Renault's R8 Gordini
Wheels Great Britain - 1965
Just about every motorist has a longing to be the wolf in sheep's clothing,
but this desire has been so developed in Britain that with, say, Minis
it is almost more surprising to see one which is not modified. But you
can still enjoy being a real wolf in Gordini's latest Renault, a 100 m.p.h.-plus
comfort-able small car which, in the best tradition of converted cars,
still looks absolutely standard-the painted offset stripe is standard in
France but an optional extra in Britain.
The French may be as accustomed to 'hot' Renaults as we are to 'hot'
Minis, but reverse the stamping grounds and you have a car which stands
out. Previous variations on the Gordini theme have been rather simpler
conversions, but a current desire for a strong production power unit has
led to the development of this completely redesigned engine, none of whose
parts is inter-changeable with those of the standard version. The result
is 95 b.h.p. from 1108 c.c., still as smooth as the standard five main
bearing unit, with no temperament and only a little loss of tractability
at low revs.
Almost doubling the power output has raised the maximum in a proportion
commensurate with aerodynamic laws, and the Gordini can now do 103.1 m.p.h.
and reach 50 m.p.h. in under 10 seconds. Fuel consumption seems to vary
considerably from an enthusiastic 24 m.p.g. to a more sedate 35 m.p.g.
The biggest change is in the handling which needed particular attention
in view of the higher speeds. Lowering and stiffening the suspension and
fitting French Dunlop SP Sports has made a big difference and the car is
much more stable at high speed and less affected by side winds; in corners
it can be thrown around with gay abandon.
One of the most impressive features of the 1100 was the ride, superior
to any car of that size, but with its suspension stiffened the Gordini
has sacrificed some of this, although not to an unacceptable level; it
is just a little choppy.
Apart from a more informative instrument panel, the rest of the interior
is unchanged from the 1100; the excellent seats, rear seat accommodation
and general insulation from noise are all of a high standard.
Priced at £984, the Renault Gordini is expensive in this country,
and its rivals are mostly in the 1+-litre class, but it is tremendous fun
to drive and as agile as one likes to make it whether in town, country
or on motorways.
Performance and economy
As engine development progresses, we are becoming more accustomed to
high specific outputs from small engines, but few production cars outside
competition GTs can boast as high a figure as 95 b.h.p. (gross) from 1108
c.c. gross horse-power per litre. The standard 1100 engine produces 50
of the same horses at 4,600 r.p.m.; the extra power comes from a redesigned
cylinder head with inclined pushrods operating the valves through two rocker
shafts. This gives a cross flow hemispherical head with 500 included between
the valves; a hotter cam, fabricated four branch exhaust manifold and twin
double choke Solex carburettors complete the transformation; an oil cooler
makes it safe to use the high performance over long periods.
Maximum power is developed at 6,500 r.p.m. and the hand-book warns
that it is dangerous to exceed this, so we kept to it for accelerations
although the rev. counter carries no mark-ings. If one were to change gear
by ear, the revs would be astronomical as the engine is astonishingly smooth
at 6,500 r.p.m. With the maximum torque theoretically developed all the
way from 4-6,000 r.p.m. one keeps the engine in this range for most of
the time, but it is happy to pull at less than 30 m.p.h. in top gear. Flooring
the accelerator at under 3,000 r.p.m. produces a slight pause before the
engine picks up, but the performance is mostly very easily used and the
Gordini is a delightful traffic dodger, threading its way through slower
vehicles.
As is often the case with highly developed cars with really good
tyres, the standing starts are not truly representative of the performance.
With such a combination and independent suspension it is impossible to
get any wheelspin on a dry surface, and too quick a start would make the
car falter-controlled clutch slip was necessary. The square shape which
is surprisingly aerodynamic certainly helps acceleration in the upper ranges,
and it is impressive that such a car should reach 100 m.p.h. in a measurably
consistent time-just under a minute and in just over a mile.
The fuel consumption graph is very steep, and in the course of our
enthusiastic appreciation of most of the performance, we reached the nadir
at 22+ m.p.g. Another staff member in the course of a week-end of pottering
mainly under 50 m.p.h. recorded 38 m.p.g. A mean between the two gives
nearly our touring figure at 30.1 m.p.g. representing a tank range of around
200 miles.
