Renault 5 Turbo reborn with 400bhp and carbonfibre body

A French, Los Angeles-based firm has debuted a three-door Renault 5 turbo restomod with a carbonfibre body and modern technology, which the company has described as “the best possible version of the B-segment icon".

The Renault 5 Turbo 3 has been designed by a three-man team at Légende Automobiles, and is reportedly driven by a turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing more than 400bhp, sending its reserves to the rear axle through a manual transmission. Defining styling features include 17in rear wheels, 16in front wheels, LED headlights and an integrated rear wing.

The car also features the latest front and rear Maxi Turbo double wishbone geometry, which makes the Turbo 3 wider than its predecessors, and the firm says it’s now a more capable handler as a result.  

Racing seats with harnesses feature, along with an embroidered fabric dashboard incorporating a modern digital driver display, dual-zone climate control switches and a minimalist steering wheel. A roll cage has also been added in the rear. 

Traditional Renault badging provides a nod to the car's origins, but a new ‘Turbo 3’ decal hints at the upgrades, as do dual exhausts and completely redesigned rear lighting.

“We wanted to create a machine for people that are as passionate about driving as we are - a machine that only a handful of people in the world would still dare to try and make,” Légende Automobiles said. 

“Technology has given us many great things, but it has also taken away the tactile experience that we, as car nuts, are missing in today’s driving. Sequential transmissions with paddle shifters have their place, but for this machine, we wanted an old-school mechanical shifter to give the driver full control of the turbo-powered engine,” the firm said. 

No pricing information or specific engine details have been revealed, but the firm insists it “ignored all financial advice and spared no expense.”