Never Say Never Again - Renault 5 Turbo Returns as the Crazy All-Electric 3E
If you’re old enough to remember Sean Connery making a return to playing Bond in Never Say Never Again 10 years after hanging up his Vodka Martini, you may also remember Barbara Carrera who played Fatima Blush - the lady baddie.
Despite Barbara’s stunning looks, I remember more clearly what she was driving because as a 10 year old I was absolutely mesmerized by the bright red Renault 5 Turbo that was being abused around the south of France.
To provide some context, it was a wild and bonkers car that really should not have existed in the real world because Renault gutted its front-wheel drive runabout, ripped out the engine and stuck a 160 bhp 1.4 litre engine where the rear seats would normally be, making it a mid-engined, rear-wheel drive supercar. Huge air scoops on the rear quarter panels were there to keep the engine cool as well as to look cool.
Nana’s trusty little 956cc Renault 5 TL was turned into a tarmac eating, outrageously brilliant, rally car able to sprint from 0-60 mph in just 6.5 seconds, which by the standards of 1980 were very similar to a Ferrari 308 GTB territory!
1980 Renault 5 Turbo
Renault followed this up with the Renault 5 Turbo 2 which somewhat refined the design of the mighty beast, making for a more cohesive, less raw look, whilst tapping into the best bits of the wild design from the original. But by 1986, the last Turbo 2 left the factory and that was it - for 40 years!
Renault did try with the bonkers Clio V6 - a mid-engined hot-hatch with Renault 5 Turbo performance, and entertaining handling. It was fun, crazy and - with a 3.0 V6 - it was a bit of a bloater.
So, it wasn’t until the new all-electric Renault 5 launched that a true successor to the Turbo and Turbo 2 had a chance of reviving the spirit of the original. And it’s this spiritual successor that aims to tap into the same emotions as the original with this crazy new Renault 5 Turbo 3E.
The good news is that it’s making its U.K. public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this year on 9th - 12th July.
And just like the original, the figures are crazy. With 555hp and 4,800 Nm of torque (no my finger didn’t slip - yes that torque number is correct), the Renault 5 Turbo 3E is set for the famous hillclimb throughout the four-day event.
Made from a carbon superstructure, weight is kept down to around 1,450 kg, with the car rocketting from 0–62 mph in under 3.5 seconds, matching the performance of supercars from today, just as the original 5 Turbo matched the supercars of its era.
Renault have also built the 5 Turbo 3E on 800-volt architecture enabling ultra-fast rapid charging of up to 330 kW for a 15–80% recharge in just 15 minutes.
The 70 kWh battery provides a driving range of over 250 miles (pending homologation).
If you’re interested in one of the craziest cars on the roads, its custom-made to order suggesting un-cheap prices. In fact, Renault quotes the 5 Turbo 3E starts from £140,000, with production limited to 1,980 individually numbered examples that Renault says is a tribute to the year the original Renault 5 Turbo was launched.
Fabrice Cambolive, CEO Renault brand, said: “Renault 5 Turbo 3E embodies the boldness and spirit of innovation that have always defined Renault. By reinventing the legendary Renault 5 Turbo for the electric era, we have created something truly unique: a mini-supercar that combines spectacular performance with cutting-edge electric technology. Bringing the production-ready Renault 5 Turbo 3E to the Goodwood Festival of Speed for its UK dynamic debut is the perfect way to celebrate this spirit of performance and excitement with enthusiasts.”
Reservations are open now, with customers able to create highly personalised cars, choosing from a wide range of exterior liveries, interior materials and finishes to create a truly unique vehicle with deliveries expected in 2027.
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About the Author
Graeme Cobb is a lifelong car enthusiast with a passion for writing about cars, EVs, industry updates and more.
You can find Graeme on 𝕏 at @graeme_cobb or YouTube @REV-EV.