Is it already the 1st of April? No, it's probably not a joke. In any case, Renault has now officially announced that it is planning an electric version of the legendary R5 Turbo, and that it will even go into series production.

The car was presented as a study at the 2022 Paris Motor Show, at that time still with an oversized rear wing. This has apparently been cancelled, as the new images show. The Renault 5 Turbo 3E is to be a modern version of the Renault 5 Turbo and the Turbo 2. The colours correspond to historical models.

The design includes huge rear air intakes. The charging port is located in one of these air intakes - a pretty crazy idea. Renault also promises a carbon structure that is both light and extremely rigid.

Unlike the normal Renault 5 E-Tech Electric and like the historic model, the R4 Turbo 3E also has rear-wheel drive. There are even two electric motors working on the rear axle, which are integrated into the rear wheels - presumably wheel hub motors. They are expected to deliver over 500 PS system output, i.e. around 370 kW. This should enable the Renault 5 Turbo 3E to sprint from zero to 62 mph in just 3.5 seconds.

Renault has included a reference to the new model as an Easter egg in a film from the documentary series Anatomy of a Comeback (available on Prime Video from 13 December). In the fourth and final episode of the series, Group CEO Luca de Meo visits the design department together with brand boss Fabrice Cambolive and chief designer Gilles Vidal. The new Renault 5 Turbo 3E can be seen there, which de Meo confirms as the upcoming series model. The details of the Renault 5 Turbo 3E are to be presented in further campaigns in the coming year.

The documentary, consisting of four 40-minute episodes, tells the story of the "Renaulution". This is what de Meo called his transformation plan to save the brand and also showed the Renault 5 for the first time at an event of the same name. The documentary provides insights into the inner workings of the company, into production and model development, but also into the paddock of the Alpine Formula 1 team.

The bottom line

Is it really a possibility? The Renault 5 Turbo 3E really does sound more like the dream of a pubescent car fan than reality. But Renault writes: "All-electric sports car confirmed as series model". However, the manufacturer does not say how large the planned series will be. Either way, the model is likely to boost the brand's image.