FIRST DRIVE: Renault R5 Turbo 3E - 375hp Electric Hot Hatch | Top Gear

Apr 07 2023

Review Clips Youtube Marriage Drive Speed Porsche Gt3 Tribute Top gear Cars Classic Performance American tuned Rob dahm London Car review Chris harris Court Car Home View Design Power Aging Hr

It’s called the R5 Turbo 3E, and it’s a two-seat tribute to the Renault 5 Turbo and Turbo 2 of yesteryears. And unlike most concept cars that’ll turn heads and nothing else, this might just turn your stomach too because it’s designed for DRIFTING. Don’t be fooled by the all-electric powertrain: it’s rear-wheel drive courtesy of a motor on each of the back wheels, delivering a playful 375hp and 516lb ft. Renault reckons on 0-62mph in 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 124mph, but stops short of predicting what range you’ll get from the 42kWh battery. Presumably, because you can’t get a WLTP rating when sideways… At 1.5 tonnes (520kg of that is battery cells) it’s a good deal heavier than the cars that inspired it, but a tubular chassis, protected flat base and FIA-approved roll cage should provide plenty of stiffness when engaging that impossible-to-miss handbrake. Which Top Gear Magazine’s Ollie Marriage wasn’t allowed to touch. But that doesn’t mean we didn’t drift it. WATCH MORE TOP GEAR: MORE ABOUT TOP GEAR: Welcome to the official home of Top Gear on YouTube. Here you'll find all the best clips from your favourite episodes, whether that’s Ken Block drifting London in the Hoonicorn, Chris Harris in the latest Porsche 911 GT3 or classic Top Gear clips from Clarkson, Hammond and May. You'll also find the latest performance car reviews from the TopGear.com crew, our brand new series American Tuned with Rob Dahm and the fastest power laps from our in house performance benchmark: The Stig. This is a commercial channel from BBC Studios.