Renault 5 Turbo 3E: 3,200 Pounds, 3,540 LB-FT of Torque

If any EV were targeted exactly at my personal interests, it would be the Renault 5 Turbo 3E. It’s a tribute to a vehicle that only could’ve existed during the high-stakes, high-reward era of Group B rallying, where over-boosted monsters with comically short wheelbases and sometimes only two driven wheels became legends. Naturally, that’s why I had some trepidation over the 3E. So many automakers are mining their greatest hits to get enthusiasts on board with EVs, like a beloved rock band reforming for the first time in decades that just can’t quite put the act together anymore. Renault had every reason to lose the plot here, but now that we have some hard specs in hand, the amazing thing is that I don’t believe they will.

Before we go any further, let’s lead with top-line, need-to-know details: 540 horsepower and 3,540 lb-ft of torque (!!!) from a pair of in-wheel electric motors on the rear axle, pushing a curb weight of 3,200 pounds. The power was a given and the torque reads like a typo, but the weight is the part that deserves applause. The regular Renault 5 E-Tech is already rather light as far as EVs go at around 3,000 pounds, but the fact Renault has been able to basically maintain that poise while loading up on rear-wheel-drive thrust is impressive, especially considering the 3E Is lugging around a 70-kWh battery pack that is roughly 20 kWh larger than the normal car’s.

Because of this, the automaker still promises a 400-kilometer range on the WLTP cycle, or about 250 miles. Under the EPA testing regime that would probably work out to about 215 miles but, frankly, that doesn’t matter because it’s not like this or any of Renault or Alpine’s more pedestrian flavors of the new 5 are destined for the U.S. That’s a shame; they could’ve called it the “Le Car Turbo 3E.”

Make no mistake though—if you placed one of these next to an original 5 Turbo, it would dwarf it. Those wheels are actually 20-inchers, and the 3E is about 16 inches longer and 11 inches wider than the hatch from which it draws inspiration.

Like all proper rally cars, the Turbo 3E has a handbrake placed exactly where the driver would expect to find it, with a massive vertical handle. The interior is loaded with exposed carbon fiber, which comprises much of the car’s structure, and Alcantara. The roll bar behind the two passengers—because that’s all that can fit in this thing—is painted bright yellow, as it should be. Probably the weirdest thing about the 3E is that there’s no big box behind you concealing a mid-mounted engine. All the batteries are under the floor.

Renault only plans to build 1,980 of these, in keeping with the retro theme. I didn’t realize this thing was going to be quite so limited production when it was first announced, so credit where it’s due for the effort. Small-batch, high-performance cars like the Turbo 3E are becoming slightly more common but they’re still a rarity overall, especially for a mainstream make like Renault. There’s no word on price yet, but given that Renault is assuring owners complete customization, plan on it being quite high.

Got tips? Send ’em to tips@thedrive.com

The post Renault 5 Turbo 3E: 3,200 Pounds, 3,540 LB-FT of Torque appeared first on The Drive.