New 500-bhp Renault 5 Turbo 3E harks back to ‘80s icon

Vive la Renaulution! The 5 Turbo’s back and its road legal. But can this carbon-bodied reboot win hearts and minds like its grandad did? Keep reading for all the juicy details.

2024 has been a big one for Renault, and who thought they’d save the best ‘till last? With mere weeks left on the clock, the French marque has gifted us with one of the year’s most jaw-dropping releases: the all-new, production-ready R5 Turbo 3E. 

Sharing the same fundamental shape as the retro-inspired R5, this new high-performance model promises to amp up every aspect. Most obviously, that starts with the styling. When was the last time you saw a road car with wheel arches you could dance on? And then there’s that vented bonnet, lurid livery and, of course, an immense diffuser for good measure. From every angle the new R5 turbo is irresistibly cartoonish and eccentric — qualities that are all but extinct in contemporary car design.

Once you’ve finished staring, you’ll probably want to know if it can hold a candle to the original when you put pedal to the metal. Guess what? It can. And some. Cloaked under that rally-esque body is an electric rear-wheel drive powertrain producing 500-bhp. That makes this road-going hot hatch over 150 bhp more powerful than the original fully-fledged Group B racing car. Then, if that doesn’t blow your mind, how does a 3.5-second 0-60 mph time sound? 

Helping tame that unhinged firepower, Renault has wrapped the 20-inch alloys in Michelin’s multi-award-winning Pilot Sport 4 S tyres — universally praised for their precise handling feel and all-weather adhesion. Oh, and that monstrous grunt won’t have much mass to haul around, either. Minimising weight and maximising chassis rigidity is a new carbon superstructure that’s not shared with any of the common-or-garden R5 variants. Renault argues this lightweight backbone is essential for creating a ‘pocket rocket worthy of its name and heritage.’ And who are we to argue with a claim like that?

Where do I sign up? You’re probably asking. But not so fast: while the R5 Turbo 3E is coming to production, that doesn’t mean it’ll be a common sight. Though details are still hazy, the Turbo is expected to sell in highly limited numbers for more than quadruple the standard R5’s £22,995. 

As Renault’s retro campaign continues to gain momentum, we can’t help but marvel at the firm’s miraculous turnaround. Afterall, for a company that admits to being ‘ on the verge of collapse’ just four years ago, producing two smash hits in the same year is worthy of a pat on the back.

Hero image credit: Renault