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DeLorean goes back to the future with new electric Alpha5
Tianna Nadalin
June 06, 2022
DeLorean is going back to the future and reviving the iconic gull-winged coupé. Unfortunately the released specs and images still show no sign of a functioning flux-capacitor.
The DeLorean is back. Well, sort of.
The one-hit-car-wonder has revealed images of an all-new electric sports car that resurrects the DeLorean name, some 40 years on from the movie that made it famous.
The DMC-12 – its only variant – achieved cult status after its starring role in the Back to the Future franchise. It became a coveted car-modity after the company went bankrupt in 1982, three years before the first movie was released.
This legacy is not lost on the newly minted DeLorean Motor Company Inc., which plans to use the icon’s pop-culture stardom to drive a nostalgia-led frenzy ahead of its public debut at California’s Pebble Beach Concours d’ Elegance in August.
Taking inspiration from the original DMC-12 model, the new Alpha5 will sport the same sleek coupe shape and signature gull-wing doors of the iconic Hollywood car. But the boxy lines and finicky flux capacitor, along with the petrol engine, will be left in 1985.
Now: DeLorean's all-new Alpha5 electric sports car
Then: The cult classic original Delorean DMC-12. Photo: Getty
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Science meets style
The DeLorean re-boot is already generating of flurry of media and consumer hype, with the modern icon taking design cues from its immortalised predeccesor. Because, to quote Doc Brown, if you’re gonna build a time machine into a car, why not do it with some style?
As well as smooth lines, sexy curves and a luxe interior aesthetic, the stylish new marque is asserting itself as a performance vehicle.
Initial predictions estimate the EV will go from 0-100 in under 3 seconds and reach electronically limited top speeds of 155mph (250 km/h), with a maximum range of about 300 miles (483 km).
For comparison, Tesla’s next generation Roadster, slated for release in 2023, shaves one second off the 0 to 100 time and boasts a top speed of more than 250 miles per hour (400km/h).
DeLorean's new Alpha5 features smooth lines and a sleek silhouette
The electric sports car still features the coupe shape
A muted interior palette adds to the Alpa5's luxe appeal
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Classic comeback
The DeLorean is the latest in a long line of automobiles that have been reimagined since their pop-culture debuts. It joins the car-studded ranks of Volkswagen’s beloved ‘Kombi’, the Aston Martin DB5 and the 1968 Ford Mustang GT as one of the most iconic cars on film.
Though it wasn’t the first of the series, Aston Martin’s DB5 grand tourer was catapulted into supercardom when it sped onto the scene with water cannons and a jet pack in James Bond’s 1964 film Goldfingerand has been a firm Bond favourite ever since. Its most recent iteration, the DB11, was the first redesign of Aston Martin’s flagship DB series in 13 years.
Similarly, there have been many variants of Ford’s archetypal Mustang over the years, but none quite so memorable as the 1968 GT driven by rev-head Steve McQueen in the action thriller Bullitt.
Currently in its sixth generation, it is the fifth-best selling Ford car nameplate.
For DeLorean, the Hollywood effect is certainly getting the public’s engines revving.
“The Alpha5 is a representation of the past 40 years of DeLorean,” said DeLorean Motor Company's chief marketing officer Troy Beetz. "There was this enormous responsibility to make sure we honored the history of the DeLorean brand, but an even greater responsibility in curating its future...
"I think we did both with the Alpha5."
The DeLorean Alpha5 EV is set to be released in 2024. Though no pricing and no official details have yet been announced, you can register your interest via the delorean website.
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