Renault 5 Turbo 3E: 555hp In-Wheel Motors Make It the Most Powerful Street Renault Ever

Renault unveiled its most powerful street-legal car ever at the Paris Motor Show: the 555hp Renault 5 Turbo 3E. The near-production engineering prototype is a modern electric reinterpretation of the legendary Renault 5 Turbo and Turbo 2 rally icons, powered by two rear in-wheel electric motors — technology CEO Francois Provost called “new and very innovative.”

In-wheel motors are the headline engineering bet. Putting the motors inside the wheels eliminates driveshafts and frees packaging, while delivering instant torque exactly where it meets the road. Provost framed the car as a rolling proof of concept: “At Renault we are obsessed with pushing technology forward and we see this car as a proof of concept.” With 555 peak horsepower, it will be the most powerful homologated Renault ever created.

The Turbo 3E shared the stage with the E-Space concept — a modern reinterpretation of the original 1984 Renault Espace, the people carrier that became a European icon. Chief Growth Officer Fabrice Cambolive called it “a modern re-interpretation of the original Renault Espace from 1984… a visionary vehicle that became iconic and is in our collective memory.” Kia also opened media day with a broad EV-range pitch backed by its 7-year warranty.

What it means for buyers: the Turbo 3E itself is a halo car, not a volume play — but in-wheel motor technology proven here could eventually reach mainstream EVs, where packaging and efficiency matter most. Renault is using nostalgia as the wrapper for genuinely forward-looking engineering.