500bhp Renault 5 Turbo recreation confirmed

We know very little else about the Turbo 3E. Production will be limited to a couple of thousand examples and I suspect we’re looking at Porsche 911 Carrera GTS money – up to £150,000 or so. It’ll hit showrooms in 2026 with bespoke, lightweight carbon fibre construction and a charging socket buried within one of the vast rear air scoops.

I was reminded of a moment in the press conference on last month’s international media launch of the Alpine A290 – the sporty version of the new Renault 5 EV – when the Alpine engineers had every opportunity to deny there’d ever be a dual motor version, but chose not to. They must have known this 500bhp Renault 5 was weeks away from breaking cover. Now, I don’t imagine the standard R5 and this Turbo 3E have much in common at all, but it’s encouraging that Groupe Renault is still allowing itself to build truly exciting performance cars.

So let’s hope for an Alpine version in due course too. Maybe it should split its motors between the axles for four-wheel drive and a clear point of difference. If it ever happens, the twin-test is going to be quite something.

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