Renault 5 Turbo 3E: £140k hyper-hatch sold out until 2028

Yellow, black and white livery takes inspiration from 1980s Renault 5 rally cars Half the 1980 units of the wild 533bhp 'mini supercar' have been spoken for as Renault starts building prototypes The extreme Renault 5 Turbo 3E is sold out until 2028, with just half the build run still to be allocated. The 533bhp hyper-hatchback is an electric tribute to the original Renault 5 Turbo, with wild styling, a totally bespoke platform and supercar-baiting performance. It is highly exclusive, with just 1980 units planned to be produced – a reference to the launch year of the original car – and the first 1000 cars have now been spoken for. Prices now start at £140k for the remaining cars, slightly inflated over the £135k launch price. "Currently, we are globally at half of the total volume, so reservations are for delivery in 2028," project leader Michael Grosjean told Autocar as the 3E made its dynamic debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. "It's sold out until 2028 - and there is still one and a half years of production that can be reserved." The company has started building the first prototypes and is on course to begin customer deliveries next year, Grosjean said, adding that Renault's most expensive car yet has so far attracted a diverse range of buyers. "We have various customers, but what is common to all is that they are all passionate about wild cars and sports cars. Some are owners of the original R5 Turbo, and they want to have the new one as well. "Some have more cars – Alpines, Ferraris, Porsches - and they find that this car is different, exotic in the landscape." The 3E is due to finish production in 2029, and Grosjean said there are not currently any plans to follow it up with similarly extreme limited editions but other models in the line-up could be celebrated in the same way. Asked if, for example, the company could celebrate the heritage of the Renault 4 with a Dakar Rally-themed version of the new electric crossover, Grosjean said: "It's possible. It's not planned, but why not?" The 5 Turbo 3E is loosely based on today's retro-styled Renault 5 electric supermini but with a bespoke platform, its own bodywork and a pair of in-wheel motors. These combine to produce a claimed 3540 lb ft of wheel torque, although the torque transferred to the road is likely to be more like 10% of that figure. The resulting performance is a 0-62mph time expected to take less than 3.5sec, 0-120mph in under 9.0sec and a track-only top speed of 168mph. The in-wheel motors are said to deliver their power to the rear wheels more immediately than conventional ones, while enabling more precise control of each wheel and providing a "significant" weight and space saving at the axle. The technology – which Autocar understands has been supplied by British specialist Protean Electric – removes the need for an electronic differential. The motors draw their power from a 70kWh battery pack that is fitted in a way that optimises agility and offers "spectacular" drift capabilities, claims Renault. It even has a dedicated drift mode and a rally-style vertical handbrake. The battery pack is good for a range of 250 miles, although Renault has admitted that it will last between 15 and 20 minutes when driven flat out on a track. Given its track credentials, the thermal management of the battery is such that it can be driven at speeds of up to 168mph before being fast-charged at 350kW, enabling it to charge from 15% to 80% in 15 minutes. Renault CEO Fabrice Cambolive said: "For me, it was very important to be able to have as extensive as possible coverage in terms of customer needs for the 5 - beginning with a very interesting price bracket but opening the adoption of this car to people who want extreme sensations. "When you have such a car which is such fun to drive, why not push the boundaries?" The all-aluminium platform was developed by Renault’s sporting sibling brand, Alpine, and has been designed to achieve no compromise in performance, lightness, agility or efficiency. It aims to be "in line with supercar standards". The platform sits under a bespoke body made of lightweight materials, with only the mirror, door handle and tail-lights carried over from the standard Renault 5. Its carbon-composite structure means it has a kerb weight of around 1450kg, which is just 1kg more than the Renault 5 despite its larger battery pack, extra performance and additional motor. It has been designed to look like a supercar while referencing the original 5 Turbo and 5 Turbo 2, with aero-optimised front and rear bumpers as well as a front splitter and a large air outlet on the bonnet to maximise downforce. It also has side scoops to funnel air under the rear lights and make it as slippery as possible, along with rear wing extensions, large intakes to cool the motors, 20in alloys and a squat overall appearance. The menacing appearance has been achieved thanks to a change in dimensions. It's 158mm longer, 256mm wider and 118mm taller than the standard 5, with the windscreen moved back and the wheelbase extended to help it achieve "the length of a city car for the width of a supercar". Talking about the challenges faced when designing the car, Renault Group design boss Laurens van den Acker said: "The big enemy is weight because of the battery. This car is 1450kg and we're trying to get it lower knowing that an Alpine A110 in aluminium is 1000-plus kilos. This is the biggest drawback: weight and price. Weight is a never-ending battle." When asked about the subsequent learning curves during development, van den Acker said: "I think we've learned that conceptually it's possible to put our dreams on the road. I've had a long career in design and we've stood there in front of a concept car and said: 'This gives you an impression of the future direction, but it won't be like this, because A, B, C, D, E'. The biggest eye-opener to us is how close to the concept we can get if the company is behind it." Inside are a pair of bucket seats upholstered in Alcantara, hand-woven tartan cloth on the dashboard, six-point harnesses, a raft of weight-reducing carbon and the same 10.1in instrument display and 10.25in infotainment touchscreen as in the standard 5, although in this car the instrument display will have its own, 1980s-inspired look. The driver's seat will be upholstered in its own colour. Cambolive previously suggested to Autocar that there could be more performance models in the pipeline for Renault after this. "I prefer to speak about Turbo 3E, and after that to see what we can do on top of that if Turbo 3E is a success," he said. "Let's build our 'sportivity' step by step."

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