The R5 TURBO 3E concept is the perfect EV drifter

Is it just us, or is Renault smashing it out of the park with its concept cars right now? We got to poke around the Scenic Vision earlier this year and it was wicked, but now the French firm has stepped it up another notch with this. Whoa.

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 375bhp and 700Nm. Renault reckons on 0-100km/h 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.

TEXT Joe Holding