It's hard to believe that a car in production for just a couple of years has left a significant mark on the automotive industry, considering that it did not excel in terms of quality and performance. The DeLorean sports coupe eventually became a legend mainly because it was integral to the "Back to the Future" franchise.
The famous movie is the reason this car still has such an impressive following, with a demand reaching its peak in the last two decades. The fact that there were only 9,530 units produced made the DeLorean even more exclusive.
Refurbished DeLoreans and the EV Idea
As a good businessman, Stephen Wynne started a business in Houston selling refurbished DeLoreans. He purchased all the remaining parts for the car and now sells models assembled from a mix of new, original, and reproduction parts. Wynne’s business that started in 2007 is still active today.
The nameplate's popularity never faded, and the demand for classic DeLorean models is great, even today. So, it became pretty clear the famous nameplate, and its legacy could be a fantastic foundation for a new model. As a result, the plans for an all-new model, which would eventually be presented as the DeLorean Alpha5, started.
The whole idea was to create an electric car that would use the legendary moniker to get a much better starting position. To be honest, that's not a new idea in the automotive industry, as many companies have already launched all-electric cars with famous, already-established nameplates.
For example, General Motors resurrected the Hummer with an all-electric drivetrain. Even before that, Ford came up with an all-electric crossover that wears the iconic "Mustang" badge.
DeLorean Alpha5 Concept
The new iteration of DeLorean is called the Alpha5. Joost de Vries and Troy Beetz lead the whole project, and the concept version was presented last May. It's also worth mentioning that it was designed by ItalDesign, the company founded by the legendary Giorgetto Giugiaro, the creator of the original DMC-12.
The DeLorean Alpha5 concept brought a futuristic design. Considering that the original model was launched four decades ago, it's unrealistic to expect too many similarities between the two cars. Still, a decent portion of the details resembles the original.
You may presume that this primarily refers to the legendary gull-wing doors and some resemblance in the back, but the overall design is completely adapted to modern industry standards. The long hood and sleek lines combine with a sloping roof, providing a typical sports coupe design.
So, how do they differ?
There are significant differences in the base design approach. The first one that comes to mind is that, while the original model was a two-door car with a rear engine, this one features a 2+2 seating configuration, which makes it closer to the DMC-24 concept that never entered serial production.
The massive gull-wing doors give easy access to both rows, and the concept gives a feeling that the second row could be quite functional and spacious, which isn't always the case with this type of car.
Unlike the exterior, the inside of DeLorean Alpha5 isn't all that original. Instead, it follows a typical design philosophy of modern electric cars.
Everything is designed in a very simplistic manner, with a lot of clean lines and an obvious lack of physical controls. What you see, instead, are a couple of digital screens, one serving as a digital instrument cluster while the other controls the infotainment system.
Technical Details
At this point, there aren't many technical data about the DeLorean Alpha5. Things like chassis and suspension setup are a complete mystery, while the drivetrain is also unknown. We don't know the number of electric motors or their configuration.
On the other hand, the company claims 0-60mph (0-97km/h) time in less than 3 seconds. For every "Back to the Future" fan, 0-88 acceleration is far more critical, and the company says it will go around 4.4 seconds.
Typically for modern-day electric cars, the battery will be placed under the floor. The exact capacity is still unknown, but most experts estimate over 100 kWh. That should be enough to provide over 300 miles of range, which is typical by today's industry standards.
The officials remained quiet about technical details like battery technology, charging speed and similar things.
Production, Release Date and Price
Currently, the DeLorean Alpha5 is just a concept, but officials said that the production version could arrive as early as 2024. The expected starting price is about $145,000 (roughly AUD216,000).
Here’s a fun fact: They have officially announced that only 9,531 units will be produced—just one more than the original DMC-12!
But hold your horses! At this point, we're still trying to find out if the company plans to export DeLorean Alpha5 to Australia or not.
By Nebojsa Grmusa