Porsche and BMW are known as the great turbo pioneers, who applied their motorsport experience with the almighty paddle wheel to fast street models, the 911 Turbo and 2002 Turbo respectively. We are talking about 1974, right after the energy crisis. It was not a good time to come up with unashamedly fast top models. But then again, the development had already started a long time before that and could not be stopped. Fortunately, because the German car manufacturers played their pioneering role with verve and produced two classics from automotive history. Saab was the third turbo brand The third brand to embrace the turbo was the small, innovative Saab. The Swedes positioned their 99 Turbo as a lightning-fast top model, but emphasized politically correctly that the increased thrust was intended for safe overtaking and not so much for reaching high top speeds. Moreover, Saab stated that a turbo was an economical alternative to a six-cylinder engine, while the performance was at the same level. The brand was specifically referring to BMW, which had built a four-cylinder turbo for the 2002, but which still enjoyed a great reputation as a ‘six-cylinder brand’. Saab did not have a six-cylinder and could not fit such a large block in the front of the 99. The turbocharger was the only way for the Swedes to build a faster car without having to develop a completely new model. The effect was great: customers of other sports brands flocked to the 99 and later the 900, after which a kind of canonisation of the ‘Saab Turbo’ phenomenon followed. That status remained in force for years, at least as long as there was a choice between versions with and without a turbo engine. Renault was the first volume brand with a turbo Of the volume brands, Renault was the first to take a piece of the new, exciting turbo pie. Renault had gained extensive experience with the turbocharger via Formula 1 and dared to use it for rally use, in the insane Renault 5 Turbo. As a civilised derivative of this, the 5 Alpine Turbo followed, which in turn was joined by turbo versions of the Renault 18 and 11 respectively. In the diesel field, compatriot Peugeot had the scoop with its 604 Turbo D, followed by Renault with the 20 and 30 Turbo Diesel. Mitsubishi also discovered turbo early In Japan, the turbo had meanwhile mainly attracted the attention of Mitsubishi. In an attempt to create a new, successful rally car, Fuji Heavy Industries fitted a large turbo to a two-litre four-cylinder engine, which would find its way into the Lancer and subsequently the Starion, Galant and Sapporo. Smaller turbos also came, so that the front-wheel drive Colt, Cordia and Tredia also appeared in the showroom as the top model ‘Turbo’. These were relatively expensive versions, which could only appeal to real enthusiasts. This did not apply to the very affordable Mitsubishi Galant 2300 Turbo Diesel, in which half of the Dutch business community drove around at the time. How do we experience the turbos of the past? The question now is how we look back on the mighty turbos of the past, roughly forty years later. For this purpose, three have been brought together. The starting point for this story is the Renault 18 Turbo, an extremely rare example with a Dutch license plate. What’s more: according to the MOT statistics, there are only two in our country. The exact history of the original Dutch car from 1982 is unfortunately not entirely traceable. However, it was immediately clear upon purchase that it was a rock-solid car. A previous owner replaced the standard fabric upholstery with the then optional black leather, which has been faithfully reproduced down to the last detail, including the capitonnage. The bright red carpeting contrasts wonderfully and gives the car the unmistakable sporty allure on the inside that this fast top model is worthy of. The term ‘fast’ should be taken with a grain of salt, because the 18 Turbo is not a car that pulls the proverbial stones out of the street. Power is relative: 125 hp The power of the 1,565 cc small four-cylinder carburettor engine, which originated in the Renault 16, amounts to a relatively modest 125 hp, which is nevertheless more than twice as many horses as the 18 GTL, for example, had to make do with. Much more impressive is the torque of 181 Nm at 3,000 rpm. Remarkably enough, the engine of the 18 GTL (1,397 cc, 127 Nm) also peaks at this speed, so that on paper the turbo does not contribute to the flexibility. In practice, however, the thrust is certainly there. From around 2,200 rpm you first hear the turbo whistling