Renault 5 Turbo 3E: New era of the popular cult car

Chubby cheeks Electric Renault 5 Turbo as a retro racer

2025-03-28 From sp-x | Translated by AI 4 min Reading Time

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With the Renault 5 Turbo 3E, the French introduce the contemporary version of an iconic 80s car—the Renault 5 Turbo.

Renault brings back the R5 Turbo.(Image: Renault) — Renault brings back the R5 Turbo.
(Image: Renault)

It was 1980, exactly 45 years ago. Renault launched the first 5 Turbo, and in 1983 the Turbo 2. At the time, the 5 Turbo was the first French production vehicle with a turbo petrol engine: 119 kW/160 hp, from 0 to 100 km/h (approx. 62 mph) in 6.9 seconds. The Renault 5 Turbo became a cult car with its rear wheel arches puffed up like silicone lips.

All of this is nothing compared to the new electric racing machine that Renault has now unveiled at its factory in Flins-sur-Seine near Paris. The Renault 5 Turbo 3E is not a derivative of the new electric 5, but is custom-built on its own platform. Unlike its predecessor, the E-Turbo features a 400 kW electric drive.

R5 Turbo 3E: 4,800 Nm; 270 km/h (approx. 168 mph)

The power is distributed to the two rear wheels, each equipped with a 200 kW wheel hub motor—for the first time in automotive history, according to Renault. This results in a phenomenal torque of 4,800 Nm and a top speed of 270 km/h on the racetrack. It is said to go from 0 to 100 km/h in less than 3.5 seconds. At full throttle, the energy is "enough for a few laps," Renault says. In everyday use, the range is expected to be 400 km.

All of these are still projections, not verifiable facts. Only the vehicle's body and a visual preview of the possible interior have been presented. The electric exotic can be ordered starting in April, but delivery is planned for 2027. And the price? Sandeep Bhambra, chief designer in vehicle development, hesitates a bit: "I can't say anything about that yet, only in April when we open the order books. But one thing is certain: There will be by far the best price-performance ratio possible in a supercar." This at least suggests a starting price under 100,000 euros (107.800 USD). For investors, that would still be a bargain. Because for the original R5 Turbo in top condition (original price: 44,600 Marks), around 170,000 euros (183.260 USD) are being offered.

Gallery

Unlike its ancestor, the E-Turbo features a powerful 400 kW/540 hp electric drive.(Image: Renault)

The power is distributed to the two rear wheels, each equipped with a 200 kW wheel hub motor.(Image: Renault)

The Renault 5 Turbo 3E is not a derivative of the new electric 5, but is custom-made on its own platform.(Image: Renault)

The cockpit is digitally equipped.(Image: Renault)

Gallery with 5 images

Many design references

If you look the Renault 5 Turbo 3E in the eyes, you'll immediately recognize the design language of the vintage model. Narrow rectangles in a small front—despite the massive sills at the front—give the Turbo a historically slightly pinched expression; the side view and the taillights also strikingly recall the original model. Renault confidently calls these design references in the chassis of the new supercar retro-futuristic design.

The rear itself, however, is significantly swollen and resembles an expressive comic drawing of the old Turbo. But for such a racing monster, this kind of exterior is appropriate. After all, the car wasn't designed for the weekly grocery shopping in Hamburg or Cologne (Germany). Although Renault proudly points out that the R5 Turbo 3E has a genuine luggage space for a short vacation for two with a dog. Luggage compartment aside; the mini-supercar promises pure driving pleasure in carbon. The sills are allowed to appear somewhat pretentious.

For Renault, however, the prestige project is not only a potentially coveted collector's item for affluent customers but also a welcome research lab for future technologies that are set to later migrate into other models. They are using an 800-volt architecture for the first time, which is intended to guarantee ultra-fast charging. At a DC charging power of 350 kW, the battery could be charged from 15 to 80 percent in fifteen minutes, it is said.

Reinterpretation of a successful trio

Together with the Renault 5 E-Tech Electric, the Alpine A290, and the mini supercar Renault 5 Turbo 3E, they are drawing on the successful trio of the 1980s (Renault 5, Renault 5 Alpine, and Renault 5 Turbo) in the mid-2020s. Practical, everyday suitable, and fit for professional sports—with this trilogy, Renault aims to be extremely successful in the electric world as well.

In the tradition of the first Renault 5 Turbo and Turbo 2, the Renault 5 Turbo 3E is based on a new, specially developed rear-wheel-drive platform. Compared to the Renault 5 E-Tech Electric (3.92 m length (approx. 13 ft), 2.54 m wheelbase(approx. 8 ft)), the windshield has been moved back and the wheelbase extended to 2.57 m (approx. 8,4 ft). This results in striking dimensions: 4.08 m length (approx. 13 ft), 2.03 m width (approx. 6,7 ft), and 1.38 m height (approx. 4,5 ft). The Renault 5 Turbo 3E is as long as a city car and as wide as a super sports car. A 2:1 ratio in length to width, which is currently not available on the car market.

Production version should be lighter

The entire car, including the 70 kWh battery, weighs only around 1,450 kilograms. "In the production model, we want to get the weight down to 1,400 kilos," says Sandeep Bhambra. An AC charging function is also included. The 11 kW onboard charger achieves a full charge from zero to 100 in about eight hours. The wolf in wolf's clothing also fits at the terraced house wall box.

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Date: 08.12.2025

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Renault seems to have made a real hit with the Turbo, which isn't one. Because whether old or young, all premiere guests liked this retro powerhouse. Be it out of sentimentality or because the electric racer looks so original. Renault CEO Luca de Meo probably had the right instinct when he insisted on realizing this vehicle.