Renault 5 Turbo 3E Isn't a Dream, It's Coming, and I'm Still Not Entirely Sure What to Make of It

Image Credit: Renault Group.

What I'm about to tell you is so bonkers, so utterly ludicrous, you'll think I've been sniffing exhaust fumes again. Remember that electric hot hatch I was raving about, the Renault 5 Turbo 3E? Well, it's not just some fever dream cooked up by a caffeine-addled designer. It's real. Actually, properly, genuinely real. And it's hitting the streets (or, more likely, the track) sooner than you think.

It turns out that Renault is actually going to build this electric Frankenstein's monster, and they're planning on unleashing over 150 of these beasts onto an unsuspecting public next year. One hundred and fifty! That's not a limited edition; that's an invasion!

Image Credit: Renault Group.

I still can't quite wrap my head around it. It looks as if they've raided the Renault archives, found the blueprints for the original R5 Turbo, and then decided to inject it with electric madness. And the result is… well, it's something. It's definitely something.

Let's recap. We're talking about a car that looks like it's escaped from a '80s arcade game, but with the performance of a modern supercar. Two electric motors, one in each of the rear wheels, churning out a combined 500 horsepower. That's enough to launch you from zero to 60 mph in a mere 3.5 seconds. Three. Point. Five. Seconds.

And the top speed? A respectable 124 mph. Not exactly warp speed, but fast enough to get your adrenaline pumping. But it's not just about straight-line speed. This thing is built to corner. Renault is promising a "playful" chassis, which I sincerely hope translates to "utterly bonkers fun."

Image Credit: Renault Group.

This all sounds fantastic, but what's the catch? Aside from the fact that it's electric (which is a catch in itself), there's the price. Or, rather lack of it. And since there's no official word on that, I'm guessing it's going to be astronomical. I bet my lunch money it'll be more of a mortgage situation, rather than an impulse buy.

Look, despite my occasional skepticism about electric cars, I'm actually excited about this one. It's different. It's bold. It's utterly ridiculous. And that's really something to be celebrated. Mark your calendars, folks. The Renault 5 Turbo 3E is coming. And I can't wait to see the chaos it unleashes.