Yikes, the new 536bhp Renault 5 Turbo 3E will officially cost £135,000

We knew it was going to be expensive, and lo – it is expensive. Renault has confirmed prices for its lairy, outrageous and outrageously powerful 5 Turbo 3E will start from £135,000.

And, we knew it was going to be limited in volume, and lo – it be limited. Renault has also confirmed it intends to build just 1,980 of these lairy, outrageous and outrageously powerful R5 Turbos, because… 1980 R5 Turbo.

Indeed, this is a modern take on that classic hot hatch and its Turbo 2 sibling that defined the Eighties' small car, big-power landscape. This new kid kinda ups the ante, which you’d expect for one hundred and thirty five big ones.

Because lurking within the R5 Turbo 3E’s outrageous flanks rests a carbon superstructure housing a pair of in-wheel electric motors – one on each rear wheel – powered by a 70kWh battery able to churn out a whopping 536bhp. Yeesh.

That’s even more than the already-more 500bhp Renault initially teased, allied to an 800V electrical architecture that you won’t mention again because you’ll be too busy trying to hang on: Renault reckons it’ll clock 0-62mph in less than 3.5s.

Though, the 800V thing will come in handy when recharging, because it’ll accept a 350kW hose allowing a 15 to 80 per cent recharge in 15 minutes. Good time to maybe change the tyres, because this thing will likely be a smoker.

So, those are the fundamentals, what about fashion? Reservations open today, and the lucky 1,980 customers will then be contacted in 2026 to talk colours, options, and later invited to speak with Renault designers to craft bespoke liveries and dash materials. Which means £135k is just the jumping off point.

Which you’d expect for Renault’s most-powerful ever road car. A road car coming to Europe, the UK, Turkey, the Middle East, Japan and Australia, that we knew was expensive and limited.