► Surprise! The Renault 5 Turbo is back
► Iconic rally-bred hatch reborn for electric age
► 500bhp, RWD and bespoke carbon body
Renault has confirmed it will put a new 5 Turbo into production as a rear-wheel-drive, 500bhp electric hot hatch.
The Renault 5 Turbo 3E sees the return of one of the French firm’s most iconic nameplates, renowned for its rallying pedigree. It follows on from a 2022 concept car that many thought would never reach production, but Renault is pulling out all the stops to bring back the drama and excitement of the original.
Bit of a surprise, isn’t it?
Renault took the rather unorthodox approach of revealing the new 5 Turbo 3E in an Amazon Prime documentary about how the French firm has turned around its fortunes, dubbed the ‘Renaulution’.
In the series, Anatomy of a Comeback, Renault boss Luca de Meo walks a film crew into a design studio where the Renault 5 Turbo 3E is present, confirming it will make production.
‘Yes, it’s a real project. We’re working to get it out. I’m not going to tell you when, but it’s going to be out,’ de Meo tells cameras.
Give me some specs
Renault is been pretty bold with the specs of its new Turbo 3E. Set to be produced in a ‘limited series’, and likely accompanied by a very high price (think £100,000-plus), the new hot hatch will return the original’s rear-driven layout, but is set to produce a significant 500bhp from its twin electric motors built into the rear wheels. Renault promises it will have ‘performance worthy of a supercar’ with a 0-62mph time of 3.5 seconds.
As with the original, the new Turbo is rather different to the standard Renault 5 hatchback, with the new model’s body widened and made with a carbon ‘superstructure’. Very little, if anything, is likely to be shared between the two cars. The car’s charging socket is also integrated into one of the rear air scoops.
Does this mean a return of Renaultsport?
Renaultsport has essentially become dormant in the last few years, with Alpine assuming the role of ‘sporty Renault’ with cars such as its A290 hot hatch. But the return of the 5 Turbo, badged as a Renault, not an Alpine, shows it’s making a comeback.
Expect to see the new Renault 5 Turbo 3E in production form in 2026.