The "big ass" is back. The Renault we miss the most has been resurrected, and now it's a very bestial electric

There are cars that marked an era and Renault 's "big ass"   is one of them. Both the R5 Turbo and the R5 Turbo 2 are icons of rallying, small sports cars and the 1980s in general. Now, Renault is paying homage to this model with the  R5 Turbo 3E .

The diamond brand  has reinterpreted  the original 'big ass' formula to bring it up to date and the E in its last name clearly indicates where the blows go:  it is completely electric.

A modern Group B in an electric key

Although it is a prototype that  will not reach production , it is the successor of the mythical R5 Turbo and R5 Turbo 2. In fact, the fact that it is called R5 Turbo 3E does not is no coincidence; Renault wanted to clarify that it is the third member of this explosive saga and the truth is that its design respects the masterstrokes of its predecessors, despite the fact that its innards have nothing to do with it.

Since the  end of production of the R5 Turbo 2 in 1986 , many have called on Renault to resurrect it in one way or another. The  Renault Clio V6  was the French company's answer and now it's doing it again with the R5 Turbo 3E, although some external companies  have beaten  Renault.

It may not convince the most purists that this is a zero-emission car, but it promises to be even dumber than its grandparents. While they were content with a 1.4 and 160 hp four-cylinder engine located in the rear, the R5 Turbo R3 reserves the rear area of ​​its cabin to house two electric motors that produce a  combined power of 380 hp  and maximum torque . of 700 Nm.

Each of them is responsible for moving one of the rear wheels and the energy comes from a battery with a capacity of  42 kWh  located in the lower part of the chassis, between the two axles. For its part, the chassis is tubular and is associated with an interior safety cage homologated by the FIA.

On the outside, it's very reminiscent of the 1980s R5 Turbo, although it's even wider and has a wilder design thanks to the huge rear spoiler, which looks like something out of a car from  Pikes Peak . It also has air intakes located in the rear wings which are inspired by those of the T5 Turbo and are used to cool the motors and the battery.

The cover that hides the socket to recharge its battery makes another nod to its familiar 80s. Its design recalls the ventilation outlet of the original model.  And there is no shortage of front fog lights , although this time with LED technology.

Almost all of the exterior panels are carbon fiber and the windows are Plexiglas, also to save weight. Thanks to this, it weighs 980 kg, which is practically the same as the R5 Turbo 2 (970 kg), but it  has a catch .

In the press release, Renault specifies that the R5 Turbo 3E weighs 980 kg and adds in parentheses that the battery adds another 520 kg, so the actual weight of the set is  1,500 kg .

It is considerably heavier than its parents, but also faster. It accelerates from  0 to 100 km/h in 3.5 seconds  and reaches a top speed of 200 km/h. The R5 Turbo 2 took 6.9 seconds to reach 100 km/h from a standstill, almost double that.

In any case, the R5 Turbo 3E was not born to destroy the stopwatch, but to drift. We don't know if the person responsible for this idea is Jean Ragnotti, the French driver who has a habit of spinning around exhibitions when he takes the R5 Maxi Turbo out of rallies for a drive.

If Ragnotti is encouraged to drive the R5 Turbo 3E in events, it will surely be easier for him. You'll just need to activate Drift mode, which Renault has dubbed Turbo, and pull the  giant hydraulic handbrake.

This show car also has a specific program to  drift 360 degrees  and it's called a donut. The third of the drive modes is Track Invader, focused on delivering maximum performance on the circuit.

For the moment, there is no date to see it in action, but the R5 Turbo 3E is to be seen this weekend at the  Arts & Elegance competition in Chantilly , a few kilometers from Paris.

Next month it will also have a special place on the Renault stand at the  Paris Motor Show , where the R5 Prototype  will also be present  , which takes the design of the new electric R5 forward.

Renault assures that this is a fully functional car, it even comes with various  camera mounts  to record its crusades from any angle. The 12 digital displays inside are also operational, paying homage to the 12 clocks that the original R5 Turbo incorporated.

And the same thing happens with the  bucket seats  signed Sabelt. They are called Carbon Fiber Racing Seat and are designed so that the pilot does not move a millimeter, using safety harnesses anchored to the frame.

Gilles Vidal , Design Director of Renaul said: “The R5 Turbo 3E combines an ultra-technological and exuberant design with numerous references to racing and video games. This combination propels the show car towards modernity and technology, on the border between the real and the virtual. This purely electric drifter proves that electric cars can also be fun with incredible performance.

Beyond functionality, the R5 Turbo 3E pays homage to '80s aesthetics, both inside and out. Its funky-inspired colors, the tartan on the door panels, dashboard and seats, the  pixelated graphics  on the screens are all reminiscent of that era.

The downside is that no one will be able to buy it, although Renault will offer a  collection of  car-related NFTs and has collaborated with fashion house La Fameuse to create a collection of car-inspired sportswear.