Renault is bringing back the R5 Turbo

Around six months after the sales launch of its electric compact car R5, Renault has announced that it will also be reviving the R5 Turbo sports car as an electric car next year. Its drive system is expected to produce over 500 hp (368 kW).

Renault is thus continuing on its retro-car course. The regular R5 E-Tech Electric is a vehicle that offers many references reminiscent of its predecessor from the 70s and 80s, without appearing old-fashioned. And so it is with the Renault 5 Turbo 3E: it is a modern version of the Renault 5 Turbo presented 46 years ago and its direct successor, the Turbo 2.

The R5 Turbo 3E was presented at the 2022 Paris Motor Show as a show car of the same name, in the historic colours of one of the rally versions from the early 1980s. The Renault 5 Turbo 3E combines its battery-electric drive with a retro-futuristic design. The charging port is located in one of the rear air intakes, reminiscent of the original Turbo. The carbon structure of the vehicle is both light and extremely rigid, Renault emphasises.

So far, Renault has been stingy with technical details and has not provided any information on the battery or range. The only thing the French company has revealed is the motorisation, namely that the car is rear-wheel drive like its predecessors. Two wheel-hub motors are used, which are integrated into the rear wheels and are expected to deliver a total output of more than 500 hp (368 kW). This enables the Renault 5 Turbo 3E to sprint from zero to 100 kph in only 3.5 seconds.

renault 5 turbo 3e — Image: Clément Choulot/Renault

renault 5 turbo 3e 1 — Image: Clément Choulot/Renault

renault 5 turbo 3e 2 — Image: Clément Choulot/Renault

renault 5 turbo 3e 3 — Image: Clément Choulot/Renault

It remains unclear when exactly the car will make its debut, when it will go on sale and at what price. Renault only states: ‘In 2025, the curtain will be raised further for the Renault 5 Turbo 3E with a series of exclusive promotions.’

If you want to see the Renault 5 Turbo 3E on TV, there is a new documentary series called ‘Anatomy of a Comeback’ (from 13 December) that traces how the Renault Group reinvented itself in recent years. At the end of the fourth episode, there is a scene about the R5 Turbo 3E: while Luca de Meo, CEO of the Renault Group, Fabrice Cambolive, CEO of the Renault brand, and Gilles Vidal, VP Design Renault Brand, visit the design department, the new Renault 5 Turbo 3E can be seen, confirmed by Luca de Meo as the upcoming production model.

renault.com