Renault pays tribute to one of the craziest small cars of all time: for the 50th birthday of the R5, the French are reviving the turbo version of their bestseller. According to the manufacturer, it will be at the Paris Motor Show next month as an electric study. It should shorten the waiting time until the R5 actually celebrates its comeback as a battery car – but then with a moderate design and more modest drive. Just like the R5 Turbo built from 1980 onwards, nicknamed “Backenturbo”, the Hommage also has extremely wide fenders. As in the past, the two-seater also has a huge wing on the rear. This should provide the necessary grip on the racetrack and even more so on the drift course, explains Renault.
The drive is mounted behind the seats as in the prototype. Instead of the combustion engine, however, two electric machines work in the study. According to the manufacturer, together they deliver 280 kW/380 hp and a maximum torque of over 700 Newton meters. That’s enough for sprint values of 3.5 seconds from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour and a top speed of 200 km/h. The energy for this is supplied by a 42-kilowatt-hour battery that is installed in the floor of the car and thus lowers the center of gravity.