Renault 5 Turbo revived — and it’s electric!
Renault 5 Turbo 3E is the proof — not all electric cars are lemons
Few details are available as yet but Renault says there’s a carbon. Two electric motors power each rear wheel independently – giving a combined 500bhp monocoque chassis beneath
That looks lively.
It certainly does. Just when you thought Renault had gone all sensible, it rolls out something that looks like this. We guess there’s only so many humdrum MPVs a French engineer can take. Plus, let’s not forget Renault has a history of creating bizarre things, such as cramming a V6 into the middle of a Clio, or a 3.5-litre V10 F1 engine into an Espace.
So, it’s a Renault 5?
Well, that’s what Renault says, but certainly not as we know it. The original Renault 5 emerged in 1972 and was really the car that put the marque on the map. King of them all was the mid-engined 5 GT Turbo, which became a hot hatch icon in the mid-1980s. So, when Renault relaunched the 5 as its new electric flagship city car, there was scope to erm, upgrade it…
Muscle-bound 1980s throwback
Those arches are wide…
Yes, and aren’t they brilliant! While the original GT Turbo featured significantly wider bodywork than the basic 5, this new version goes even further, highlighted by the famous rear air intakes of the original now forming an alien-like wrap-around rear spoiler/diffuser. You know, for when you fancy a pop-up Pikes Peak after the family’s weekly supermarket visit.
An EV to covet? We think so…
Aren’t electric cars supposed to be boring?
Depends on your perspective, but Renault set out to change opinions when launching this car, with Renault’s design boss Gilles Vidal saying: “This car is to show that EVs can be emotional, not just white goods.” While the old 5 GT Turbo made do with a 160bhp 1.4-litre turbo engine, this new one gets dual electric motors producing a rather excessive-sounding 500bhp and a 0-60 time that Renault claims to be under 3.5sec. Doesn’t sound all that dull.
Surely they’re not actually making it?
Oh yes they are. Renault hasn’t said how many will be available, probably a few thousand if we go by the numbers they made of the original GT Turbo (just shy of 5000 in total across the first two iterations, hence the ‘3’ in the name of this one) and Clio V6 (2800-ish). It’ll arrive some time in 2026. Don’t expect much change from £100,000 though.