3.5 percent is already ‘for us’
The chance of ever encountering a Renault 5 Turbo 3E in the Netherlands turns out to be quite high. Dozens of units of this bizarre EV, which is up to six times more expensive than a regular Renault 5, have already been sold here.
The Renault 5 Turbo 3E is to the modern era what the Renault 5 Turbo once was for the original 5, and the Clio V6 for the Clio. It actually has nothing to do with the car with which it shares its name and some design elements but is essentially a separately developed sports car following the same theme. In the case of the modern Turbo 3E, this still means an electric drivetrain, but a very special one. The super sporty Renault has two electric motors on the rear axle, each controlling a rear wheel. The focus is on drifting, and there’s even a hydraulic handbrake to make that as easy as possible. The total power amounts to 540 hp, a 0-100 km/h sprint is done in 3.5 seconds, and the top speed is above 270 km/h. The 70 kWh battery of the Renault 5 Turbo 3E will likely drain quickly, but fortunately, it can also be recharged at 350 kW.
On the outside, the Turbo 3E is unmistakably a 5, yet also unmistakably different. It is significantly lower and wider, has a three-door body, and shares only the windshield, mirrors, and taillights with the regular 5. The price of this unique toy: at least around 150,000 (Euros). Bizarre for a 5, of course, but not so strange when you consider how much development budget must have been spent on it. The total of 1,980 units to be built are sure to sell out quickly. A significant portion is just coming to the Netherlands. The importer states that more than 70 Turbo 3Es have already been sold in our country, or 3.5 percent of the worldwide total.