Renault is bringing quite the treat for visitors to this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed. The astonishing 5 Turbo 3E will be one of the stars of the show, and the all-electric 555hp supercar (a supercar wearing the clothes of a 1980s Renault 5 Turbo rally car tribute) will no doubt be executing more than a few smoky drifts up and down the famous hillclimb in front of Goodwood House.
555hp doesn't sound like all that much these days…
True, but then the R5 Turbo 3E has a couple of other tricks up its wide-arch sleeves. Such as power coming from two in-wheel electric motors, each one of which drives an individual rear wheel and which jointly develop a wild claimed 4,800Nm of torque. Better buy some shares in Michelin…
It's a proper car too, not just a show pony. Renault is going to make 1,980 of these (one has apparently been bought in Ireland - lucky bugger…) and it uses a 70kWh battery, giving it a potential 400km range, with ultra-fast 330kW charging allowing a 15-80 per cent charge up in just 15 minutes. 0-100km/h is done in just 3.5 seconds, if you were wondering.
Fabrice Cambolive, CEO of the Renault brand, said: "Renault 5 Turbo 3E embodies the boldness and spirit of innovation that have always defined Renault. By reinventing the legendary Renault 5 Turbo for the electric era, we have created something truly unique: a mini-supercar that combines spectacular performance with cutting-edge electric technology. Bringing the production-ready Renault 5 Turbo 3E to the Goodwood Festival of Speed for its UK dynamic debut is the perfect way to celebrate this spirit of performance and excitement with enthusiasts.”
What else is Renault bringing to Goodwood?
In a way, the other Renault star of the show is right at the other end of the electric-car spectrum, yet also a perfect companion to the wild R5 Turbo 3E. It's the new Renault Twingo E-Tech, which will doubtless be drawing a crowd all of its own with its adorable styling. Again, beneath the looks, this is a very serious car, with a likely sub-€20,000 price tag and a range of more than 250km on one charge. It might just be all the electric car you actually need.
Anything else?
Yup, there's - at last - our favourite version of the Renault 4 E-Tech electric, the Plein Sud, which gets a full-length retracting canvas sunroof, just like that of an original Renault 4. We've not tried driving one yet, but we have sat in a static display model on a sunny day, and it's a must-have accessory if you're considering a Renault 4. The canvas roof measures 920mm by 800mm, and you can open it at the press of a button, or even by using the car's voice control. 'Hey Renault, toast my bald patch!' or something like that…
When can I see all this?
The Goodwood Festival of Speed takes place from 9 to 12 July, and Gatwick Airport is only just up the road…