Long before Audi launched its first supercar Renault produced the R8. Performance models in the Renault Range were given the Gordini treatment. Gordinis had a giant-killing reputation as they carved up much larger, usually more powerful cars on racetracks and rally stages all over the world.
The R8 was a flyweight with the trademark white stripes over a light blue paint scheme. Uniquely it featured a rear-mounted engine location (behind the rear axle line). The inline four was longitudinally mounted. With 71 kW that helped produce a top speed of over 160 km/h the “new Gordini was the fastest production car ever to come from the Renault stable”
As the press demonstrator was not yet run-in H.J “Mossie” Mostert lent his private vehicle to CAR for the full road test treatment, which was rather gracious of him. Thanks to a high (for the era) compression ratio of 10,4:1 we had to brew up a special batch of fuel, which included aviation fuel (Avgas) to extract the best performance figures out of the little car.