This Glorious Little Mud-Plugger is the EV We Deserve
Image Credit: Delta.
Electric cars are getting frightfully sensible, aren't they? Silent, smooth, and designed by people who seem to think the pinnacle of excitement is finding a closer-than-usual spot at the organic grocery store. They are, for the most part, wheeled appliances. Important, yes. The future, probably. But a bit beige. Even the exciting ones are all about ludicrous acceleration that you can use for exactly three seconds before you're in jail.
Then, every so often, a company of magnificent lunatics comes along and reminds us that cars, even electric ones, can be about pure fun. This time, the glorious madness comes from a German outfit called Delta 4x4, and their target is the impossibly cute, retro-tastic Renault 5 EV. What they've cooked up is a tiny, electric, mud-slinging giggle of a thing.
Image Credit: Delta.
The standard Renault 5 is a brilliant little nod to its iconic ancestor. It's a chic electric city-hopper designed for nipping through Parisian streets. Delta 4x4 saw this perfectly pleasant little runabout and clearly thought, "You know what that needs? It needs to be able to climb a mountain. Sideways. In the dark." The result is this digital concept, a vision of what happens when you feed a city car a diet of protein shakes and rally footage.
The transformation is, in a word, comprehensive. Delta started by jacking the whole thing up with a nearly four-inch suspension lift. This newfound altitude creates plenty of room for a set of chunky 18-inch wheels wrapped in knobby all-terrain tires that look like they could chew through solid rock. To contain the inevitable spray of mud, dirt, and small woodland creatures, Delta bolted on some outrageously wide fender flares. It's got more presence than a grizzly bear in a phone booth.
Image Credit: Delta.
And because you can't go on an adventure without being able to see where you're going, they've added lights. Lots of lights. There are four massive PIAA LED spotlights on the front bumper, a clear tribute to the original R5 Turbo rally cars that terrorized the world's rally stages. As if that wasn't enough to turn night into day, the Dakar-style roof rack is fitted with two more giant LED bars. You'll be able to get a tan driving this thing at midnight.
Speaking of that roof rack, it's not just for show. It's a proper piece of expedition kit, loaded with a full-size spare tire (because of course), extra containers for whatever you need on a tiny electric adventure, and even a set of snow tracks. Snow tracks! On a French hatchback! The wonderful absurdity of it all is just brilliant. It's topped off with some retro leather straps on the hood and tailgate. Really cherry to top off this electric cake.
Image Credit: Delta.
Underneath all this rugged, off-road bravado is the standard Renault 5 powertrain. That means a single electric motor driving only the front wheels. Yes, this mountain-conquering beast is a front-wheel-drive affair. Does it matter? Not in the slightest. This isn't about creating the most capable off-roader on the planet; it's about creating the most fun one.
The most potent version of the standard R5 gives you 148 horsepower. That's adequate. It's not going to tear a hole in the space-time continuum, but in a car this small, it'll feel plenty peppy. Of course, there's the much spicier Alpine A290 version with 217 horsepower, and one can't help but dream of Delta 4x4 getting their hands on that one. Imagine the rooster tails of mud you could create with that.
Image Credit: Delta.
Then there's the battery. The top-spec R5 comes with a 52 kWh pack, good for a claimed 249 miles of range in the real world. But the moment you add those giant, grippy tires, a roof rack that has the aerodynamic properties of a parachute, and the extra weight of all that cool gear, that range figure is going to plummet. You'll probably be able to explore every inch of the wilderness, as long as that wilderness is conveniently located within a 70-mile radius of a high-speed charger.
But again, that's missing the point. This car is an antidote to automotive boredom. It's a rolling piece of joy. For now, it exists only in the digital world, a collection of very pretty pixels. However, Delta 4x4 has dangled a carrot in front of us and said that if enough people raise their hands and wave their wallets, they might just make a conversion kit a reality. So, if you're one of the lucky future owners of a new Renault 5, I urge you, get on the phone to Germany. Tell them I sent you. Tell them the world needs more glorious, pointless, and fantastic machines like this.
