- A Turbo version of the Renault 5 EV will go into production in 2026
- The production model will boast a staggering 500hp
- Around 2,000 will be made and it will predictably be very expensive
Rumour has been rife that Renault would resurrect the iconic Turbo badge, ever since it mentioned that the 1980s hot hatch was a big influence on its most recent EV.
But in a cool twist of fate, the French marque will put into production a limited number Renault 5 Turbo 3E models.
Clearly taking inspiration from the Renault Turbo and Turbo 2 of the 1980s, it wears the same yellow, black and white livery as the car that raced in the infamous Group B rally competition – a time where bodywork was over the top and performance borderline psychotic.
In order to revive some of that gung-ho spirit, Renault has equipped its limited edition throwback with two electric motors, one driving each rear wheel for precise control of power and a total system output of 500hp – almost triple that of the original car.
The upper body is said to be made from a carbon composite material, in order to keep the weight down, while the charging socket is cleverly housed in the rear air scoop to keep everything clean.
As for performance, you can expect the 0-62mph sprint to take less than 3.5 seconds.
Concrete details remain scarce, but it is slated to run on the same Ampere platform as the latest Renault 5 and the Alpine A290, with engineers of the latter very much involved in the development of the retro-inspired Renault 5.
As a result, it is rumored to have a number of driving modes and computer trickery to increase the grins, including specific drifting profiles and a mode reserved for pulling smoky doughnuts, as previewed by an earlier, be-winged R5 Turbo concept car that was revealed in 2022.
We are only allowed to speculate on the remaining details, but we have it on good authority that the Renault 5 Turbo 3E will go on sale in Europe, costing around €150,000 (around £125,000 / $157,000 / AU$246,500) – although that price is subject to change.
Only around 2,000 will likely ever make it into production and customers will have to wait until 2026 (again, we are speculating) to drive one in anger.
Renault is on a roll
The standard Renault 5 EV was one of the most exciting launches of 2024, proving that affordable electric motoring doesn't necessarily have to be bland and boring.
That model has already gone on to become one of the fastest-selling EVs in Europe, but the introduction of this madcap, retro-inspired halo car will only likely fuel demand for the standard model further.
It's great to see Renault pushing the boundaries and daring to try something new, while not leaving all of the fun stuff to sister company Alpine.
Renault has long stood for affordable performance, with its RS-badged hot hatches of yesteryear earning a place in the history books for their ability to raise smiles on a budget.
The lofty asking price of the limited edition Renault 5 Turbo 3E doesn't exactly stick to that mantra, but it offers a glimmer of hope that Renault might decide to produce some slightly less bonkers EVs that the average Joe can afford.
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