Two French automakers have brought their 1980s Group B rally icons back as electric hyper hatchbacks, and only one of the pair has a production run behind it. Renault will build 1,980 examples of the 5 Turbo 3E, with deliveries due in 2027. Peugeot’s E-T16, unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in October, remains a concept.
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The cars answer the same question with different hardware. The Renault is rear-drive and sized like its predecessor, while the Peugeot is an all-wheel-drive machine with three motors and 816 horsepower. Both keep three doors, two bucket seats and the roll-cage bravado of the originals.
Renault 5 Turbo 3E: 1,980 cars and a 2027 delivery window
Carscoops writer Thanos Pappas, in a side-by-side published October 31, describes the Renault as a limited-run special that began as a retro-styled concept in 2022 and became a production commitment in 2025. The run is capped at 1,980 units, a nod to the 1980 original. Reports from the 2025 launch put the car’s output between roughly 533 and 555 horsepower depending on the unit, a spread the sources do not explain.
Pricing differs by market. Motor1 reported a UK starting price of 135,000 pounds, about $180,000, which Renault called an introductory figure excluding options. Carscoops lists 160,000 euros, while Renault’s Irish site gives an estimated 199,000 euros for the recommended price without options, subject to change when sales open. On the reservation page, Renault says every car is made to order, reservations are placed through a local dealer and the deposit is deducted from the purchase price. Deliveries start during 2027.
Motor Authority’s report on the launch adds that the power comes from a pair of in-wheel motors, one in each 20-inch rear wheel, and that deliveries are slated to begin in 2027 once final configurations are completed in the first half of that year.
Peugeot E-T16: 816 horsepower and a CEO who stops short of a promise
Peugeot showed the E-T16 on October 12, 2026 at the Paris Motor Show. Autoevolution’s account of the reveal gives about 816 horsepower from three motors, one at the front and two at the rear, 0 to 100 km/h in 2.5 seconds and 300 km/h in 16 seconds. The battery is 85 kWh on an 800-volt architecture, with an estimated WLTP range of 400 km and a 10 to 80 percent charge in about 15 minutes. Peugeot pitches the car as the ultimate vision of the next E-208 and as a tribute to the 205 T16’s 1985 and 1986 World Rally Championship titles.
Production is where it separates from the Renault. Peugeot CEO Alain Favey told Electrifying, in a piece published October 14, that the company would love to make the E-T16 and that a limited run would make a lot of sense. He also said that nothing is confirmed, and the platform is described as likely Stellantis’s STLA One, not a settled choice. That interview is an expression of intent, not a build announcement.
Carscoops says the car doubles as a cleverly disguised preview of the next 208 hatchback due in 2027, and that Peugeot’s leadership has said the E-T16 could reach production as early as then. None of the sources reviewed gives a build date, a price or a volume for the Peugeot, which is the clearest difference from the Renault’s numbered run. Whether the dramatic rear bodywork, which tilts open to reveal the motors and suspension, survives a production version is unclear.
Specifications side by side
The numbers show two philosophies. The Renault uses dual electric motors and a 70 kWh floor-mounted battery, weighs 1,450 kg with a 43/57 weight distribution and rides on a bespoke aluminum tubular chassis developed by Alpine. Carscoops puts its 0 to 100 km/h time under 3.5 seconds and fast charging from 15 to 80 percent at about 15 minutes. Motor1 adds a 168 mph top speed and up to 249 miles of WLTP range.
The Peugeot is the faster and larger of the two on paper, with its 816 horsepower, 85 kWh battery and a Stellantis STLA One architecture, on 21-inch wheels with wider tires at the rear. Peugeot has not published a weight, and Carscoops estimates 1,632 kg, which would make it roughly 180 kg heavier than the Renault. Its cabin carries a Hypersquare steering wheel with an integrated display and a 21-inch ultra-wide digital cluster.
The open question is timing. Renault has set a number, a delivery year and a price band, while Peugeot has a concept, a platform guess and a CEO’s careful wording. Until Stellantis states a build plan, the Group B revival remains a production car on one side and a promise on the other. Renault’s dealer-reservation model, in which each car is made to order and the deposit counts toward the price, also gives buyers a documented path that Peugeot has not yet offered for the E-T16.
This article was produced with the assistance of AI and reviewed by Morning Overview editors prior to publication.
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