First sight: Renault 5 Turbo 3E
By Lucy Abbott2025-03-18T11:17:00
Car Design News visited Renault in Paris to become acquainted with its new mini supercar and to speak to Renault’s chief design officer Laurens Van Den Acker
As the smoke clears and a curtain of blue lasers parts, four LED eyes shine brightly to reveal a bold and sporty face, heavily reminiscent of past glories from the 1980s. It’s the new Renault 5 RS Turbo 3E.
For Renault, incorporating heritage is key to connect with its customers and evoke nostalgia. Speaking at the launch of this new electric hot hatach, EVP of design Laurens van den Acker described the status quo as the “age of transformation… The world is changing quickly and we felt that the treasure box of icons is a card that only we can play. Only we can do a Renault 5 Turbo.”
Beginning a new generation of ‘mini-supercars’, the Renault 5 Turbo 3E is the length of a city car but the width of a supercar – measuring 4.08 metres long and 2.03 metres wide. This plays into Renault’s wider design strategy, which balances ‘future icons’ and ‘legendary icons’ to maintain a strong brand identity while appealing to diverse consumer taste.
Car Design News gets up close and personal with the new Renault 5 Turbo 3E, as well as the icons that have come before it.