Using the manual choke, starting is instant although it is best
not to touch the accelerator for 30 seconds or so after-wards, and then
the engine warms up happily with only a little choke over the first half-mile,
The normal running tempera-ture is around 175F, but creeping forward in
heavy traffic raises this quickly to 210F but no higher.
Transmission
The standard 1100 gearbox and final drive have been retained and the
ratios seem to be well spaced with useful maxima in the gears. The maximum
speed occurs at almost maximum power, confirming the choice of final drive
ratio.
Gear selection is not so good; one never actually gets the wrong
gear but it is difficult to feel the gate and there is a lot of slack in
the lever movement; one tends to take this up before touching the clutch,
and in this way the movement is consider-ably less vague and much shorter.
The clutch itself is heavy by small car standards and does not feel very
sensitive, although it was possible to use controlled slip to start the
car on a I in 3 hill. No transmission noise penetrated the interior.
Handling and brakes
Initial feelings. about a 100 m.p.h. Renault were mixed, based as they
were on the standard car's final oversteer and the associated behaviour
in side winds. The Suspension modifica-tions have been intelligently applied
and the result is a good compromise between ride and handling; stiffer
springs and heavier front' anti-roll bar have kept the roll right down,
preventing the swing-axle jacking effect from coming into play. One can
thus enter a corner fast with intent to slide without fear of either spinning
or tipping, all in an entirely progressive fashion-this latter due to the
tyres which are Dunlop SP Sports, similar to the earlier SP3 tread pattern.
Initially the car understeers strongly and final oversteer sets
in only at very high cornering forces; in the wet the understeer can be
almost too strong if the wheel is turned quickly, result-ing in loss of
adhesion, but in most conditions on the road the feel is of neutral steering
well balanced. On the standard car, the artificial self-centring springs
in the rack tend to make the steering insensitive despite a castor angle
of 90, but the higher cornering forces obtainable with the Gordini transmit
suffi-cient feel for complete confidence, and one can place the car accurately.
In side winds again there is considerable improve-ment in behaviour; the
reaction is still there but even at 100
m.p.h. the movement on the road requires only a small correction.
All round disc brakes are now assisted by a Bendix servo; they pull
the car up remarkably well from high speeds and will continue to do so
without serious fade. At low speeds they do not feel progressive and have
a rather high threshold pressure before starting to work, but for maximum
stops they are still reasonably light. After two trips through the water
splash, there was a slight rise in required pressure but this soon dis-appeared.
The handbrake will hold the car on a 1 in 3 hill.
Comfort and controls
The ride is not as bump-free as on the 1100 and does get choppy on C-class
roads, but the seats are so soft and comfort-able that one hardly notices
any deterioration. With an adjust-able back rest and a good length of sliding
adjustment, all our testers were comfortable; some complained that the
high steer-ing wheel encouraged a twenty-to four hold but this is a perfectly
natural position. For those heavy enough to depress the seat squab, side
support is more than adequate. All the controls are conveniently placed
even with the seat back and the heating/ventilation with separate fresh
air vents at either end of the facia keeps even the most fastidious driver
comfortable and untired for long journeys. A good contribution to this
is the low level of both wind and engine noise.
For those in the rear the knee room looks 4 little restricted with
the seat right back, but the back of the front seats is suffi-ciently hollowed
for average people to be very comfortable.
Visibility. all round is good and for parking it is possible with
a slight stretch, to see the rear deck. Lights with a good asymmetric dipped
beam and a long wide range are suitable for the car's performance.
Fittings and furniture
In deference to sporting-minded motorists the facia now hi four circular
dials, rev. counter, speedometer, temperature and fuel gauges, and the
usual Renault switches, with all the lights controlled from the steering
column, including individual parking light selection. The left hand (lighting)
stalk also carries the horn which on second pressure works a penetrating
compressor horn.
Oddments can go in facia pockets or on the rear parcel shelf quite
a deep recess behind the seat top. There are map pockets in the front doors.
For safety, the car was fitted with lap and diagonal seat belts, but there
is generous padding around the facia and on the sun visors.
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Last Updated on Wednesday 20th January 1999
