J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Just looking on Autotrader at R5 Turbos as thinking of getting one whilst my Golf is off the road and the 2.8 Capri I wasn getting has fallen through, there is one for 2395 claiming 215 bhp, is this possible ?, they are only a 1.4 and are bloody quick with 120 bhp but getting 215 bhp is some feat from a 1.4 pushrod dating back to the 1970's

Ali82

People have genuinely got 300bhp+ from them so 215 is definitely poss. That will almost certainly be running very high boost so will probably want turning down for everyday use.

Olly

Always rather fancied an R5 Turbo years ago, and 215 ponies is attainable. But from memory the 5 was always a quirky, occasionally troublesome little beast as a standard car. Seem to remember hot starting problems and general reliability problems. Add in old age and excessive power..

Stick with the devils you know, try a 205 GTi or Capri 2.8i. Cheap, capable and reliable. I own and love both.

willgill

iTrader: (1)

spot on, any R5GT cold achieve 190bhp just by removing the boost limit with a bleed valve, the engine would blow up and the intercooler would split in half but you could run it at that power for a bout 5 minutes. to get over 200hp you need a strengthed bottom end, group N carbs, clutch, a decent hybrid turbo capable of handling the additional pressure, either a charge cooler or a larger strapped intercooler. also make sure the brakes have been uprated too no point in straight line speed if you can't stop at the end of it

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

So the one advertised may well be 3 and a half mins into the 5 mins !

300 bhp in a R5, that must be an evil contraption, drove a brand new standard one and that seemed very quick at the time.

philz

It's not a *real* 300BHP though as they're usually running about 45PSI which is great for the 12 seconds that it takes them to get down the dragstrip, but totally useless for on the road.

If a car can't do more than a lap or two of a circuit before blowing up then it's not a proper car.

(I had a R5 turbo for 7 years btw, great cars but unfortuntaly their image is ruined by stupid tuners claiming rediculous BHP figures)