Renault will release an R5 Turbo 3E, an extreme version of more than 500 horsepower of its new electric R5 and a tribute to the legendary R5 Turbo. A nice end-of-year surprise, but which raises questions about the place left to Alpine.
The R5 Turbo is back! This is in fact what Renault, and its boss Luca de Meo, confirm at the end of a documentary series broadcast on Prime Video since December 13.
A series dedicated to Renault's “comeback”
In four episodes of approximately 40 minutes each, Anatomy of a comeback returns to the Renaulution strategic plan, put in place after the deep crisis recorded in 2020, by opening the doors of the French group.
“Design of new models, behind the scenes of the F1 team, manufacturing secrets… This adventure is experienced through characters confronted with difficulties, failures as well as successes”, we can read in the description on the service streaming from Amazon.
The newspaper columnist The EchoesCédric Fréour, co-producer of the series, followed the preparation of the group's marketing offensive for two years, until the rebirth of the R5 in electric form, highly anticipated to accelerate the electrification of the brand.
“The producers have decided to tell the general public about an economic success, voluntarily leaving at the garage door the annoying questions such as still fragile margins, the concerns of employees and equipment manufacturers, or partnerships with Chinese industry”, summarizes the AFP.
Anatomy of a comeback seeks to tell the story of this complex economic shift through characters, as the Netflix series did Drive to survive (“Drivers of their destiny”) for the world of Formula 1 with resounding success.
“We can do investigations and files, but this is another way of writing” which “allows us to understand the complexity of this world,” Nicolas Valode, producer of the series, explained to AFP. “It’s very rare to see, from the inside, a company obliged to transform itself.”
“There is a main character, who is Luca de Meo, and secondary characters, who tell (the story) from the inside (…) We look at these series a bit like fiction”, underlines Nicolas Valode.
A new electric “Turbo”
The surprise therefore arrives at the very end of the fourth episode and therefore of the series, in an extract shared by Renault and broadcast here by the L'Argus YouTube channel. Accompanied by designer Gilles Vidal and the general director of the Renault brand, Fabrice Cambolive, Luca de Meo brings the film crew into a studio where a fairly advanced prototype of what is presented as an R5 Turbo 3E is hidden.
On the program, a supercharged R5, like the Turbo 3E concept presented in 2022.
Two electric motors, one on each rear wheel, allow for more than 500 horsepower of power and 0 to 100 km/h in less than 3 seconds, assures Luca de Meo.
“It’s a real project, we’re working to get it out. I’m not going to tell you when, but it will come out,” continues the Renault boss.
Limited series production
A series production horizon for this extreme model confirmed by a press release from Renault released on the morning of December 13, following the release of the documentary online. And with some official photos of the vehicle under development.
“Forty-four years after the first Renault 5 Turbo, Renault is resurrecting this new icon, ultimate and sporty, to the delight of all enthusiasts,” notes the press release.
“This announcement in a documentary series is unique in its form, and perfectly adapted to a unique model of its kind”, also underlines this text which promises new elements of information in 2025. Perhaps its technical sheet, its calendar of launch, the number of copies planned for this limited series or even the planned price?
Carbon monocoque, charging socket hidden behind the air scoops on the wings… this model should in any case hold some nice surprises. A dedicated site allows you to register to be alerted of its future availability.
An exception to the rule of priority at Alpine over sport?
On social networks, this nice end-of-year surprise has visibly delighted those nostalgic for the R5 Turbo. Some, however, deplore this choice of 100% electric, as for the new R5, worrying in particular about the autonomy and rapid charging capacity of its extreme version.
More generally, this R3 Turbo 3E also seems to call into question the strategy within the Renault group, where the Alpine brand must embody motorsport in all its dimensions, from Formula 1 to production sports models sold to the general public.
We may therefore be surprised to see the Renault brand return to this area of models formerly bearing the Renault Sport or RS logo. Especially since the R5 already has a sports version… in this case a certain Alpine 290. What future then for this model or future more efficient versions if there is such an extreme R5 Turbo 3E?
On the details, mainly aesthetic, which assert the sporty side of a model, the “Alpine Spirit” finish has also logically replaced the old “RS Line” finish. Except on the R5, which has this Alpine A290 as a sporty version.
On a diamond model that wants to display a certain dynamism like the latest Rafale in a 300 horsepower plug-in hybrid version, we even find a second “Atelier Alpine” finishing level, after “Esprit Alpine”.
This Renault 5 Turbo 3E therefore sows some confusion in this strategy supposed to support the development of Alpine. And an additional bad signal sent to the Dieppe brand after the planned cessation of F1-related activities at Viry-Châtillon.
