This new Renault EV costs more than a Porsche 911, and I still want one

T3 wouldn’t normally cover the price of a new Renault hatchback. But the bombastic 5 Turbo 3E, complete with pumped-up carbon body and in-wheel motors, is no normal car.

I wrote about the car in greater detail when it was revealed earlier this year. Sharing only a passing resemblance with the far more sensible (and far more affordable) standard Renault 5 E-Tech, the new 5 Turbo 3E is a throwback to when flame-spitting Group B rally cars were made road legal.

While also being a throwback, the new Renault 5 Turbo is a cutting-edge EV. It has an 800-volt system architecture for super-fast charging, and those massive rear arches house a pair of clever new in-wheel motors. These send a combined 540 horsepower directly to the rear wheels, resulting in supercar performance.

We’re talking a 0-62 mph time of under 3.5 seconds, while also managing over 248 miles of range and a 15-80% charge in just 15 minutes, Renault claims.

The Renault 5 Turbo 3E’s carbon body is positively steroidal in its proportions, measuring 4.08m long and a muscular 2.03m wide. In short, it combines the length of a hatchback with the width and performance of a supercar.

The seating is on the supercar spectrum too; a stripped-back cabin houses just two buckets up front, separated by a massive, rally-style handbrake.

Okay, I’ve stalled for long enough. You’re here for the price. It’s £135,000 and yes, I know that sounds like an awful lot of money for a Renault hatchback. Especially when a Porsche 911 starts at £103,000 and the 911 Carrera GTS with its clever hybrid turbo tech is about the same as the little Renault.

But limited-run carbon road racers don’t come cheap, especially when they’re powered by a bespoke electric platform. Renault says customers can reserve their car now, and they’ll be able to make an appointment with a dealer to sign a reservation.

The company says how £135,000 is an introductory price that includes tax but excludes options, accessories and personalisation choices, so you'll be paying more for fancy paint.

This is also a price limited to the first 500 examples of a planned production run of 1,980 cars. The 5 Turbo 3E will be sold in the UK, Europe, Turkey, the Middle East, Japan and Australia.

Once ordered, the next phase will begin in early 2026. This is when customers will be contacted by their dealer to choose their specification, including paintwork, racing liveries and colours and materials for the interior. Orders will be finalised in the first half of 2027, and the first customer cars will be delivered later that year.