No one can deny that the DeLorean DMC-12 plays a leading role in the film trilogy "Back to the Future". Converted into a time machine, it takes Doc Brown and Marty to the future and back. It was a flop as a real vehicle, but this August the dream of many fans could come true: the DeLorean is celebrating its comeback as an electric car.
Over 40 years ago, Giorgetto Giugiaro, founder of the design firm Italdesign, created the famous angular design of the DMC-12 with a stainless steel body. Manufacturer DMC showed what the new electric DeLorean could look like in a 15-second clip on YouTube and in two teaser images.
It is also an electric drive that is supposed to get the DeLorean back on the road, 40 years after the last examples were built in Northern Ireland.
The History
DeLorean Motor Company (DMC) was founded in 1976 by former General Motors Vice President John DeLorean. He wanted to build a cheap, safe, and durable sports car. Production started in Belfast in 1981. With gullwing doors and a plastic body with stainless steel paneling, the car was very futuristic at the time.
Unfortunately, John DeLorean fell short of his own high standards: The delivered vehicles had such severe defects that interest soon waned. In two years, DMC produced around 8,5 units, after which the manufacturer spectacularly went bankrupt.
In 1985, the first part of the "Back to the Future" trilogy hit the cinemas and made the car world famous in one fell swoop. The British engineer Stephen Wynne secured the naming rights and set up a spare parts store for the old models in Texas. Today, the original DeLorean is a coveted collector's item, which is still offered at prices over $20K even if it is not roadworthy.
DeLorean EVolved is not the first comeback announcement for the cult car. There have always been many rumors about a possible comeback of the brand. Two years ago, former Rimac designer Ángel Guerra published the sketch of a possible modern DeLorean as an electric car. The idea was enthusiastically taken up, but not implemented.
Stephen Wynne, who owns the naming rights, has also presented an electrically powered study that also never went into series production. In 2017, the DMC-12 could even be pre-ordered again on the DeLorean website. Since then, however, the manufacturer has only refurbished old models and has not produced any new ones.
The DeLorean was never really that far away. A lively collector scene kept the car alive: You can have an almost brand new car built from original parts - with a few improvements such as electric power steering and engine tuning. And the classic car with its stainless steel skin has already been converted into an electric car by enthusiasts.
If you have an original DeLorean model, you can be sure to find all the protective equipment you need at Coverking. Check out their extensive catalog for every model produced, ever, no matter how rare they are.
The New Design
We don’t know much about the car yet but one thing is pretty clear: the iconic gullwing doors will be retained in the electric car. As expected, the body is much less angular than the original. Otherwise, apart from a silhouette, not much can be seen. Italdesign is on board also again this time and has designed the new edition.
Oddly enough, the featured vehicle doesn't really suggest a design made up of mostly flat geometric shapes, especially when it comes to the profile of the roof. If you look closely, the teased design appears to feature pronounced curvature of the A-pillars and hood.
If the electric DeLorean is actually built, Italdesign could step in as a contract manufacturer. DMC itself started developing an electric powertrain years ago. Italdesign, in turn, is working on the EVX electric car platform and is also able to produce around 500 cars a year. However, it is still unclear whether the platform will be used in the new DeLorean and whether Italdesign will actually take over the production process.
The electric DeLorean is to be presented in time for the 40th birthday of the DMC-12, namely on August 18, 2022. Then DMC also wants to announce the official model name. The car goes by the hashtag #DeLoreanEVolved on social media. However, the new DeLorean is just a concept, not a prototype for series production.
The new announcement is all the more exciting. At the presentation of the DeLorean on August 18, we will hopefully also find out whether the dream of die-hard "Back to the Future" fans will come true and a production model will follow. There may also be initial information about the production and a possible price.
Resources
- https://delorean.com/
- https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a39194213/delorean-electric-vehicle-new/
- https://www.carscoops.com/2022/05/new-delorean-evolved-teased-ahead-of-debut-looks-like-an-electric-dmc-12/
- https://insideevs.com/news/584896/delorean-evolved-electric-sports-car-debuts-sooner/
- https://www.motor1.com/news/583617/delorean-ev-new-teaser-video/
- https://www.autoweek.com/news/green-cars/a39091044/delorean-evolved-electric-coupe/
- https://www.autoblog.com/2022/05/09/delorean-devolved-teaser/
Tankut Basar
Tankut Basar is an ARA (American Rally Assoc.) Racing Driver and an FIA Bronze Category License Holder. His passion for driving began with karting like most racers. He started racing internationally at the age of 22. Tankut loves everything car-related and will keep enjoying the drive until the end.
