DeLorean resurfaces with gullwing sports car
YOU’VE probably watched the famous 1980s trilogy Back to the Future. One of the stars of the time-travelling comedy series is the time machine itself, the DeLorean DMC-12. The famous wedgy car was supposed to re-enter production thanks to low-volume manufacturer rules (as we wrote here) a few years ago. However, that plan has been shelved and the DeLorean Alpha5 is the company’s latest creation.
The DeLorean Alpha5 is supposed to be unveiled tomorrow, but the company has given us a sneak peek on its official website. The car will make its public debut at the annual Pebble Beach Concours held in California during August.
This Alpha5 is the first of a line of models that the rejuvenated brand will be producing over the next few years. Further to the GT seen above, DeLorean will build a sports coupé powered by a V8 petrol engine, a battery-electric saloon and finally a premium sports SUV with a hydrogen powertrain.
The swoopy new coupe was penned by Italdesign, the same firm responsible for the DMC-12. Nods to the old car include roof-hinged doors and louvres on the rear window. But that is about as retro as the appearance gets. There are massive alloys in place, as well as slim head and taillamps.
The Alpha5 is five metres long and over two metres wide. As a result it has enough cabin space for a 2+2 seating arrangement. The interior has a minimalist appearance, as you can see from the image above. There are none of the screens and extra gauges that Doc Brown would have in place. Just two screens handle all vital info.
When DeLorean previewed the new car a few months ago it used the name EVolved, giving us a clue that it would be an EV. The DeLorean Alpha5 is battery powered with a pack that delivers 100kWh. This should provide a range of about 500km.
The preview on their website claims that the DeLorean Alpha5 has a top speed of 250 km/h. They also say it can sprint from 0-96 km/h in 2,99 seconds. They also add that it will take 4,35 seconds to reach 88 mph (142 km/h). That is, of course, a reference to the speed needed for Marty and Doc Brown to jump to another time in the movie series.
Another reference to the movies is that the will be built in a limited run of just 88 units. It’s unclear whether flux capacitors will be standard or optional.