Renault did that quite cleverly: the range of models always had the opportunity to take a step up within the brand. To grow on. And that the type designations were not equally clear? In 1979, for example, the new Renault 18 fitted seamlessly under the R16 and above the R12.
New: the R18
The R18 series consisted of a TL, GTL, TS and GTS version upon introduction. Later the Turbo was added. The 'G' stands for the accessory equipment, the L and TS respectively meant that the car had the 1397 cc engine that was also inserted in the R5 Alpine (and the Volvo 343) or the 1647 cc engine as in the R16 TL automatic, the 17TS and the R20TL.
The R18 still appears to most people as a beautiful, civilized car. There are people who think that the back has something BMW-like. That Renault used classic chrome bumpers instead of shield bumpers was a bit strange at the time.
The interior stands out due to the careful finish
You are fine in such an R18. The seats of the front seats are on the short side, but the lateral support is fine. The fairly large steering wheel fits well in the hand. And that's good because the reactions of the front-wheel drive on the handlebars are pretty solid. The dashboard is well-arranged and business-like. The arrangement of the various controls is good. The rear view is less. The legroom behind is good but the headroom there is a bit too small for big people. The trunk is large and practical.
The handling of the R18 is classically French
The car was smooth, to say the least, spring-loaded and muffled. People who were susceptible to motion sickness suffered badly. This weak coordination also resulted in less good steering behavior. Tests from that time actually showed that stiffer dampers made a much better car of the R18. A very critical mind then mentioned as the only further disadvantage of the Renault that it had front-wheel instead of rear-wheel drive.
Because although the 'worst' characteristics of the early front-wheel drivers had meanwhile been 'constructed', the driving behavior was far from being at the level that we are now used to. The power of the brakes (front discs, rear drums) was seen as too strong. But on motorways, the Renault did well.
A conclusion from 1979
The Renault 18 is in the GTS version with its 79 pk 1.65 liter engine a nice spicy car. The interior space is great. The performance is highly acceptable. In the interior, the car is pleasantly quiet and within certain speed ranges, it is nice and economical. It is a pity that the suspension and damping are so soft and soft and that the front-wheel drive makes itself so clearly visible in the steering wheel and leaves a clear negative mark on the handling. Oh yes: The entire Renault 18 series was seen as 'fairly attractively priced'.
Find another one
To find a Renault 18 you have to be in France. There are most of them. But at times there is also supply in our country. Think of amounts between 1.500-300 euros. The most expensive R18 we found was for sale in France for 6.000 euros. We think he will stand still for a while.
Excellent cars. The TS also has the 1647cc engine (hence the 'S').
After an R12 and an R14, my father bought an R18 turbo diesel. Then an R21. Except the 14 all strong cars that got a lot of miles without any problems.
After a burgundy-red Renault 14, I traded it in with my late father's blue R 12 TS and bought a metallic blue R18 TL. This was then equipped with an LPG substructure tank, a novelty then, only the tank could have been slightly larger. After the TL the coveted gray GTS break came into my possession, beautiful car, unfortunately it was driven by a Kadett total during the 11-city tour, the seat bolts were even snapped ... wanted another GTS, this became a beautiful dark blue, I had a lot of fun with this, made a lot of km and then the Nevada….
Friends with whom I grew up from childhood had received a faint R18 as a present from an upcoming father-in-law. The rear window had to be held in the tailgate with duct tape because the brown plague had eaten the steel around the glass. It went well. The engine ran like a charm but was emphatically present on the motorway. My experiences with other 'dampening projects' ensured that I neatly covered the engine room with glass wool. Does not work and dampens sound very well. The car had become much quieter. He would complete the outward and return journey to Greece without any disruption. He was entitled to the
R (obuust) to be called 18 !!
Had driving lessons
Nice car but what a ** seats
Nice article. I think 1997 must be 1979. R18 served as the basis for the Fuego.
As a family car we had an R18 station in the distant past.
On LPG it ran so quietly that my father sometimes thought that the engine had stopped when he was idling in front of a traffic light and thus turned the key to 'start'.
The starter motor did not like that ...