Renault is finest recognized for its inexpensive vehicles, however that hasn’t at all times been the case these days. Take the Megane RS Trophy-R, for instance, because it got here with a jaw-dropping price ticket of £72,000, which equates to round $96,300 in right this moment’s cash. Now, the Renault 5 Turbo 3E takes issues even additional, launching with an exorbitant beginning worth of £135,000 ($180,000).
That’s Porsche 911 Carrera GTS cash if we’re evaluating UK pricing, or double the value of a Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. Maybe a extra related comparability is with the usual Renault 5, which prices practically six occasions much less in Britain. However past the identify, the 2 vehicles share little or no. The 5 Turbo 3E is a two-door, two-seat EV with rear-wheel drive, whereas the common 5 is a four-door, five-seat hatch with front-wheel drive.
Photograph by: Renault
Renault calls it an “introductory worth,” which excludes choices, customizations, and equipment, so count on ultimate prices to be even larger for this so-called “mini supercar.” Just one,980 individually numbered models might be made, a nod to the unique Renault 5 Turbo homologation particular from 1980. The 5 Turbo 3E might be accessible in Europe, the Center East, Japan, and Australia.
Ordering one isn’t your typical dealership affair. consumers should fill out a type on a devoted web site, choose a seller, and await a name to schedule a showroom appointment. After that, they’ll be requested to signal a reservation type. Renault explains that these seller reservations really assist fund the automotive’s improvement, appearing as a pre-financing mechanism.
The method continues into early 2026, when sellers will announce the 1,980 prospects. Remaining configurations might be accomplished within the first half of 2027, with deliveries starting later that yr. Renault admits the mission wouldn’t have been potential with out seller involvement by means of upfront funding.
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Supply: Renault
Efficiency-wise, the 5 Turbo 3E delivers 536 horsepower and an eye-watering 3,540 lb-ft (4,800 Nm) of torque, possible measured on the wheels. It rockets from 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in round three seconds, with a high velocity of 168 mph (270 km/h). Energy comes from in-wheel motors on the rear fed by a 70-kWh battery, good for as much as 249 miles (400 km) on the WLTP cycle.
Regardless of its wild specs, Renault has saved the load at simply 3,197 kilos (1,450 kg), roughly the identical because the common 5 with the 52-kWh battery. How? Because of beneficiant use of carbon fiber and the absence of rear doorways and seats. The widebody 5 Turbo 3E additionally boasts an 800-volt structure, enabling 350 kW quick charging, which might juice the battery from 15 to 80 % in simply quarter-hour.
Even with that eye-watering worth, the 5 Turbo 3E isn’t the most costly new automotive the Renault Group has ever offered. That title goes to the Alpine A110 R Ultime “La Bleue”, which at €330,000 ($380,000), holds the crown as the most costly four-cylinder manufacturing automotive in historical past.
