Ferrari and Lambo fighting electric hot hatch! More of the Aussie-bound Renault 5 Turbo 3E’s stunning tech revealed
Fresh tech details of the he all-new 2027 Renault 5 Turbo 3E hyper-hatch that will go on sale in Australia in 2027 confirm it as an unlikely all-electric Lamborghini or Ferrari rival.
The 3E measures up only as long as a Honda Jazz but as wide as the latest Lamborghini Revuelto and jams state-of-the-art tech that lurks beneath its full carbon-fibre skin.
Sharing just the front windscreen, door handles and rear tail-lights with far more conventional Renault 5 E-Tech supermini, the R5 Turbo 3E heralds the Renault Group’s next-generation EV technology.
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That includes pioneering in-hub electric motors and the French car-maker’s next-generation powerful 800V electric architecture.
There’s also an ultra-lightweight and impossibly thin 70kWh battery that can be topped up at a rate of more than 350kW. That means a 15-80 per cent charge takes less than 15 minutes.
Range is decent. Thanks to a low kerb weight of 1450kg for the production model, Renault thinks that the R5 Turbo 3E should be able to comfortably cover more than 400km.
On-track, drivers should have full-power for at least two laps – that’s about how long most track day fans spend driving their petrol-powered supercar for.
And when on-track it’s the in-hub motors that will dominate the driving experience.
Combined, they pump out 400kW, enabling a dash to 100km/h in a claimed 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 270km/h.
But to concentrate on straight-line speed alone would be a mistake.
The R5 is capable of unprecedented levels of torque vectoring from its two 200kW motors – they have no mechanical connection with each other.
It can also ‘lock’ its virtual differential and create a car that loves to drift one moment, while the next working in unison to ensure not a single kilowatt is wasted in the pursuit of a hot lap.
On road, the tech should shrug off wet conditions and react far quicker to changing surfaces and grip levels beyond any existing car tech.
Renault says it’s confident it will offer a production car with in-hub motors before any other car-maker, although such a declaration is thought might entice other Chinese brand’s to beat it to market.
The final part of the puzzle is the R5 Turbo 3E’s advanced aerodynamics that draw from motorsport and are claimed to juggle the extra cooling needed to vent both the in-hub motors and in-board rear brakes, with the huge downforce needed on track.
The crucial element is all of this has been achieved without any increase in range-sapping drag.
From launch, a version with a big wing will also be available, although that extra appendage might undo some of the aerodynamicists good work.
It was demanded by senior execs who fell in love with the design of the original 2022 concept of the same name.
Inside, the R5 Turbo 3E is strictly a two-seater, with a half cage taking up the space in the rear and therefore providing huge amounts of space for luggage.
Ahead of the driver is the same dual-screen set-up as the Renault 5 E-Tech – still yet to be confirmed for Australia – with a Google Android-powered infotainment system.
There’s also an Alpine A290 steering wheel with a round dial used to select one of four driving modes, including a dedicated Track and Rally setting.
Launch control and a configurable drift assist is also present, while that huge lever sprouting from the centre console replicates a rally car’s hydraulic handbrake, meaning large slides are just a hand-pull away.
Other notable introductions are a pair of full carbon-fibre race seats and a dash wrapped with fabrics that playfully mimic the original mid-engine R5.
Expect the 3E’s tech, ideas and hardware to be pinched for future Renault, Dacia and – of course – Alpine models. But few of those future EVs will ever come close to matching the R5 Turbo 3E’s visual punch.
Pricing and full specification will be released later, but early indications suggest the R5 Turbo 3E won’t come cheap, with pricing tipped to kick off around $200,000 when it eventually lands Down Under.
Interested buyers are being urged to express their interest in the coming weeks, with Renault announcing it will make just 1980 cars – a nod to the year the original R5 Turbo made its debut.
