The Top 5 Coolest Features Of The DeLorean EV
Few movie cars draw more oohs and ahhs than the original DeLorean DMC-12, and we reckon the new DeLorean EV will draw the same response when it officially debuts at Pebble Beach in August 2022. Although it garnered its fair share of criticism upon the concept's online reveal, there's no denying the DeLorean name is back with a vengeance and has an Italian-designed vision of the future. The original DeLorean Motor Company (DMC), founded by the brilliant, charismatic, yet controversial John DeLorean, went bust in 1982. DMC went bankrupt before the first "Back to the Future" movie hit cinemas in 1985. But in 1995, Stephen Wynne acquired the branding rights and remaining parts for about 6,000 unmade DeLoreans (per Bloomberg) and established Classic DMC in Houston, Texas.
Autoblog explains the new DeLorean Motor Company (based in neighboring San Antonio) consists of several key executives from Karma and has plans to be a full-time automaker. Their first project is the Alpha5, a concept vehicle we first saw as a teaser image last February 2012. It also paid homage to Italdesign's 54th anniversary, but all we got was a shadow image of an all-electric vehicle with gullwing doors and a groovy front light signature. Now that DeLorean has unveiled the actual Alpha 5 EV concept, it's worth discussing the numerous cool features that make it one of the most highly-anticipated new EVs we've seen in a while.
The gullwing doors and aerodynamic design
Let's face it: The original DeLorean DMC-12's iconic gullwing doors made it fit for a starring role, and nothing screams "exotic sports car" more than a pair of upward-hinged doors. But with the Alpha 5, there's a catch. It's a four-seat sports coupe, and it only has two doors to make up for its four-passenger cabin, and you know what this means, right? It has enormous gullwing doors that we reckon could be tricky to raise or shut with its heft, but we understand that power-operated doors could most likely make it to the production model. If the Tesla Model X can have power-operated Falcon Wing doors, we see no reason why the DMC-12's successor can't have it, too.
DeLorean
We'll be lying if we said we weren't expecting a similar wedge-shaped (yet electrified) revival of the DMC-12. In reality, the Alpha 5 is not a bad-looking car, and how could it be when legendary design house Italdesign is at the helm? Autoblog adds the new DeLorean Alpha 5 is a clean-sheet design with some of the DNA of the time-traveling DMC-12. Take those rear window louvers, for instance, or those fabulous doors. But if there's something remarkably different about the Alpha 5, it has something to do with its size. The Alpha 5 is about 197 inches long (per CNET), making it as long as a Tesla Model S or Porsche Taycan. On the upside, the Alpha 5 has a 0.23 drag coefficient, making it one of the most aerodynamic new EVs that don't look weird.
F1-derived powertrain, fast speeds, and minimalist interior
DeLorean claims the Alpha 5 could have dual electric motors and a 100 kWh battery pack, but it didn't mention the horsepower or torque figures. Instead, the automaker revealed a 0 to 60 mph acceleration time of under three seconds (or 0 to 88 mph in 4.35 seconds if you like to feel nostalgic), a 155 mph top speed, and an estimated 300 miles of driving range. What's more impressive is Williams Advanced Engineering is behind the Alpha 5's battery-electric powertrain, infusing it with some good ol' Formula One racing pedigree.
DeLorean
The Alpha 5 concept's minimalist interior, meanwhile, is befitting of a modern electric car with its floating center console, digital instrument cluster, and flat-bottomed steering wheel. DeLorean didn't mention the materials, features, or safety equipment, but it's not foolish to expect modern niceties like smartphone connectivity and advanced driving aids. We don't mind having a cacophony of wires, switches, or possibly a flux capacitor in our DeLorean, but only if we live in the past (which we don't).
DeLorean
No, you can't have a new DeLorean with a Mr.Fusion generator like Doc Emmet Brown's time machine, but it seems the new company is making efforts to expand its portfolio with a mix of electric, gasoline, and hydrogen vehicles. According to Autocar, the new DeLorean automaker is also unveiling a halo performance coupe with a gasoline V8 engine next to the Alpha 5 EV. Meanwhile, it also has an all-electric sedan and a hydrogen SUV in the pipelines.
The first 88 limited edition Alpha5 EVs are track-only versions that would "serve as an avatar for an associated NFT" (via Road & Track), and the next batch of production vehicles would be road-legal versions you can drive on the road. Production for the Alpha 5 begins in Italy in 2024, and the base prices could fetch $200,000.