louder and louder, after which you get a friendly, constant push in the back from around 2,500 rpm. Everything goes smoothly in the 1,037 kg Renault, and they indicated that we did not want to tease this precious relic to the limit. Mitsubishi Lancer: well-behaved four-door family car Just like the regular Renault 18, the Mitsubishi Lancer was the opposite of everything that evoked excitement and sensation as a well-behaved four-door family car. How different the situation was with the top version, with its massive front spoiler on which ‘OBRUT 0002’ is written in mirror writing! An orange-red stripe over a white or black paint and alloy wheels of no less than 14 inches meant a metamorphosis of the well-behaved Lancer into a true enthusiast’s car. A beautiful car too, whose sleek lines suddenly came into their own much better. This example stands on period-correct ATS wheels from the eighties, because the beautiful original wheels were being restored during the photography. The spotlights on the nose are far from standard and were fitted by a previous owner. This photographed Lancer is from 1982 and has 70,000 km on the clock. It is one of only 24 registered examples in the Netherlands. The car does have a lot more power and torque than the standard car; you can vary the turbo pressure (via a valve in the interior) between 0.5 and 1.1 bar. As standard, the 2.0-liter delivers 170 hp at 5,500 rpm and a torque of maximum 245 Nm at 3,500 rpm. It goes without saying that the Lancer can drive circles around the Renault 18 Turbo even in standard form – in a beautiful drift if necessary. After we have determined how incredibly easy the Mitsubishi, weighing only 1,000 kg, makes speed at the standard turbo pressure of 0.5 bar, the owner unscrews the valve all the way and urges us to give his car the full brunt. What happens next exceeds every expectation you could have of a 42-year-old 2.0-liter four-door sedan. The neatly lined Japanese simply shoots itself off, and every time you change gear, a new TGV seems to be leaning against the rear bumper. Back in the parking lot, as the Lancer quietly hums along at idle to cool down, we see how big the trunk is. A confirmation of how much fun it is when cars have a double agenda. What appears to be a decent sedan turns out to be a true sprint cannon underneath, with which you can whistle to win every traffic light Grand Prix. Because this example lacks the Turbo nameplates, it is a completely anonymous appearance, especially from the rear. This 900 Turbo 16S has ten years of turbo evolution behind it There is a world of difference between the first Saab 99 Turbo and the Saab 900 Turbo 16S in technical terms. In about ten years, the two-liter turbo engine evolved from 145 hp to 175 hp in the 16-valve version. In any case, the silver-gray Saab marks the absolute high point for Saab in terms of image, because this was the top version with the beautiful three-door bodywork and with the S in the type designation that refers to the spoilers and side skirts according to Saab’s Aero pattern. The top version was not allowed to bear that beautiful name, because Opel had already claimed it for a semi-open version of the Kadett. However, the Saab 900 Turbo 16S did sound so nice and told the outside world what subtle power play was taking place under the endless bonnet of the Swede. The Saab we are driving is a beautiful representative of this now more than classic top model. With 227,000 original kilometers, the car drives like a dream; engine, gearbox, clutch and steering feel as if the car has just arrived from new in Trollhättan. The Saab’s character can best be described as unyielding. Although it responds wonderfully smoothly to steering movements, you experience the 900 primarily as the heavy and rock-solid touring car that it naturally is. The turbocharger, multi-valve technology and Automatic Performance Control (APC, tuning of the engine management to the fuel quality) convert a kick to the accelerator pedal into a princely acceleration without hesitation, but do not let this large, dignified business car shrink around you into a hot, throw-and-throw hatchback. A dream car for covering long distances not only in complete comfort, but also at great speed. The conclusion of the meeting is that Renault, Mitsubishi and Saab each speak their own turbo language. While the distinguished 18 Turbo mainly expresses itself in civilized terms, the exuberant Lancer 2000 Turbo always has the last word. However, it is the Saab that converses at the highest level.
Source: www.autoweek.nl
