There will be a launch edition limited to 88 units!
After staying non-functional for nearly 40 years, the DeLorean Motor Company is back! And quite unsurprising for the time we’re in, the comeback has spawned a spanking new EV that would rival the Porsche Taycan, as the first product. Dubbed DeLorean Alpha5, the car borrows a lot of signature design cues from the iconic DMC-12 movie car from the ‘Back To The Future’ sci-fi trilogy. It is a four-seater that looks futuristic and is, by what we know yet, fast as well!
DeLorean Alpha 5: What’s So Special About It?
Like the DMC 12, the Alpha 5 has also been designed by Italdesign. The overall design looks modern but has the OG Delorean’s design DNA intact. The Alpha5 goes easy on the eye and has a great focus on the overall aero efficiency, unlike the edgy movie car. However, cues like the slim wraparound lightbars, glass rear louvres, and the gullwing doors are all gentle nods to the OG car’s design.
At 4,995 mm, DMC Alpha5 is longer than the iconic DMC 12. The extra bulk here is towards the rear, translating seamlessly to more room for the rear seats. The images released online show the rear to have two sports seats separated by a fair-sized handrest. The rear row, however, doesn’t get its own doors. All that the car has, are two large gull wings, bearing strong resemblances to the movie car.
There are also multiple lighting signatures in the overall design. The most notable of these could be the light bars at the rear, the illuminated logo, those on the rear diffuser, and on the gull wings.
The cabin seems to have a futuristic design to it. Two large screens are seen in the official photos- one for displaying driver information and the other hopefully for the infotainment.
DMC has not given out the exact specifications of the Alpha5. However, we have a few key numbers about it, going by which it shouldn’t be an exaggeration to pitch this as a potent rival to the Porsche Taycan. The official website tells us that a 100+ kWh battery pack is to be expected, that would offer range figures of up to 438 km (or 300 miles). The exact power and torque figures aren’t known yet, but we’re told that 0-88 mph comes in 4.35 seconds. On a more familiar note, 0-96 kph is done in 3.4 seconds! The top speed is limited to 241 kph.
Joost de Vries, the ex-Tesla, ex-Karma official who is currently at the helm of Delorean’s revival (its CEO to be more precise!), in an interview with Autocar UK, revealed that the Alpha5 could match the Mercedes AMG GT and higher spec Taycans in performance. However, the focus would be more on converting the ICE crowd than going straight to the performance EV crowd searching for something faster than a Tesla Model S Plaid. Vries also reveals that even when it would be assembled in Italy, the Alpha5 would have its powertrain sourced from the UK.
The full-blown Alpha5 will have a limited run ‘launch edition’ to it, limited to just 88 units, each of which would be an avatar for an associated NFT. This would essentially mean that these cars would not be road-legal and would be fit for track use alone. The remaining part of the production run is known to be homologated for road use and marketed and sold conventionally. Going by these claims, we expect the launch edition to have mind-blowing specs and performance.
The 88-units production run for the supremely fast launch edition is a sweet nod to the ‘Back to the future’ movie series, in which 88 mph was the speed required to initiate time travel. The public debut of Alpha5 is planned for August, at Pebble Beach, and the production is slated to begin in 2024.
And hey, there is no word yet on the prices, but as obvious, it won’t come cheap!
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Delorean Motor Company: The Road Ahead
Other than the Alpha5, DMC seems to have a few other interesting products in the pipeline. The officials have confirmed plans for a V8-powered sports coupe, a city bus, an electric sedan, and a premium sports SUV for the time ahead. DMC seems to be rather ambitious and excited about the SUV and sees it as their potent volume driver. The BMW X7 rival is hoped to be previewed sometime after the Alpha5’s Pebble Beach debut.
