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Group B Wannabe Renault 5 Turbo 3E to Be the Hottest EV of 2027
It’s happening. Renault has confirmed the spec and on-sale date for the hottest hatch in its history—the 5 Turbo 3E.
The wide-bodied styling harks back to the days when mid-engined turbocharged 5s would fly the forests and assault the asphalt in the crazy Group B rallying era, but the Turbo 3E looks set to be even faster than those legends of the stage.
Describing it as a “mini supercar,” Renault backs up its boast by providing the Turbo 3E with 540 horsepower courtesy of a pair of in-wheel motors powered by a 70 kWh battery pack. 0-62 mph is dispatched in 3.5 seconds and top speed nudges 170 mph.
Although the range on a full charge is claimed to be around 250 miles, use all that power and you’ll soon run out of juice, so to get you on your way again there’s ultra-rapid charging at up to 350 kW so you can slide away once more after just a 15 minute break (yielding a 15-80 percent charge based on charger).
And sliding you certainly will be, for the Turbo 3E is equipped with a drift mode and massive rally-ready handbrake. It carries its battery low in a purpose-built aluminum chassis and manages to weigh in at a relatively lightweight 3240 lbs. There are driving modes for snow, regular, road, and race. In that last mode, there’s even a push-to-pass button for an instant ‘turbo’ boost.
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Adding to the fun will be a wide choice of customization, including classic rally liveries and Rouge Grenade paintwork. Images of the interior have yet to be released but Renault promises to “make a statement of sporting intent, with bucket seats and six-point harnesses, components made primarily of carbon to reduce vehicle weight, and premium materials such as Alcantara for the seats and dashboard.”
There’ll also be assorted screens, à la regular Renault 5 and 4 EVs, and Google-powered infotainment.
Commemorating the decade of the original 5 Turbo just 1980 examples of the Turbo 3E will be made. Order books open soon, with deliveries scheduled for 2027. Sadly, none of those will be sent to the U.S.A.
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Nice. This is the electric car that makes me actually *want* it. It’s still crazily and unnecessarily overpowered, but this one looks like a ton of fun, unlike most.
So much want
Nice Hyundai?
I would rather drive the original that supposedly inspired this thing.
By all reports it’s a temperamental B to live with. Sure, it’s awesome, but it’s also a product of its time, and its time wasn’t exactly known for smooth power delivery from small, turbo engines turned up to 11.
What a great move. I like the car and respect the direction. Wonder how much? $
As an original owner of an R5turbo, ordered as a competition car from the factory 40 years ago, I can look at this with interest, but no real lust (maybe later?). I also restore them. While a 250 mile range sounds good, I wonder if it is real (though with the intended use being a morning canyon blast or the local cars&coffee, well… Maybe range is not so important) .The original R5turbo had 23 gallons of fuel onboard, for an easy 500+ miles at normal freeway speeds. A bit less if you use the boost. The biggest problem with the huge fuel capacity is the $100+ to fill the tanks, and the need to keep them filled as the plastic tanks pick up lots of condensation. The car has to be parked with full tanks or after a while, it won’t run well on water… Not a problem with an electric canyon hot rod that would be plugged in most of the time.
I imagine that it would be fun to drive, and very quick. Would I buy one? Maybe. Unless I get a 4C…
Let’s see if this is real. ‘Have to wait another two years?
Anyone that says that the Renault R5Turbo was “tempermental” never drove one, or owned one since new on fresh tires. It was not a “Group B” as the cars were originally built for Group 4, then brought into Group B later as essentially the same car. Power delivery for the R5 Turbo 2 in 160, 185, or 210 HP versions was easily manageable, and the cars were easy to drive when the tires were fresh (not 30 years old, as most of the “driving impression” cars have had), and especially nice with the Renault Sport roller locker ZF LSD.
I imagine that this new electric version will have properly modulated power across the rear motors which should give this short wheel base machine really excellent handling. It would be hard to compare it to the original, especially in light of the 40+years of technology and development.
This is why we need a “like” button. It’s nice to hear real experience from a real owner.
Do the magazine/internet article writers really try to wring them out on 30 year old tires? Yeesh!