Milltek has introduced a widebody kit for the Renault 5 E-Tech electric and Alpine A290, drawing on the broad rear bodywork of the original Renault 5 Turbo 2. The project brings a Group B-era rally-inspired look to contemporary electric hatchbacks, rather than presenting an official Renault or Alpine factory model. The original Turbo 2’s distinctive shape also earned it the French nickname “Culo Gordo.”
The package reshapes the front and rear wheel arches and extends the front bumper. It also includes a custom cover for the front-wheel charging port, plus new rear door arch trims. An upper rear spoiler and aluminum side-skirt embellishers complete the exterior changes. Daytime running lights (DRLs) are included, with the DRLs exclusive to the Alpine A290’s front bumper. The kit is presented as a complete set, though buyers can also get individual components, such as the spoiler or side trims, for a more restrained change.
Compatibility was a priority during development. Milltek describes the kit as a reversible bolt-on solution, using original mounting points and fasteners wherever possible. Where that is not feasible, the company says removable adhesives let owners detach panels without permanently modifying the bodywork. The conversion focuses on exterior styling: it is a bodywork modification, not evidence of changes to the cars’ electric powertrains or chassis performance.
Kev Hall, Milltek’s technical operations director, said the project began with the team’s enthusiasm for Group B and the first Renault 5. “As Group B enthusiasts, we started planning this as soon as we saw the first Renault 5. After months of intense work and a tight deadline for Goodwood, our design team has created something truly special,” he said. Hall described the prototype as a reversible widebody conversion and said Milltek hoped to see it on customer cars. The Goodwood presentation gives a contemporary electric spin to a rally-era silhouette, though the production kit may differ in some details from the prototype.
Price is a basic differentiator. The article puts Milltek’s kit at £2,000, or about €2,347 before taxes. Czech automotive publication Auto.cz has also put the widebody kit at roughly 60,000 Czech koruna. The Renault 5 Turbo 3E, a limited-production homage to the original, is cited at 1,980 units and a starting price of €155,000. For context, the Renault 5 is listed in the article at €25,085 in Spain for the 95 hp version and €28,909 for the 150 hp model. The Alpine A290 starts at €39,000.
Production is expected to be limited, although the article gives no exact run size. Manufacturing is scheduled to begin in autumn, and Milltek says the final product may include minor changes because the version shown at Goodwood remains a prototype. Separately, Jiří Landa’s Auto.cz coverage describes the conversion as an aftermarket design associated with the Renault 5 E-Tech, not a Renault Group product.
Milltek’s project reflects the appeal of adapting classic French-car design for the electric era. The DS N7 has also attracted attention for combining heritage styling with hybrid and electric options. Further details appear in this recent report on the DS N7's debut.
For owners, the kit offers a way to give a Renault 5 or Alpine A290 a more dramatic rally-inspired appearance without buying a rare collector car. Its significance is visual: it brings the wide-arched Turbo 2 aesthetic to production electric hatchbacks, while leaving the underlying EV powertrain unchanged.
