Highlights

Very tidy facelift RS Turbo in red
Original Recaro interior with auxiliary dials
Garage-stored for most of its life, we are told
Retains its factory standard 132bhp engine
Current MOT valid to May 2027 with no advisories

The Appeal

By the late 1980s, the hot hatch wars were at fever pitch. The RS Turbo dialled things up even further - the headline wasn’t about the 132bhp performance, rather it centred on the car’s tyre-scrabbling turbocharged delivery. The Series 2 car tamed the handling and added extra comfort, but it lost none of the analogue thrill.

Most RS Turbos ended their lives in hedges, which makes survivors like this one very thin on the ground. It is a really tidy car in stand-out red with well-kept bodywork and a nicely original Recaro grey fabric interior. There are a few choice modifications, but nothing that doesn’t fit with the car’s ethos.

The vendor tells us that the displayed mileage of 23,000 miles is correct, although it isn’t warranted. Certainly, the condition points in that direction, but equally, it could be a sign of the car’s enthusiast keepers.

The structural and mechanical condition is underlined by the current MOT, which runs to March 2027 with no advisories.

The vendor says:

“Factory standard engine starts and drives perfectly; some service history in the paperwork.

“Wonderful to drive, and the best colour in my opinion. Absolutely wonderful car for somebody’s collection.”

Key Information

Mileage: 23,073 miles (stated by vendor to be correct, unwarranted)
Country of registration: United Kingdom
Technical inspection status: MOT valid until 8th May 2027 with no advisories
Technical specs: 132bhp, 1,597cc turbocharged four-cylinder petrol, five-speed manual
Paperwork: some service history available as shown, handbooks, V5C, 2 keys with fobs, dyno test from 2010

The Detail

Stand-out red paintwork is very well kept with few indications of age
We are told that the car has been garaged for most of its life
Bodywork in good order with arches, body kit and fittings in good order
Bonnet has been modified with headlight ‘eyebrows’
RS Turbo alloys in good order with light tarnish to note on wheel rims
Matching spare wheel included and in good condition
No structural advisories on current MOT
Factory grey fabric interior with Recaro front seats in very good condition
Lightly modified interior with auxiliary dials in console and on dashboard
Fitted with glass sunroof
Factory standard engine, we are told
Vendor states that car starts and drives well
Vendor describes the paintwork as very good

BEFORE YOU BUY

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✓ The seller is registered as a private seller which means consumer rights stemming from EU consumer protection law do not come into effect. However, you are still covered by Car & Classic’s own Terms and Conditions..

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