Cars you didn’t know you want: 1994 Renault Safrane Turbo

Here’s something you don’t recall – when the French built an all-wheel drive, twin-turbo executive monster.

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Imagine this: It’s 1994, you’re kicking goals in your career, and you need a fast suit of wheels to match the one you wear.

Naturally, you gravitate straight to Germany. In 1994, BMW offered its good-looking 5 Series sedan with V8 power and a manual transmission. Given its contemporary styling, motorsport pedigree and rear-wheel drive bones, the 540i would’ve been likely plucking on your heartstrings.

The other choice would have been the 1994 Audi S4 (100 series). Instead of rear-drive V8 power, the Audi offered something equally as cool – turbocharged, five-cylinder and all-wheel drive thrills. If you opted for the Audi, you could reenact moments from world rallying’s most fearsome Group B era on the way to work – or at least do so sounding like Michèle Mouton.

While the top brass at Renault applauded their female sports star to four victories and finishing runner-up one in the World Rally Championship, they wanted a piece of the action too. The brand couldn’t even keep France’s best racing car drivers in French products.

After launching its new BMW 5 Series and Audi A4 competitor in 1992 – the Renault Safrane – the brand believed it had the base to work with.

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The Renault Safrane was sold between 1992 to 2000 as its flagship large sedan. It was also a technological showcase and the most-complicated car Renault had ever built, with electronically controlled dampers, a “voice synthesiser” that talked back to the driver, twin digital dash displays and heated electric seats offered on top-grade models.

Crazy stuff. What’s equally as crazy however is the fact the brand – in typical French fashion – made its large, 1600kg-and-some sedan both front-wheel drive and fitted with a transversely-mounted engine.

Talk about making the game hard for yourself. The biggest engine initially shoehorned into the mighty French luxo barge was a mediocre version of the brand’s PRV 3.0-litre V6 engine; and with 123kW and 235Nm up its sleeve, it wasn’t quite the super sedan the brand expected.

Clearly understanding it needed help shortly after the Safrane’s launch, Renault employed two sub-contractors to get the job done.

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The first was tuning arm Hartge, which was known in Europe for building seriously-fast BMWs. Renault placed it in charge of performance, driveline and chassis.

The second was Irmscher, another tuning mob which this time specialised in vehicle styling and aero, alongside performance and tuning.

Hartge insisted on binning the front-drive underpinnings and auto gearbox. And the wee-old PRV V6 was given two turbochargers, plumbed in Biturbo fashion, a ‘Quadra’ all-wheel drive system and six-speed manual.

Power was up to a mighty 200kW and torque an equally strong 363Nm. Boost was capped at a low 0.5bar, or 7.2psi, and simply bestowed the basic 12-valve six-cylinder with a meaty and responsive mid-range power curve. As a final touch, the electronically-controlled dampers were given a performance tune by Hartge.

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Irmscher then came on board to aggravate the styling, but again in typically French and understated fashion. The German company listened to its client by fitting a simple bodykit and low-rise rear spoiler; but still went ahead with some creative license.

One of which was fitting a cool set of 17-inch wheels true to the brand, and that would look home on what it usually modified

– Opels.

Two-years after its initial launch, the 1994 Renault Safrane Biturbo made its debut. Despite good intentions, the all-wheel drive system and turbocharging gear packed on the pounds.

Its 1700kg kerb weight meant its 0-100km/h in the sevens was a whole-second off the BMW and Audi. The handling was good, but the trick suspension leaned more toward comfort cruising than a serious jaunt on a backroad.

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But all of those things are okay, and I still really, really want one. Just 806 Renault Safrane Biturbos were built between 1994 and 1996.

A top-spec ‘Bacara’ Biturbo will today set you back well-over $40,000 Australian, it seems…

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MORE: Cars you didn’t know you want – the series

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