The 1970s through to the 1980s are some of the glorious decades of the automotive industry. Turbo chargers where finally being taken seriously for the generation of horsepower and many of the sports cars of that era made good use of the technology and badging. The likes of the Saab 99 Turbo brought turbocharging mainstream in a production car.
The French had their go with the introduction of the Renault 5 Turbo, a rally-bred wide body mid-engine hot hatch powered by a turbocharged 1.4L inline-4 engine producing 160 hp and 163 pounds feet of torque. Admittedly, not great numbers for today’s standards but for the 1980s, this tiny French hatchback was a rocket ship.
Renault has resurrected the legend in an all-new platform name the Renault 5 Turbo 3E. An electric interpretation of the 1980s hot-hatch glory.
A Bold and Aggressive Look: The Renault 5 Turbo 3E Exterior
The original Renault 5 Turbo design was inspired by the success of the mid-engine Lancia Stratos, a car that had taken the rally world by the balls. Masterminded by Jean Terramorsi, then vice-president of Renault suggested a mid-engine sport hatchback based on Renaults 5 Alpine supermini. With chief designer Marcello Gandini at the helm, the Renault 5 Alpine was turned into a mid-engine widebody Frankenstein monster with air intakes as big as French cheese.
The all-new Renault 5 Turbo 3E design is a modern interpretation of the legend, sporting identical design throughout the vehicle. The front fascia is reminiscent of the legend with square shaped LED headlights mounted between the hood and lower bumper. Below the headlights sits a tri-horizontal turn signals which design is identical to the three rectangular shaped air inlets at the center of the bumper.
Lower down the front fascia are a pair of square pixel design daytime running lights neatly teeing together the R5 Turbo 3E look.
The Renault 5 Turbo retains the wide, muscular stance of the original Renault 5 Turbo, but with exaggerated wheel arches and sharper angles both front and back. Speaking of the back, the new car design looks like a body kit you would expect from a Need for Speed game. A wide rear arch fits the rear tires neatly whiles making room for hot air to escape. Lower down is a giant diffuser for aerodynamic improvement and a bit of aesthetics.
Overall, the design of the R5 Turbo 3E has captured the core of the original and added a bit of modern flare to it, creating something uniquely different.
Powertrain Transformation: From Turbocharged Inline-4 to Twin Electric Motors
What’s new isn’t just the design of the R5 Turbo, but also a new powertrain system. Whiles the original 5 Turbo was powered by a 1.4 liter turbocharged inline – 4 engine, the all new R5 Turbo 3E is equipped with twin electric motors producing an ungodly 500 horsepower. As of writing, torque numbers are unknown but according to Renault, the R5 3E will hit 0-60mph in an estimated 3.5 seconds
Unfortunately, Renault hasn’t specified battery size or capacity. What we do know is that the R5 Turbo 3E will have a carbon monocoque chassis for a lightweight and rigidity. The current production Standard Renault 5 weigh in at 1910 kilogram, with the carbon monocoque, the R5 Turbo is likely to weigh a lots less and with its individual electric motors powering each rear wheel, we expect the R5 3E to be an absolute ripper when it hits the roads.
No official information has been released on production numbers, considering Renault build 4,000 units of the original granddaddy R5 Turbo, this new sporty hot-hatchback will likely run over 2000 units and might command a price tag well into the $100,000 mark.
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