Renault continues to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its R5 with a totally crazy new electric concept designed for drifting. It will be unveiled in a few days in Chantilly.
Like all builders, Renault will also become a 100% electric brand from 2030, while thermal cars will no longer be authorized for sale in Europe in 2035. But that’s not why the diamond firm is giving up its past. And it is not for less, while 2022 is the year of the fiftieth anniversary of the legendary Renault 5, the brand multiplies the tributes to its star of the 70s.
A crazy new concept
To tell the truth, it had already started last year, since in January 2021, the brand presented its prototype R5a concept that heralds a future production model, scheduled for 2024. Last July another version of the urban car was presented. Called R5 Diamant, this is a unique model created by designer Pierre Gonalons and again with an electric motor.
Some months later, the firm returns to the fray presenting the R5 Turbo 3E, a 100% electric showcar whose “3” marks the continuation of the Turbo 2 from 1983. Designed by the teams of Gilles Vidal, style director of the brand, this new creation has a carbon fiber body, which takes up the design of the original version.
This exuberant reinterpretation then shows a width of 2.02 meters, or 25 centimeters more than its predecessor, by 4 meters long and 1.32 meters high. Front and rear, pink, blue and yellow LEDs light up when the car is rolling or drifting. Inspired by the world of video games from the 80s and 90s, this concept also cleverly hides its charging port in the hood scoop.
On board, driver and passenger sit in Carbon Fiber Racing Seat bucket seats, while ten small digital screens display driving-related information, again inspired by the retro games.
Designed to drift
Equipped with a tubular frame protected by a flat bottom, as explained in the release Of the brand, this R5 Turbo 3E is equipped with a powertrain architecture, designed for drifting. A total of two electric motors are used to drive the concept, developing a total power of 280 kW, i.e. the equivalent of 380 horsepower, for a torque of 700 Nm.
0 to 100 km/h is then achieved in 3.5 seconds (3.9 seconds in Drift mode) for a top speed displayed at 200 km/h. Finally, the sports car has a 42 kWh battery, although its autonomy has not been communicated. Various driving modes, called Turbo, Track Invader and Donut, are offered to achieve 360°.
The concept is also equipped withten mounting points to install cameras on board inside the driver’s compartment as well as outside. If this totally daring vehicle unfortunately does not make it to series day, it will be visible to the public during the Chantilly Concours de Elegance taking place this Sunday, as well as at the Paris Motor Show from October 17-23 next. Finally, a collection of NFTs around this concept will also be put up for sale.
The engineering director of the Renault group has released valuable information on the price range and launch date of the future electric R5. The main idea is to launch an affordable connected vehicle.
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