Of all the domineering and iconic rally cars of yesteryear, the Renault 5 Turbo, at least for me, stands out the most for its weirdness. I mean, who else would have thought to stuff a mighty fire-breathing monster of an engine into a supermini, and in a mid-ship arrangement, no less! It’s been a long time since the Renault 5 Turbo went out of production, not to mention the Clio V6, as its spiritual successor. Thankfully, however, Renault has not forgotten the fun side of its history, having now brought back the R5 Turbo, but with a twist! The new Renault 5 Turbo 3E gives the classic Turbo and Turbo 2 from the 1980s a modern-day, all-electric makeover.
Sure, you might find that a bit of a buzzkill, but if EVs really are the way forward, then I would be more than chuffed to drive something this exciting. Built atop a production-spec Renault 5 all-electric city car, the Renault 5 Turbo 3E, excitingly, isn’t even a concept car, either. Actually going into production sometime soon and will be arriving in a showroom near you, you may actually be able to drive one not that far off into the future. It also retains the rear-wheel drive layout of the original Renault 5 Turbo, which debuted all the way back in 1978. So, even as an EV, the Turbo 3E very much carries over that wild ‘pocket rocket’ driving experience.
A New Pocket Rocket For The Next Generation
Renault certainly isn’t messing around with reviving the iconic Turbo nameplate, with quite a lot of electrified power hidden within the Turbo 3E, ready to be unleashed. Specifically, you’ll get over 500bhp – an insane figure for such a small car – courtesy of dual electric motors, one for each rear wheel. I could probably foresee this revived Renault 5 Turbo 3E being just about as much of a handful to manage, once you give it the beans. If you think that’s not enough, it would easily rival proper supercars and sports cars too, with a blisteringly rapid 0 to 62mph time of a mere 3.5 seconds, while in keeping with the spirit of the original R5 Turbo.
Alas, we can only speculate as to how it’d feel to drive, but I hope that it’ll keep the authentic feel of the 80s Renault 5 Turbos, with that tail-happy rear-wheel drive action that’s very keen to try and kill you! Unlike those old Turbos, however, this new Renault 5 Turbo 3E comes with some modern engineering know-how, too. Most notably, it’ll feature a lightweight and rather stiff carbon-fibre superstructure, ensuring maximal agility and handling. The only thing you’re missing out on, and it is a bit of a shame, is the turbocharged roar of the original R5 Turbo. As the Renault 5 Turbo 3E is pure electric, you’ll have to get used to the sound of silence.
Reviving The Renault 5 Turbo, With An Electric Heart
If you look around the upcoming Renault 5 Turbo 3E, you might notice a few nods and touches that hark back to the O.G. R5 Turbo. For instance, you might have spotted the EV charging socket in one of the rear air intakes, making practical use of an otherwise classical design element. And, we also have to talk about this absolutely gorgeous livery, drawing some inspiration from the historic rallying and motorsport colours that once adorned the original Renault 5 Turbo. It’s a big deal for the company as well, as the retro-futuristic Renault 5 Turbo 3E is meant to signal a grand revival of not just their performance cars, but to lead the brand forward as a whole.
This forms part of Renault’s ‘Renaulution’ transformation plan, having saved them more than once already since the 2020s. Naturally, electrification is a core part of that strategy, and we have seen some rather fetching EV models from Renault these past few years as a result. This includes not only the Renault 5, which the Turbo 3E is based on but also the equally cool and retro-futuristic Renault 4. For the time being, that’s all we know of the Renault 5 Turbo 3E, as more details and announcements are scheduled for 2025. As for me, I’m keenly watching this with bated breath, as this might be one of the most exciting EV reveals in recent times.
