At the top of last yr Renault showed off its electric 5 Turbo 3E, a wild-looking prototype evocative of the old mid-engined 5 Turbo and Group B rally cars. Though it shares styling with the smash hit 5 E-Tech, the Turbo 3E is more of a bespoke rear-wheel-drive EV that just looks prefer it’s based on the 5 — Renault describes it as a “mini-supercar,” which I believe is apt. Renault promised that the 5 Turbo 3E was going to turn out to be a production automotive, which seemed kinda ludicrous, but now the production 5 Turbo 3E has been revealed and it looks identical to the show automotive.
Renault has also taken the wraps off the 5 Turbo 3E’s two-seat interior and divulged all kinds of juicy specs and performance facts, which totally back up the French brand’s supercar claims. The 5 Turbo 3E shall be the second production automotive to make use of in-wheel motors — after the ill-fated Lordstown Endurance — and it will be way more common than you is perhaps expecting. Renault is constructing 1,980 of the 5 Turbo 3E, with order books opening in a couple of weeks and deliveries set to begin in 2027. There shall be tons of more 5 Turbo 3Es on the earth than Ferrari F40s, 841 more of those Renaults than Bugattis with the W16 engine. That rules.
Custom platform and fewer weight than a Cayman
Man, does this thing look freakin’ awesome. Nothing concerning the design has modified over the past few months, which I’m not complaining about. Though some details just like the taillights are shared with the essential Renault 5 E-Tech, the Turbo 3E has a singular body with ridiculously wide fenders inspired by the Eighties 5 Turbo. Its headlights are more retro than the traditional 5, almost similar in look to the ’80s automotive, and the dramatic bumper and skid skirt designs make it appear like a Cyberpunk Group B automotive. Elements just like the rear fender intakes and giant diffuser are functional, too. Renault moved the windshield further back and increased the wheelbase by about an inch in comparison with the 5 E-Tech, and the Turbo 3E is about three inches longer, eight inches wider and five inches lower in height than the Alpine A290 version of the 5 E-Tech.
The Turbo 3E uses its own specially developed aluminum platform as a substitute of sharing the 5 E-Tech’s Renault-Nissan AmpR Small architecture. The 70-kWh battery pack (18 kWh greater than the A290) is under the ground for a low center of gravity and so the suspension engineers to “fully develop their ideas for real driving thrills,” and the automotive’s superstructure is constructed from carbon fiber to maintain weight down. Renault says the 5 Turbo 3E weighs just 3,127 kilos — 133 kilos lower than the A290, 100 kilos lower than a Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS.
In-wheel motors and track capability
As was the unique Renault 5 Turbo, the 3E is rear-wheel drive in contrast to the front-wheel-drive layout of the traditional 5 E-Tech. As a substitute of using traditional electric motors, the Turbo 3E uses in-wheel motors behind those 20-inch rear wheels which can be said to deliver much more immediate power than a standard motor. Renault says the Turbo 3E makes 536 horsepower (268 hp per motor), which supplies the automotive a power-to-weight ratio of about 6 kilos per hp, and it will have the ability to sprint from 0 to 62 mph in under 3.5 seconds, quicker than a 992 Carrera. An overtake button on the steering wheel provides an influence boost, and there are 4 different regenerative braking modes, including a Race setting.
Renault says the Turbo 3E can have a spread of around 250 miles on the European WLTP cycle, in the identical realm because the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, and due to an 800-volt architecture it has 350-kW DC fast-charging capability, which might juice the battery up from 15 to 80 percent in fifteen minutes. Using the onboard 11-kW charger it’ll take about eight hours to totally charge at home. The Turbo 3E will have the ability to finish “several” hot laps before needing to recharge, even for those who reach the automotive’s 168-mph top speed. It’ll even have bi-directional charging and plug-and-charge functionality.
Built for drifting
Should you’ve driven a Renault 5 Turbo in real life (or a video game like me), or have just read reviews or watched old rally YouTube videos, you recognize the French hot hatch was known for being very tail-happy. I mean, a mid-engined rear-wheel-drive automotive with a curb weigh of lower than 2,200 kilos and 160 hp from an engine with an enormous turbocharger will try this. The brand new 5 Turbo 3E will proceed the model’s drift-happy personality, but hopefully with more purpose and control this time.
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The automotive includes a drift-assist function, though Renault doesn’t give any specifics. Having separate control of the 2 rear motors is a boon for agility and performance, together with saving weight and space. And as you’ll be able to see from the image above, the Turbo 3E also has a rally-style vertical handbrake, which is a rare sight in any road-going automotive, let alone an EV.
Room for 2 and your stuff
The inside is sort of totally distinct from the traditional 5 E-Tech as well, only sharing the oblong surround that houses the recessed digital gauge cluster and more outstanding touchscreen, which is angled at the motive force. The Turbo 3E’s shelf-like dashboard, pared-down door panels and carbon-fiber racing bucket seats are covered in Alcantara that has a sweet plaid pattern. You continue to get a row of physical climate controls, though the tall center console seems to have almost no cupboard space. Renault also redesigned the infotainment system and gauges to have a more retro look, but you continue to get all the identical Google Built-In system and other tech features as the traditional road automotive.
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Remember how I talked concerning the packaging advantages of in-wheel motors and the custom platform? One other big profit is in cargo space, which the Turbo 3E has a ton of. The conventional Renault 5 is a extremely tiny automotive, and there’s not much room behind the second row of seats (and even with the seats folded). The Turbo 3E is only a two-seater, and in contrast to the old 5 Turbo that had an engine taking on a lot of the cargo space, the Turbo 3E has a large expanse of open space, even bearing in mind the bolted-on roll bar.
Renault’s really gonna construct it
Should you’ve been reading through this story and might’t consider this thing is real, I’ll reiterate it for you: In a couple of weeks Renault shall be opening up order books for the 5 Turbo 3E in “key markets” like Australia, Europe, Japan and the Middle East, with deliveries to begin in 2027. Renault says that “as privileged partners, the dealers who reserve the automotive will take part in its pre-financing, in accordance with the ‘upfront funding’ principle,” which I assume means Renault will attempt to fight markups.
Just one,980 of those shall be built, a tribute to the yr the 5 Turbo got here out, and never only will each be numbered, but customers will have the ability to choose which number they need. The Turbo 3E shall be offered with a bunch of heritage color and livery schemes, just like the red-and-blue Rouge Grenade from the unique 5 Turbo, but you will also have the ability to select from all kinds of personalization options for the inside and exterior and work with Renault’s designers in your dream spec. We do not yet understand how expensive the Renault 5 Turbo 3E shall be, but I actually have a sense it’ll be rather a lot.
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This Article First Appeared At www.jalopnik.com
