At the end of last month, DeLorean showed its new Alpha 5 and already announced some technical data. And the model is just the beginning for the company’s future vision. We wanted to gather all the data and share it with you.
Technically underdeveloped, far too lame for a sports car and a catastrophe in terms of quality, it still had style - and that's why the DeLorean DMC-12 hasn't been completely forgotten to this day. The car gained popularity in the 1980s as a time machine in the science fiction trilogy "Back to the Future" - which young people hardly know anymore.
Again and again there were rumors about a new DeLorean. After all, the DeLorean Motor Company continued to exist as a start-up - the company lived from the sale of spare parts and from replicating the DMC-12.
In 2009 there were rumors that the DeLorean Motor Company would buy the Kappa platform from GM. The Pontiac Solstice, the Saturn Sky, the Opel GT and the Daewoo G2X, among others, are based on this platform.
With the phasing out of the Kappa platform at GM, there were apparently efforts by the DeLorean Motor Company to make the Pontiac Solstice, which differs most visually from the other Kappa derivatives, a new DeLorean model. That didn `t work.
At the end of 2020, Spanish ex-Rimac designer Angel Guerra proposed a new futuristic DeLorean. And now DeLorean is finally showing its latest model, the Alpha 5.
The Design
DeLorean already announced the dimensions of the Alpha 5 designed by Italdesign Giugiaro. The vehicle is going to be 16,4 ft long and 6,5 ft wide with a height of 4,5 ft. Its wheelbase is 7,5 ft.
The Alpha 5 will be made in Italy, with significant parts of the powertrain designed and made in the UK. The first thing to come onto the market is a launch edition – the number of pieces is limited to the magical time travel number of 88.
The launch edition is said to be not street legal, but only suitable for racetracks. In addition, the first customers get their cars in the form of an NFT (Non-Fungible Token). For example, NFTs can be digital images that exist only once in their original form. Such works of art are verifiably assignable to an owner. In the case of the Alpha 5, the NFT is said to be a digital replica of the car. The launch edition is going to be followed by road-legal models.
The Interior
Access to the four-seat interior seems comfortable on the Alpha 5 because of the large gullwing doors front and rear. The driver looks through the flat-bottomed steering wheel at an instrument display - there is no double display or even a continuous screen area from right to left in the Alpha 5, which is apparently designed more for driving than for entertainment.
Above the center console is a fairly compact-looking infotainment screen - DeLorean has not yet announced the inch sizes of the displays or any function.
The Power
The Alpha 5 is an electrically powered sports car that should have very decent driving performance. DeLorean boss Joost de Vries (previously head of service at Tesla and head of sales at Karma) promises a performance like that of a Mercedes-AMG GT or a Porsche Taycan Turbo, but at the same time the car should be intended for a larger group of customers and compete with a Tesla Model S Plaid when it comes to peak performance.
The Alpha 5 is said to sprint from zero to 60 miles per hour (97 km/h) in 3.0 seconds. And with a wink, DeLorean also states the sprint time at 88 miles per hour (142 km/h), after all, that is the speed at which time travel was possible in the film "Back to the Future". The Alpha 5 is ready for time travel after 4.4 seconds.
The absolute top speed is 155 miles per hour (249 km/h). So far, all the data has only been estimated - including that for the battery's energy content and range: 100 kilowatt hours should be able to be stored in the battery, and DeLorean specifies a range of 300 miles (483 kilometers). The car slips through the wind with a good drag coefficient of 0.23.
The Future
After the Alpha 5, DeLorean would like to start with other models from which the manufacturer expects larger sales volumes. A sports coupe is planned next – with a V8 engine. Apparently, the DeLorean managers see a larger clientele for a new sports car with a V8 combustion engine.
A purely electrically powered sedan and a hydrogen-powered SUV are also planned. This SUV, like the Alpha 5, is scheduled to be on display at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance on August 18, 2022 . As names for its future models, DeLorean has provided the designations Alpha, Alpha 2, Alpha 3 and Alpha i5 on its website, but without assigning these names to a specific concept.
In order to finance further development and the establishment of a production, DeLorean wants to go public - maybe as early as summer 2022. Production of the Alpha 5 is scheduled to start in 2024, interested parties can already reserve the car via the DeLorean website - but the prices are not yet known.
Conclusion
This time it seems to work: Apparently there is actually a successor to the DeLorean DMC-12 from 1981. While the old model was technically a massive disappointment and was only convincing with its Giugiaro design, the Alpha 5 is going to be a purely electric powered sports car able to sprint to 60 mph in three seconds.
It is therefore significantly more potent than its weak predecessor and should also be technically more reliable - if DeLorean actually manages to start production. And that is a big “if”. We believe this car can become a classic right from the start because of the movie fame and story. So, if you are planning on buying more, you must protect it perfectly for it to keep its value.
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Coverking is also the official protective equipment partner with most manufacturers and DeLorean will most likely be one after production starts. Check out their catalog and find out what they can do for you and your vehicle.
Resources
- https://delorean.com/
- https://delorean.com/alpha5/
- https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-31/delorean-alpha5-electric-car-photos-details-launch-date
- https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a39194213/delorean-electric-vehicle-new/
- https://www.theverge.com/2022/5/30/23147339/delorean-alpha-5-first-look-gull-winged-ev-revival
- https://www.businessinsider.com/new-delorean-electric-alpha5-concept-car-photos-2022-6
- 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.
