The 2026 Renault 5 Turbo 3E: The 500+ Horsepower EV Re-Imagining Of A Rally Legend Is Set For Production

On December 13, 2024, Anatomie D’un Come-Back, a four-part documentary series that showcases the turnaround that Renault had to make at the beginning of the 2020s, will be available to view on Prime Video. The series is a behind-the-scenes look at how the company took a very dismal outlook as 2020 dawned and proceeded to turn itself around. You’ll see the self-criticism, the design of new models, how the Alpine F1 team went under the microscope, and more…provided you are fluent in French, at least. But if you aren’t, there is one thing you can see in the fourth episode that is now coming to life… and to the dealerships: the Renault 5 Turbo 3E, Renault’s modern take on their tiny-but-violent R5 Turbo homologation special from the 1980s.

Given the company’s dire situation just a few years prior, throwing caution to the wind seems like an interesting option. But in order to stir up some excitement from the buying public for EVs, even in Europe, digging through the back catalog for a hit and giving it modern performance seems like a no-brainer. The Turbo 3E uses two electric motors housed in the rear wheels to pump out over 500 horsepower, which Renault claims will hustle the car to a 0-62 MPH sprint of 3.5 seconds. The shape is unmistakably similar to the R5 Turbo and Turbo 2, with flared wheel arches and exaggerated rear haunches and incorporated scoops. Renault is likely hoping that the halo model will help direct traffic towards the modern R5, which is due for 2025. The R5 Turbo 3E is expected to arrive in 2026.

Why Does The Renault R5 Turbo 3E Look LIKe Something From The Early 1980s?

Based on the Renault 5, an unassuming front-drive super-mini hatchback that debuted in 1972, the Renault 5 Turbo was Renault’s response to the success that Lancia was seeing with their Stratos. Instead of sticking with front-wheel drive, the R5 Turbo was a mid-engined, rear-driven race-ready car that was wrapped in R5 sheetmetal. Those flared wheel wells and rear haunches were absolutely necessary to tuck in oversisized wheel-and-tire packages, and those rear scoops and vents that kept the engine from entering meltdown mode. Originally meant to compete in Group 3 and Group 4 classes, the R5 Turbo “Cèvennes“, “Tour de Corse” and R5 Maxi Turbo were homologated for the near-mythical Group B class. Meanwhile, for American fans of the car, the only way to see a Renault 5 were to either spectate a rally or to purchase a Renault “Le Car”, the USDM-spec Renault 5.

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