bits etc...

The standard R5 was mid-engined FWD. Made for some interesting handling, if you had an engine that could actually get you moving fast.

The Gordini & Alpine versions were cool too

Sorry to butt in, but that isn't entirely true. The regular Renault 5 (or LeCar) was FRONT engined, front wheel drive. The same is true for the Alpine/Gordini versions which were just slightly tuned versions of the standard car.

The car we are looking at above is the original Renault 5 Turbo and was made in the early '80's for Group B rallying. This was a MID engined, rear wheel drive car. It later became known as the Renault 5 Turbo 1, because Renault produced a second version called the Renault 5 Turbo 2. Basically the Turbo 1 cars were homologation specials and only enough were built to satisfy the 'production' requirement. They had trick stuff like aluminum roof panels, doors and tailgate, really just intended for competition. The second generation were slightly more road friendly and had a regular Renault 5 interior and normal steel panels. All these cars only had a 1.4 liter engine, but with the turbo they would put out somewhere in the region of 160 bhp. The ultimate version of the Turbo 2 was the Maxi 5 Turbo made in 1985. Only 200 road going versions were made, again for homologation purposes. The good news was the aluminum panels were back and the engine had been increased to 1.5 liters. Road going versions of this car had about 280 bhp, but the full rally versions were reputed to have upwards of 350 and possibly as much as 450 bhp.

Just to confuse matters more, Renault also produced a regular Renault 5 Gordini Turbo, later caled the R5 GT Turbo, which was simply a Turbo version of the normal road car and front engined again.

I know all this because I used to work with a guy who had one of the Turbo 2's. I will tell you that it was a lot of fun.

Whoa! I completely forgot that I owned a new Le Car for a brief period of time! (looked like a big ski boot, dead stock, slow but rode like on a cloud). T-boned a full size station wagon that ran a red light in the rain - bubye!

But I bet it was front engined and front wheel drive wasn't it.

Kinda sorta.

Yes, the Regular R5 layout was front engined / FWD. But it was also mid-engined. The engine was behind the transaxle, against the firewall. Same layout as a Citroen SM.

FWD / mid-engined is not a very common layout, because it pushes the firewall back and can make for a cramped interior. It also generally makes the engine difficult to work on.

Agreed, the REAR/mid engined R5 turbo was a different beast altogether.

OK I'll give you that. The gearbox was in front of the engine in the regular R5. I can see that technically that does make it mid-engined, but when the Turbo 1 & 2 were conventional mid-engined, as in behind the driver, then I can also see the confusion. :)

Early R5s were front "in line" engine, with the trans in front of the engine. This is the model Renault imported to the US.

Later R5s (the one the R5 Turbo 1 and 2 were based on) are front "transverse" engine with the trans beside the engine.

I like the R5 GT Turbo.. great car.