Iconic 1980s Renault 5 Turbo returning as EV ‘beast’ in 2027 – as huge brand reveals how much it’ll cost
AN ICONIC 1980s Renault 5 Turbo is returning as an EV “beast” in 2027.
Now, a huge brand has revealed exactly how much it’ll cost.
The French car giant has confirmed the Renault 5 Turbo will return in 2027 as the 5 Turbo 3E “mini supercar”.
Each car will be outrageously fast, hand built, predominantly carbon fire and priced at around £135,000.
Its carbon fibre material gives the car a lightweight feel, with the sleek EV hitting the scales at 1,450kg.
Plus, by deleting the rear seats, the EV can shed a few extra pounds.
Images of the cabin show a reflection of the 5 Turbo 3E’s exterior.
Driver and passenger will have different coloured bucket seats with six-point harnesses instead of conventional seatbelts, there’s hand-woven tartan on the dashboard and smatterings of carbon fibre all round.
A pair of screens – a 10.1-inch instrument cluster and 10.25-inch infotainment display – are both lifted from the 5 E-Tech, though the dials in the Turbo 3E will be 1980s retro inspired.
Customers will also be able to choose from an endless option of paints or a selection of famous retro racing liveries from Renault‘s celebrated rallying past.
In tribute to its 1980s Group B rally legend, just 1,980 will be produced in a tasteful nod to its predecessor.
This road legal car will be one of the most extreme EVs you can buy with number plates and indicators, according to Renault.
Renault has dubbed the car: “A beast of a car built for rallying, drift and track performance, adapted for the road.”
Fabrice Cambolive, CEO Renault brand, says it’s so extreme that it will dawn a new era of “mini-supercars” – a segment few people expected to see during the transition to green electric vehicles over the next decade.
“This exuberant, over-excited model promises the best performance and sensations in just four meters of length, which is unprecedented in the market,” Cambolive said.
“With this car, Renault continues to make electric vehicles ever more desirable, further extending its ability to provide solutions for every need and every desire.”
The Turbo 3E has a unique platform sharing very little with the standard electric supermini.
Every bodywork panel is new and so is the drivetrain, which includes a pair of in-wheel e-motors that send almost instant power to the rear wheels.
In terms of performance, it will undoubtedly be the fastest pocket-sized EV out there.
Boasting a claimed 536bhp, the French brand reckons it will accelerate from zero to 62mph in less than 3.5 seconds – zero to 120mph in under 9 – and have an electronically limited top speed of 168mph that can only be unlocked on track.
For overtaking, a button on the steering wheel provides a power boost.
Power is drawn from a 70kWh battery pack and is fitted into the floor in a way that will deliver “breathtaking performance and spectacular drift capabilities”.
The latter is enhanced by a dedicated “drift-assist” function and rally-style vertical handbrake, allowing owners to hone their skidding skills.
Range quotes it will be able to cover over 400km – so in excess of 250 miles – on a single charge.
It will also feature an adaptive regenerative braking system with four settings, so drivers can tailor how much energy from the 5 Turbo 3E’s deceleration can be fed back into the battery’s charge depending on how aggressive they want it to slow down.
With an 800-volt architecture and DC fast charging at speeds up to 350kW, the battery can be replenished from 15 to 80 per cent in just a quarter of an hour.
Anyone interested in bagging one of these beauties will need to be quick, as reservations begin in April.