Renault 5 Turbo REVIVED after more than 40 years with 500 electric horses

The electric Renault 5 Turbo 3E is revealed as a 500bhp RWD electric hot hatch to rival the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N.

The new electric Renault 5 looks to be about as good as a small EV can be, with appealing retro looks, decent performance and not completely bonkers prices.

Ahead of the arrival of the new R5 EV, the Renault R5 Turbo 3E Drift was revealed to show how extreme an electric R5 could be, although it was a one-off, said Renault.

It came with lots of cosmetic bits to hark back to the R5 Turbo models of the 1980s with a thumping 375bhp going to the rear wheels and 0-62mph in a scant 3.5 seconds.

Clearly, although dubbed a one-off by Renault, the R5 Turbo idea wasn’t just a concept special but an indicator of a bonkers electric R5 Turbo to come. And here it is – the Renault 5 Turbo 3E.

The R5 5 Turbo 3E comes with a pair of electric motors at the back delivering 500bhp and enough to get to 62mph in 3.5 seconds which, considering the concept only needed 375bhp to achieve the same time, seems a bit conservative. But it’s quick, by any measure.

The extra weight of the additional motor is offset to a degree by a carbon fibre superstructure, and many of the original R5 Turbo cues are present and correct with big boxy wheel arches, dual fogs, big intakes and rectangular headlights.

It’ll probably be 2026 before the R5 Turbo arrives, and it’s likely to be a limited-run special with a six-figure price tag.