18-03-2025
Why Can't We Have Nice Things? Renault 5 Turbo 3E Not Coming to US Ever
Renault revealed what may be the ultimate hot hatch with its R5 Turbo 3E, an all-electric 'mini-supercar.' About twice as long as it is wide, the electric screamer makes 540 hp and 3540 lb-ft of torque, all to push around a car that weighs just 3,197 pounds.
It only offers 250 miles of range on the WLTP cycle, maybe closer to 200 SAE.
No price was listed, but the car will not be sold here. Sad trombone.
Our government is going to protect us from all those fun, funky European sports cars no matter what. At least for the next 25 years.
Witness the new Renault 5 Turbo 3E, a two-seater super hatch Renault calls 'a modern, electric reboot of the legendary Renault 5 Turbo and Turbo 2 of the 1980s.' You may recall the original, built for the fast and dangerous Group B rally circuit, boasting so much horsepower that only a handful of drivers could ever survive behind the wheel, let alone win anything.
The brief for the car was simple: 'A beast of a car built for rallying, drift and track performance, adapted for the road.'
Renault says it's the most powerful and most advanced road car the company has ever made: 'This spectacular electric model embodies the spirit of the Renault brand and its passion for sport and competitive essence.'
The new R5 Turbo 3E 'represents an entirely new class of vehicle, mini-supercars,' Renault says. This one offers 540 hp, good for a 0-62 mph time of 3.5 seconds.
The new car sits between the Renault 5 E-Tech electric city car and the Alpine A290 sporty city car, vehicles you would know if you lived in France or subscribed to L'Automobile Magazine. It sports a 'carbon fiber superstructure' and 'in-wheel motors.'
The new car draws heavily on its historic forebears the Renault 5 Turbo and Turbo 2 from 40 years ago.
'The main idea behind the project was to revive the iconic heritage of these two 1980s models, using cutting-edge technologies to showcase its modern credentials and optimize performance.'
It rides on a new rear-wheel-drive platform with a striking length-to-width ratio. The car is just over 13 feet long and a little over six-and-a-half-feet wide. Twice as long as it is wide. That suggests handling scientists call, 'twitchy.'
'With these dimensions, Renault 5 Turbo 3E has the length of a city car for the width of a supercar,' Renault says. 'With its combined performance, it has created the category of 'mini-supercars.''
It looks like one. The aerodynamic splitter running around the front bumper and the large air outlet on the hood help to optimize downforce for a perfect balance between front and rear. To maximize air flow efficiency, the intakes on the sides of the bumper channel the air ahead of the wheels, while the side scoops on the rear wings channel the flow under the lights, behind the vehicle. The lower side scoops cool the brakes. The left-hand scoop also conceals the charging hatch.
The electric motors were done by Alpine, which has recently done the electric A110 E-ternity, as well as the A290 and A390.
The car rides on a dedicated aluminum platform which Alpine says is able to 'accommodate any architecture.' So maybe this will eventually work its way down to something we in the States can buy, who knows?
For the powertrain, they put motors in each of the rear wheels that produce a claimed 3540 lb-ft of torque, Alpine says.
The whole car weighs just 3,197 pounds, a figure that includes the 154-pound battery. With 540 hp, that means a weight-to-power ratio of just under six pounds per hp, or supercar territory. Weight-to-torque is somewhere less than one, which is downright otherworldly.
Range is just under 250 miles on the European WLTP circuit, and might be closer to 200 miles on our SAE scale.
That's on public roads and highways. On the track, Renault says the car 'will be able to complete several hot laps with a top speed of up to 168 mph (270 km/h), before initiating DC fast charging at up to 350 kW, thanks to its 800-volt architecture.
No idea how many miles would be included in 'several hot laps,' but you might not be able to make it all the way to Newcomb's on Angeles Crest Highway, or Alice's Restaurant on Skyline Blvd., or back and forth on Tail of the Dragon too many times, sounds like. Say we use a famous French race track for mileage estimates, let's say Le Mans, which is 8.4 miles around: If 'several' is between three and five, you can go between 25 and 42 miles at full tilt.
For overtaking, a button on the steering wheel provides a power boost, while another button sets regenerative braking to one of four levels. There are also four driving modes: Snow, Regular, Sport, and Race, which also includes a drift-assist function.
No matter how you drive, charging the battery from 15% to 80% will take just 15 minutes, Renault promises, assuming you can find the right charger. Renault has not specified the new R5's charging protocol.
Inside are Alcantara-lined carbon-fiber buckets fitted with six-point harnesses. Even the dash is carbon fiber. And there's a big drift- and rally-inspired handbrake.
The Renault 5 Turbo 3E will be available in a range of exterior and interior colors, some reminiscent of the historic livery of the Renault 5 Turbo and Turbo 2, such as the Rouge Grenade seen on production models of the day, or the yellow, white, and black racing livery of the 'Tour de Corse 1982' rally model, for those who remember. You can do your own interior colors, too.
Alas, the Renault 5 Turbo 3E will only be available in Europe, the Middle East, Japan, and Australia. Imagine the carnage that would ensue if these were sold here!
A total of 1,980 units will be made worldwide—a tribute to the year in which the original Renault 5 Turbo was launched. Each one of them will be numbered and you can even choose your number. Look for the first deliveries to take place in 2027. That's plenty of time to decide what part of the world that offers these you want to move to. Whichever you chose, pick a country with fun roads and an extensive charging network.
