It is conceivable that you might not recall the Renault 5 Turbo 3E drift car that its maker showed at Paris back in 2022. Firstly, because it was some time ago, and secondly, because while it seemed interesting and very wild to look at, the all-electric R5 Turbo 3E was just a concept, and therefore of only middling interest (wild EV concepts being two-a-penny these days). But this is Renault we’re talking about, the one firm which appears to be taking its battery-powered revolution in its stride by leaning heavily into its remarkable heritage without plagiarising or subverting it. Which shows it can be done.
Accordingly, and with no little fanfare (there is said to be an Amazon documentary inbound) it has decreed an updated version of the Renault 5 Turbo 3E a production reality. Which is bonkers for a number of reasons. One, rub your eyes and look at the pictures again: this might genuinely be the coolest electric car yet made. The concept look cool in a tricked-out, track-only kind of way; the production car - assuming you’re into widebody, carbon-clad hatchbacks - just looks fantastic. Two, it will get 500hp and be exclusively rear-wheel drive, courtesy of an electric motor housed in both rear wheels, meaning 0-62mph in 3.5 seconds. Three, like the concept, it is meant as a spiritual successor to the Turbo 2. And, from where we’re sitting, absolutely lives up to that billing.
Probably you won’t need reminding about all the reasons why that car was special. Frankly, if you’ve just retained the fact that it was Renault-built hatchback that located its turbocharged engine in the middle powering the rear wheels, then you’ve grasped the crucial thing to know about it. Of course, the fuller story about project 822 - as the original homologated Renault 5 Turbo was called in-house - is remarkable in its own right, and a fundamental part of the rally legend that led inexorably to Group B. The Turbo 2 was the later, more widely produced road-legal version and a poster child not just of sought-after, low-volume hatchbacks, but the hard-charging, excess-happy ‘80s in general. The Clio V6, of course, did a similar job in 2001.
What better time, nearly 25 years later, to have another crack at the idea? Especially since the new Renault 5 has apparently gone down like very good French wine (more on that next week) and there’s an Alpine version waiting in the wings. That the production car is not badged ‘Alpine’ is of mild interest - but, then again, the 3E, like the Turbo 2 and Clio V6, is a rather different kettle of fish. As with the concept, there is a lightweight and extremely stiff carbon superstructure underneath, 'two qualities that are fundamental for a ‘pocket rocket’ worthy of its name and heritage', Renault says.
The firm doesn't go into new detail about the styling effort - despite it having significantly evolved - except to say that the charging socket has been incorporated into one of the rear air intakes. But clearly the production car will dispense with the concept's fixed rear wing, and cues to the Turbo 2 now abound. As you might expect, unique styling and bespoke underpinnings come at a significant price. The firm has not yet confirmed prices or build numbers, but you can be sure that one will be very large and the other very small. Clearly, though, the 3E is meant as a statement of intent, much like the original model was. 'Forty-six years after the launch of the first Renault 5 Turbo, Renault is set to wow enthusiasts with the revival of this ultimate sporting icon' - job very much done.
It also makes said Amazon documentary, called Anatomy of a Comeback, which debuts on Amazon Prime today well worth a look. We're told the 'unexpected Easter egg' appears at the very end of the fourth and final episode. Expect to hear a good deal more about the car next year.
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