The new Renault 5 Turbo makes petrol hot hatches look boring

The radical Renault 5 Turbo 3E will arrive in 2027 as the brand's most powerful and advanced road car ever, packed with 400kW (536hp), and McLaren beating acceleration.

This electric reincarnation of the 5 Turbo of 1980 – also the number of examples it is limited to – is said by Renault to have created an entirely new segment: the 'mini-supercar'.

It is loosely based on today's retro-styled Renault 5 supermini but with a bespoke platform, its own bodywork and a pair of in-wheel motors.

The resulting performance is a 0-100km/h (0-62mph) time expected to take less than 3.5sec and a top speed of 270km/h (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 its own dedicated drift mode and a rally-style vertical handbrake. The battery pack is good for a range of 400km (250 miles).

Given its race track credential, the thermal management of the battery is such that it can be driven at speeds of up to 270km/h (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 R5 - 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 sister 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. 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 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 is 158mm longer, 256mm wider and 118mm taller than the standard Renault 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".

Inside are a pair of bucket seats upholstered in Alcantara, six-point harnesses, a raft of weight-reducing carbon and the same 10.1in instrument display and 10.25in infotainment screen from the standard car.

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."

Exact pricing is unconfirmed, but it will be below the 250,000 euros (£200,000) commanded by sibling brand Alpine's similarly extreme A110 R Ultime track car. Deliveries will take place in the first half of 2027.

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