Anyone who does not know the legend of the DeLorean automotive brand is not a true motoring fan. Their legendary DMC-12 was ahead of its time, and that's why the 2022 reincarnation looks to the future. Mainly because of the "Back to the Future" film trilogy. Only 88 will be made.
The brand is being revived by an American company led by CEO Joost de Vries, who was previously a senior official at Tesla and Karma. This information is important because we know what happened with this brand in the past.
At the forefront of the rebirth is an interesting futuristic battery-electric coupe with the luxurious proportions of those truly sports cars, a far cry from the wedge-shaped silhouette and compact footprint of the DeLorean DMC of 1981. It's called Alpha5 and will be officially presented to the public for the first time at the event Pebble Beach – in the month of August. Production is expected to begin in 2024. A team of engineers wants to create a car that would go beyond the model Tesla S Plaid.
Much like his source of inspiration, the legendary DMC-12, this too takes the form of an elegant coupe with "gull" doors designed for the company by Italdesign. The massive top-hinged doors and rear glass hatches are essentially the only sign of the past, as the rest of the design is thoroughly modern. In line with today's electric cars, it has massive wheels and slim lights at the front and rear. Its rounded body has a filling port on the front fender on the driver's side, so you no longer have to open the trunk to access "fuel". The Alpha5 has a two-tone body color and a sloping roof that at times resembles the car made famous by the Back to the Future trilogy.
DeLorean remains coy about drivetrain details, but says the Alpha5 takes 3.4 seconds to 100 km/h and reaches an electronically limited top speed of 241 km/h. It has a battery with a capacity of more than 100 kWh, which will be capable of a real 483 kilometers. However, it should be noted that all these specifications apply to the base model. But more toxic versions are also promising.
The car is much larger than its predecessor, measuring a whopping 4,995 millimeters in length, 2,044 mm in width and 1,370 mm in height when the gull-wing doors are closed. DeLorean says it has outsourced manufacturing to Italy, while the powertrain will be provided by a UK supplier. As an interesting fact, the Delorean will accelerate to 88 mph (142 km/h) in 4.35 seconds, after which it will in all likelihood not be able to travel through time.
Only 88 cars will be produced. If all goes according to plan, the expanded lineup will certainly include an electric sedan and even a hydrogen-powered SUV. Following its public debut at Pebble Beach in August, the DeLorean Alpha5 is expected to go into production in 2024.