RENAULT

We drive the Renault 5 Turbo 3E: the electric reincarnation of Renault's wildest legend

Upon arriving in Corsica, the air smells of pine, sea...and gasoline, because the 25th edition of the Tour de Corse Rally for historic vehicles is about to begin, an event that brings together hundreds of gems from the competition of the last century. Despite the weather, we won't waste a drop of fuel.

As the sun sets over the port of Calvi, we meet the new Renault 5 Turbo 3E, a car that looks like something out of a 1980s video game, but boasts advanced technology, both in its electric propulsion system and in the construction of the chassis, body, and all the control mechanisms that make this work of art a work of art.

This is no ordinary presentation. The small group of eight invited journalists will experience something no one outside the development team has ever experienced: being a co-driver in one of the only two prototypes of the new R5 Turbo 3E, in one of the spectacular stages of the famous Corsa race.

A deafening silence...Early in the morning, we arrive at a sinister road, a few kilometers of which have been closed so we can admire the car's performance in maximum safety. Renault driver and ambassador Julien Saunier is waiting for us in the cockpit. There's not much time for anything else. We adjust our helmets and seatbelts, and after a knowing glance, I feel a brutal acceleration that crushes me against the driver's seat.

The impression is strange for someone accustomed to motorsports and the world of rallying. The mechanical noise is limited to a squeal, and all that can be heard is the fierce friction of the tires and the rough asphalt, mixed with the hum of the wind. However, the contrast of this subtle, futuristic sound contrasts with the authentic flavor of a rally car, which bounces, slides, and oscillates in a controlled manner with each braking.

When Julien accelerates, the R5 Turbo 3E makes no sound, but accelerates. Acceleration is so immediate that I barely have time to blink before the horizon compresses against the windshield. The impressive 4,800 Nm of torque (yes, 4,800; that's not a typo) is miraculously transferred to the asphalt, with continuous momentum, without interruptions, without gear changes, without that classic turbo lag. Everything happens instantly.

Another unusual thing is that, despite its monstrous power, the mini-supercar conveys tranquility, control, and precision. The stretch we drive is full of potholes, uneven surfaces, and shadows. But the electric Renault 5 Turbo handles every millimeter of that treacherous asphalt with the mastery of a winner. I feel the car float over the imperfections. The suspension is a bit soft, yes, but not unstable: it's a deliberate adjustment that allows it to pull with agility as the rear tires, each driven by the motor integrated into each wheel, unleash all the available power.

Under braking, the performance is equally surprising. Despite the speed (which is admittedly quite high), the car brakes with an efficiency that defies logic on undulating terrain. Everything happens without drama, without vibrations, without the smell of overheated brakes from old rallies. Just silence... and vertigo.

When we get out of the car, the smile on my face is a declaration: "This car is more than fun; it's addictive."

From the 1980s to the 21st century...The original Renault 5 Turbo, launched in 1980, was a legendary car. Created as a Group 4 rally car and later converted to Group B, it transformed a modest utility vehicle into a savage, mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive machine. Carlos Sainz even drove one in the Spanish Championship, and Jean Ragnotti made it an eternal icon with his victory in the 1985 Tour of Corsica, 40 years ago.

It was a difficult car to drive, demanding, almost dangerous. But it was also charismatic, wild, and brazen.

The R5 Turbo 3E embraces this spirit and reinterprets it with respect and boldness. It retains the widened body, square headlights, and historic paint scheme (black, yellow, and white; or red, blue, and white, in homage to Ragnotti), but combines all this with an aluminum and carbon platform, two electric motors in the rear wheels, and an 800-volt architecture that transforms it into a technological beast.

The car has a total of 555 horsepower and weighs less than 1,450 kilograms, accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.5 seconds. The 70 kWh battery promises over 400 km of range and a charge from 15% to 80% in just 15 minutes, using chargers up to 330 kW.

Renault will manufacture only 1,980 numbered units, honoring the birth year of the first R5 Turbo. The starting price is €160,000, and reservations are now open. In the first few months, more than 1,000 registrations have already been received, with a €50,000 deposit. Each customer will even be able to create their own configuration alongside the brand's designers: choosing colors, materials, and finishes to build a unique car.

Beyond the numbers, the R5 Turbo 3E represents something much deeper: a way to relive the excitement of the past without sacrificing the future. At a time when electrification seems cold or sterile, Renault proves that electricity can have a soul and that motorsport heritage is measured not by fuel, but by passion.

As night falls over Calvi and the two prototypes return to the garage, I can't help but gaze at them with a certain reverence. There's something deeply symbolic about seeing this electric car roar (without making a sound) down the same roads where Ragnotti, Sainz, and Saby gave their all four decades ago.

The island of Corsica, with its blend of beauty and brutality, is the perfect setting for this electric resurrection of an automotive icon. The R5 Turbo 3E isn't intended to be a simple tribute. It's a statement of intent, proof that emotion doesn't necessarily have to be extinguished by combustion engines. It simply changes its tone.

If anything became clear to me in those unforgettable minutes in the right-hand seat, it's that the future can still smell like rallying, even when what accelerates is no longer a piston, but an electron.

--Photos taken with the Sony FDR-AX43 UHD 4K Handycam Camcorder--

Autonews