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Renault R5 Turbo 3E Is a Psychedelic Electric Drifting Restomod

Photo credit: Renault
Photo credit: Renault
  • The Renault R5 Turbo 3E uses the body of the iconic Renault 5 Turbo from the 1970s and mates it with an electric powertrain.

  • The 42.0-kWh battery powers two electric motors, with a total output of 375 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque.

  • The body work is wildly exaggerated with a towering rear wing and a snazzy yellow and purple livery.

Renault is poised to revive the 5 nameplate—which adorned the automaker’s bestseller in the 1970s and early 1980s—on a new electric hatchback due in 2024 and previewed by a concept shown in 2021. This year also marks five decades since the Renault 5’s introduction, and the French brand celebrated earlier this year with the quirky but stylish 5 Diamant concept. Now Renault gone even wilder with the R5 Turbo 3E, an electric drift car that reimagines the iconic Renault 5 Turbo rally legend and takes inspiration from retro video games.

Photo credit: Renault
Photo credit: Renault

The body shape of the Turbo 3E remains loyal to the original 5 Turbo, but the details have been entirely revised. The mesh side air intakes are replaced by a pair of NACA ducts that pop in a lurid shade of yellow, while a gigantic rear wing sprouts from the hatch and a cavernous diffuser replaces the rear bumper. The headlights and taillights are swapped out for thin LED strips, and four square pixel fog lights are mounted on the front bumper. The front end also includes three rectangular yellow vents and purple tow hooks mounted above a protruding front splitter.

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Despite the classic squared-off bodywork, the Turbo 3E is all-electric underneath, with a 42-kWh lithium-ion battery feeding two electric motors, each powering one rear wheel. Total output is 375 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque, allowing the psychedelic restomod to hit 62 mph in 3.5 seconds en route to a 124 mph top speed according to Renault.

Photo credit: Renault
Photo credit: Renault