The new Renault 5 Turbo 3E, with its 540bhp, is not going to be the only mini-supercar with a retro punch from the French manufacturer.
While this “hyper-hatch” is a limited run offering, Renault’s group design chief Lauren van den Acker said there is “a window of opportunity” for more retro revivals like this beauty.
The all-electric Renault 5 Turbo 3E was announced as a 3540 lb ft torque speedster that can manage a 0-62mph time in less than 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 167mph.
This is achieved thanks to two in-wheel motors that deliver power to the wheels more directly, also offering more precise control. These draw power from a 70kWh battery pack that, Renault says, offer spectacular drift capabilities.
The car should offer a range of 248 miles on a charge. Although if you drive it flat out on a track Renault says you could exhaust the power in as little as 15 minutes.
A 350kW fast charge capability should mean it can be charged from 15% to 80% in just 15 minutes too.
Referring to this as a car from the “fast and furious” design era of the 1990s and 2000s, Acker says we can expect to see more over the next ten years or so.
Acker said: “The times where designers and engineers were enemies are long past.
“Now we work together like never before, and it’s the way to go, because that makes this sort of stuff happen.”
The Renault 5 Turbo 3E is the latest in a series of retro revivals that van den Acker sees as the future for the French firm.
