Renault unveils its wildest EV to date and it comes with in-wheel motors and a rally-style vertical handbrake for drifting | usagoldmines.com

• With Alpine’s input, the new R5 Turbo packs 540hp
• It will be one of the first production cars with in-wheel motors
• Renault’s halo model is limited to just 1,980 units

We are calling it: the award for the wildest electric vehicle of 2025 has already be scooped up by Renault’s 5 Turbo 3E – an all-electric homage to a 1980s icon that tore up race tracks and rally circuits, while simultaneously adorning the walls of hot hatch and car-tuning fanatics around the world.

But despite creating a serious amount of buzz when it was first teased at the end of last year, the full extent of its performance, innovation and utterly jaw-dropping looks have been kept under wraps until now.

We now know that it will feature an 800V electrical architecture that will allow it to charge from 15 to 80% in around 15 minutes from a 350kW charger.

Phillipe Varet, one of the chief engineers on the project, says that it will manage around 20-minutes of track time, before requiring a 20 minute charge before it will happily head back out on circuit again.

In terms of performance, the Renault 5 Turbo 3E is the dictionary definition of a pocket rocket, with the two-seat hot hatch using two innovative in-wheel motors that package most of the drivetrain inside the rear wheels.

Motorcycle-style brake calipers provide the stopping power, while the twin 200kW (540hp) motors have enough power to propel the sub 1,450kg hatchback to 62mph from a standstill in just 3.5 seconds… and then on to 168mph.

But more than simply a straight-line performance pony (aren’t most EVs?), Renault has leaned on the expertise of sister company Alpine to create a true driver’s vehicle.

The carbon fibre superstructure helps keep structural rigidity high and the weight down, the battery packs are mounted as low as possible for an optimal center of gravity, while aerodynamic splitters, spoilers and side scoops help channel the air to aid downforce and improve aerodynamic efficiency.

Sneak a look through the windows and you’ll find an interior that joyously plays on Renault’s quirky legacy, yet also propels the brand into the future. There’s even a vertically-mounted handbrake that helps driver’s initiate drifts and other rallying maneuvers.

“We didn’t want to just look back and create something retro,” Gilles Vidal, Design Vice President at Renault told us at the exclusive reveal event in France. “This had to appeal to our kids as much as it did to fans of the original cars.”

It nails that brief and then some, taking plenty of styling cues from the even more banzai concept vehicle of 2022, but pairing it with a modern and practical interior… if you look past the roll cage.

There is a 10.1-inch driver display and a 10.25-inch OpenR infotainment system that’s found in the standard R5 E-Tech electric hatchback, which houses a bespoke digital dial design but still offers Renault’s AI assistant.

Analysis: Renault ramps up the EV excitement

The French marque has already won some serious accolades for its R5 E-Tech model, which I raved about after driving.

More importantly, it has gone on to win numerous global awards for its looks, affordable price and everyday practicality, while snatching the sales crown from Tesla’s Model Y in its home country of France last year.

Building on this buzz, Renault is now flexing its design and innovation muscle, proving that electric platforms have the potential to produce truly exciting and interesting vehicles that have the power to bust genres.

The Renault 5 Turbo 3E is the same length as a practical city car, but sits as wide as most modern supercars. Its innovative in-wheel electric motors provide blistering performance, yet its engineers say it can still manage an electric range of almost 250-miles and be driven to the shops every day.

In that sense, it is the epitome of the coveted hot hatch of yesteryear – a pragmatic “shopping trolley” that could also prove an absolute blast on the right roads. But, seeing as this is a demonstration of Renault’s technological prowess, it packs performance figures that would make most modern sports cars weep.

Alas, only 1,980 will be available when the order books open later this year, with first deliveries expected to land in 2027. It’s also going to be a lot more expensive than the standard model upon which it is loosely based.

That said, Renault’s design chief Gilles Vidal claims that his team will be on hand to assist with creating truly unique cars for customers, with completely bespoke paint jobs, ‘Gentleman Racer’ liveries and wild interior finishes up for discussion. “If you want a Hello Kitty scheme, we can help with that,” he joked.

Above all else, it feels like Renault, and its current CEO Luca de Meo, have unwavering faith in electrification, to the point where it is comfortable experimenting. Just look at the R17 concept or the Filante Record 2025 rolling laboratory as examples.

At a time when a number of manufacturers are busy backtracking on pure EV plans, it’s a bold stance.

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