Image: Renault
Image: Renault
Image: Renault
Image: Renault
Image: Renault
Image: Renault
Image: Renault
Image: Renault
It might not have the same sonorous piston power as its nameplate predecessor, but a 3,5 second sprint time to 100 km/h, looks to die for and a drift mode make the Renault R5 Turbo 3E an equally attractive proposition. Maybe electric hot hatches can be fun!
Image: Renault
A few weeks ago, Renault teased the model and hypnotized the automotive world with an electrified successor of the famed nameplate. Well, they have officially released the electric hot hatch and claim that its pair of electric motors are capable of 280 kW and catapult the French wedge forward to 100 km/h in a brisk 3,5 seconds. Torque is rated at a whopping 700 N.m which is impressive for a hot hatch that only weighs 1 500 kg – a number which is moderate for an EV. The top speed is limited to 200 km/h although we imagine the model was designed purely as a track-devouring toy and not top speed.
Moving to the outside, the retro model has been created to the exact aesthetic of the original but is slightly enlarged. The display car features an impressive rear wing, which is almost as big as the hot hatch itself. Like the model from all of those decades ago, the electric motors will only power the rear wheels with one on each side. To retain performance prowess, the 42-kWh lithium-ion battery pack sits in the middle under the floor which once again alludes to the mid-engined layout of the original nameplate carrier.
Image: Renault
Speaking of which, why did Renault decide to name the R5 Turbo 3E the R5 Turbo 3E since it doesn’t actually use a turbo or a combustion engine for that matter? Well, considering many current-day enthusiasts may not know of the revered Turbo and Turbo 2 models from the 1908s, the boxy-shaped hot hatch and its enormous rear wing wouldn’t be an obvious link, therefore Renault has decided to continue the rich lineage of the Turbo with the “3E” signalling the third generation.
To further cement itself as a track toy, the Turbo 3E features a tubular chassis on which every component is bolted. This includes FIA-approved roll bars for safety and much larger 19-inch and 20-inch rims aft and fore. Rear-wheel drive means drifting right? Correct! The R5 Turbo 3E boasts a dedicated Drift mode with an upright handbrake lever, like the ones pro-drifters use.
Image: Renault
Living in the current era of social media engagement, the on-track antics can be recorded since the model features 10 camera mounts inside and out. The real-life model will be on display next month at the 2022 Paris Motor Show.
Keyword: The wild Renault R5 Turbo 3E is retro and cyberpunk at the same time