The Wilfully Bonkers Renault Zoe E-Sport Is A 460bhp EV
We’ve had a couple of days for the dust to settle and for our feet to recover from the Geneva Motor Show. From supercars like the Lamborghini Huracan Performante and 720S to hot hatches such as the Honda Civic Type R and Toyota Yaris GRMN there was something for everyone, but here’s a little oddity we didn’t get a chance to cover at the time: the Renault Zoe E-Sport.
The regular Zoe is a small and relatively inexpensive EV that’s unlikely to get your pulse racing, but this is no regular Zoe. That’s because it has 460bhp provided via a colossal 450kg battery.
This battery powers a pair of motors - one on each axle, giving the E-Sport four-wheel drive. It’ll do 0-62mph in 3.2 seconds, and hit its electronically-limited 130mph top speed from rest in under 10 seconds.
It sits low on 20-inch wheels thanks to a set of Öhlins adjustable dampers, and the track has been widened. It also - thankfully - sports beefier brakes.
The body is made from carbonfibre, helping keep the weight down to a respectable 1400kg - despite that monster battery. On the inside meanwhile you’ll find a rollcage, kevlar panels, various Formula E-style controls and a pair Recaro bucket seats with harnesses.
The E-Sport is intended to showcase “Renault’s commitment to the ongoing development of electric vehicles,” so no - it’s not likely to become a production car. But Renault tells us it will eventually be a working concept. The company hasn’t decided what will be done with the E-Sport, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see it used in some capacity at Formula E events in the near future.
Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.
Comments
When a Renault Zoe can whoop yo ass at the traffic lights:
That should be Renault’s backup car if their Formula One cars stop working properly.
“Electricity kicked in yo!” - Reno EV Driver 2020
‘Reno’
Sorry, that made me laugh slightly xD
A 460bhp Zoe? What’s next? A Twizy F1 car? Oh no wait, we already had that.
The awesome thing about this was normally it had around 40 horses but when you hit the KERS button that 40 jumped up to around 160 ponies
It’s scary when a battery charged RC car can beat you at the drag strip.
Yes please! Go Renault, please put it into production by 2020 :)
i hope Audi sees this and that they make an electric RS1 or RS3 with 500hp
I’ll race yo ass I gotta Crown Vic 4.6 baby V8 but I’ll lose cause this cars slow and my dog is barking really loudly
Electricity Kicked in yo