The brutal Renault 5 Turbo 3E makes first meters in public

October 27, 2025

Renault 5 Turbo 3E

For those who missed it, the 3E is no ordinary electric hatchback, but a modern interpretation of the legendary Renault 5 Turbo and Turbo 2 from the 1980s. Think compact bodywork with wide hips, short overhangs and a good dose of swagger. The Turbo 3E shares few parts with the new Renault 5 – almost everything was developed specifically for this electric sports coupe.

Public

For the first time, the hot hatch showed itself in action, at the Historic Tour de Corse in Corsica. That is the right place to drift Renault’s new toy, as it is exactly forty years since Jean Ragnotti won the rally here with the original Renault 5 Maxi Turbo. The color scheme? Obviously a nod to the iconic red-blue-white livery of the 1985 winner.

A tribute on wheels

Behind the wheel during the first demonstration was Renault ambassador and rally driver Julien Saunier, who did not exactly spare the new model. “The acceleration keeps coming, the brakes are bizarrely powerful and you can drift with it in a controlled way,” he said afterwards. According to him, the 3E is “a beast, but with manners.”

Electric, but anything but well behaved

Beneath the tough bodywork lurks serious engineering. The 3E has two electric motors on the rear axle, together good for 408 kW (555 hp) and 4,800 Nm of torque. Thanks to its low weight of 1,450 kilograms – of which the carbon fiber chassis weighs less than 100 kilograms – the car sprints to 100 km/h in 3.5 seconds. The 800V architecture also enables super-fast charging: from 15 to 80 percent in just 15 minutes.

Limited edition

Renault is building only 1,980 examples, a reference to the birth year of the original Renault 5 Turbo. The price? About 160,000 euros, excluding options and taxes. Those who want a spot on the list must make a down payment of 50,000 euros. The first deliveries are scheduled for 2027.