Renault Group

2022 Paris Motor Show: Renault 5 TURBO 3E’s electrifying drift

14 October 2022
4 min
Renault continues to celebrate the emblematic Renault 5’s 50th anniversary, after entering it in a string of festive get-togethers (including the Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique, Rétromobile and Le Mans Classic) and unveiling the Renault 5 Diamant electric show car. At the 2022 Paris Motor Show, the public will get a chance to discover a spectacular drifting show car: Renault 5 TURBO 3E. What does this exuberant new take symbolise? Here’s a deep dive into the pop, competition and retro-gaming universe steeping this electric Renault 5 in a class by itself.
by Nicolas LE-BOUCHER

Renault 5 TURBO 3E is a dazzling car – inspired by the Renault 5 Turbo and Turbo 2, 1980s and 1990s videogames and the drifting and competition worlds – and was unveiled for the world at the Chantilly Arts et Élégance 2022 contest.

Renault 5 Turbo 3E is a thoroughbred all-electric drifter

An electrifying homage to the Renault 5 Turbo

R5 TURBO 3E is self-explanatorily a contemporary tribute to the time-honoured Renault 5 Turbo cars: “3” because it follows the Turbo 2 and “E” because it is all-electric.

This electric racing car’s performances are extraordinary: it can dart across 100 metres from standstill in only 3.5 seconds (3.9 seconds in Drift mode) and reach a top speed of 200 km/h.

Renault 5 TURBO 3E is so much more than a show car: it is a thoroughbred drifter, all-electric and a rear-wheel drive. And it is engineered for tracks with 280 kW (eq. 380 hp) under the bonnet and 700 Nm of instantly available torque.

Like its predecessors, it is strictly a two-seater. The rear houses the powertrain, which is made up of two electric motors, each moving one of the wheels. The 42 kWh battery and 50°-plus steering angle provide plenty of power and sprightliness for several laps or a raging gymkhana.

Its motor sports soul shines through its carbon-fibre body built onto a tubular chassis, its flat base and its roll bars approved by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) in the cockpit.

Renault R5 TURBO 3E’s mechanical might and stunning looks make it a formidable racing car

A muscular drifter with an exuberant and fun style

The huge spoiler is a statement in itself: Renault R5 TURBO 3E’s mechanical might and stunning looks make it a formidable racing car. The designers’ inspiration was off the charts and the result is as spectacular as it is daunting.

Large air inlets at the front and in the wings add downforce and cool the mechanism. The inlets and the fog lights resemble the ones on the Renault 5 Turbo 2.

Every blast from the past comes with a fun and functional twist. The best example is the air inlet on the bonnet, which houses the opening for the battery charging socket.

Renault 5 TURBO 3E plays on light. The transparent parts of the bodywork, especially at the rear, are windows into the stunning electric mechanism. The pink, blue and yellow LED strips light up and flash when the car drifts. The camouflage-like stickers on the carbon-fibre body hint at 1980s and 1990s videogames. And the Plexiglas windows are pink, to see life through rose-tinted glasses – as the sticker reading “La vie en rose” encourages you to do.

The dashboard contains 10 digital screens that work like widgets

Competitive, pop and gaming-inspired inside

Matching the exterior, R5 TURBO 3E’s cockpit is full of winks at motor sports competition, the videogame universe and, naturally, the Renault 5 and Renault 5 Turbo 2 icons and their era.

The imposing upright handbrake lever in the middle of the centre console is pop yellow and there to remind you that this car is a drifter. The driver and passenger in the carbon-fibre racing bucket seats equipped with safety harnesses are all set to “play.” The driver can do it with the dashboard containing 10 digital screens that work like widgets. To start the car, you have to press the “Free play” button on the centre console. In the same spirit, the various driving modes have been renamed “Turbo” for drifting, “Track invader” for playing and “Donut” for 360° spins. The passenger can relax and snuggle up with Drifty, a teddy bear.

In this atmosphere intermingling retro gaming and motor-sports competition, the seats and dashboard radiate a 1980s’ feel from the yellow and pink hues and a grey and black tartan pattern.

A drifting session or gymkhana in Renault 5 TURBO 3E is an experience you will not forget anytime soon.

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