Renault 5 Turbo to return with 500+ bhp electric powertrain

The Renault 5 of the 1970s was legendary for being the bestseller in its home market for 14 consecutive years with total production having exceeded 5.5 million. In 1980, the automaker developed a powerful variant in order to enter rallies as a Group 4 car, and also made it available to the general public.

It was known as the Renault 5 Turbo and was not just a 5 with a powerful engine and more muscular bodywork; the drivetrain was totally different as the engine was mid-mounted behind the driver and passenger so it had rear-wheel drive instead of front-wheel drive.

With an output of 160 ps/221 Nm from the 1.3-litre turbocharged engine, it was the most powerful French production car at that time.

Then came the Turbo 2, an even more powerful model. RenaultSport homologated it to the Group B classification which saw unleashed ‘monsters’’ on rally circuits as the rules allowed for extreme developments. The R5 Turbo 2 (200 Group B units were built) challenged rivals such as the Audi Quattro, Lancia 037 and Delta S4 and Peugeot 205T16.

The Group B cars were too powerful and after a serious accident that killed Henri Toivonen, a Lancia driver, the FIA quickly removed the Group B classification.

Now, four decades later, the Renault 5 Turbo will be reborn as the Renault 5 Turbo 3E, The car’s existence was already known when a concept model was shown at the 2022 Paris Motor Show but now Renault says it will make the car for sale.

Designating the model as a Turbo 3E tells two things – firstly, that it is a successor to the two legendary cars and secondly, that it is an electric model. Details of the Turbo 3E are limited at this time but it will follow its iconic predecessors by having rear-wheel drive.

As would be expected from an electric powertrain, output will be high and Renault mentions ‘more than 500 bhp’ with a targeted 0 to 100 km/h in 3.5 seconds, with ‘performance worthy of a supercar or even a hypercar’. The ‘pocket rocket’ will be lightweight with a carbonfibre superstructure.

Enthusiasts will immediately see the Turbo and Turbo 2 in the retro-futuristic design. Given the past connection with motorsport, the prototype has been given the looks and livery of a car built for the track. The yellow theme is reminiscent of the historic colours of one of the rallycars of the early 1980s.

Pricing and other information will come later with a debut expected in 2025. The new model will contribute to the automaker’s aim of having an increasingly ‘green mix’ in its European range during the decade.

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