The iconic Renault 5 was recently revived as an electric vehicle (EV), and now the hottest performance versions of the old car are being reborn as hot EVs.
The Renault 5 Turbo 3E has been revealed as a modern take on the 5 Turbo and Turbo 2 of the 1980s, but with a radically different powertrain.
This comprises electric motors housed in each rear wheel, for a total system output of more than 373kW (500hp), rocketing the hot hatch from 0-100km/h in 3.5 seconds.
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The hot hatch was revealed by Renault executives in the final episode of the Anatomy of a Comeback documentary series on Prime Video.
While it looks more like a concept car than something you’d see in showrooms, Renault CEO Luca de Meo confirmed this is an upcoming production model that will launch 45 years after the first Renault 5 Turbo in 2025.
It’s finished in a colour sported by rally Renault 5 Turbos in the early 1980s, and features a carbon superstructure.
It has a wide, aggressive stance, with boxy wheel arches inside which sit 20-inch alloy wheels. There are also dramatic side air intakes and bold graphics.
The headlights are smaller than on the regular Renault 5 and more closely resemble the original 5 Turbo, while there are squared-off daytime running lights and aggressive front and rear bumpers.
Renault first teased the Turbo 3E with a concept in 2022, which featured in-wheel rear motors for total system outputs of 280kW and 700Nm, but an identical 0-100km/h time of 3.5 seconds.
The company confirmed the concept weighed just 980kg, with the 42kWh lithium-ion battery pack weighing 520kg.
The Turbo 3E usurps the Alpine A290 as the hottest Renault 5-based electric hatch.
The Alpine has launched initially with a 160kW/300Nm single-motor powertrain, though the company has hinted at a hotter dual-motor all-wheel drive configuration.
The first Renault 5 Turbo was a dramatically transformed version of the humble city car, with the engine mounted midship and sending drive to the rear wheels instead of the front-engine, front-wheel drive configuration of the regular 5.
It was powered by a turbocharged four-cylinder engine which made it, at the time, the most powerful French production car.
The 5 Turbo and 5 Turbo 2 were developed for rallying, but were also sold as road cars.
MORE: Everything Renault 5
