First Look: £140,000 Renault 5 Turbo 3E is the world’s maddest city hatchback!

The Renault 5 Turbo 3E made its UK dynamic debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2026, where we watched Renault’s electric “mini-supercar” tackle the famous hillclimb throughout the four-day event.

The production-ready model returned to Goodwood after earlier concept versions appeared at previous festivals, giving visitors their first opportunity to see the finished car in action.

We spent some time closely observing the exterior details at the Renault stand, and then quickly shifted to the First Glance Paddock where we were allowed to check out the interior changes.

Inspired by the Renault 5 Turbo and Turbo 2 of the 1980s, the new model combines retro-inspired styling with a carbon-fibre superstructure and a rear-wheel-drive platform, which is a heavily modified Renault 5 E-Tech chassis.

Measuring 4.08 metres long and weighing around 1,450 kg, it is powered by two rear-mounted in-wheel electric motors producing 555 hp (410 kW) and 4,800 Nm of torque.

Inside, the Renault 5 Turbo 3E is nothing like the current hatchback. It features special bucket seats with six-point harnesses, extensive carbon-fibre components and Alcantara trim across the seats and dashboard. A rally-style vertical handbrake confirms the competition-focused layout.

Ahead of the driver, we noticed 10.1-inch and 10.25-inch OpenR displays, using graphics inspired by the original Renault 5 Turbo and Turbo 2. These provide driving, navigation and multimedia information.

The OpenR Link system includes Google built-in, with services such as Google Maps and route-based charging planning. Buyers will also be able to personalise the seats, dashboard, door panels and centre console through a wide range of colours and finishes.

Renault claims the 5 Turbo 3E can accelerate from 0-62 mph in under 3.5 seconds, reach 124 mph in less than nine seconds and continue to a top speed of 167 mph. The rear-wheel-drive layout delivers a weight-to-power ratio of 2.6 kg per horsepower, while the platform has been developed specifically for the model.

Power comes from a 70 kWh battery operating on an 800-volt electrical architecture. Renault quotes a WLTP driving range of more than 248 miles, while DC charging at up to 350 kW allows the battery to recharge from 15% to 80% in around 15 minutes. The car also supports 11 kW AC charging.

The Renault 5 Turbo 3E is available to reserve now, with prices starting from £140,000. Buyers will be able to personalise their cars through a wide choice of exterior colours, liveries, interior materials and finishes, and we got to see a glimpse of that customization in yellow and blue exterior colours at Goodwood.

At the same time, production will be limited to 1,980 individually numbered examples in tribute to the original Renault 5 Turbo’s launch year. Customer deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2027.