When Doc Brown sent the original DeLorean back to the future with a bolt of lightning, he didn’t realize that his successor would also run on pure electricity.
fter 40 years in the motorsport wilderness, DeLorean Motor Company has finally revealed a stunning design for its new electric vehicle.
Images of the DeLorean EV have been posted online showing an expensive-looking redesign for a new generation.
The eye-catching gull-wing doors are still there, but little else seems to tie it to the original boxy and often unreliable DMC-12 model.
With four seats, sleek contours and a dazzling metallic finish, the luxurious new DeLorean looks more like a millionaire’s sports car than Doc Brown’s dilapidated time machine from the Back to the Future movies.
It’s a bold move to bring back a car that has remained one of the most iconic and mocked cars in the auto industry and pop culture.
When the company’s original owner, John DeLorean, brought his factory to Belfast in 1978, he was seen as a hero.
But the company collapsed four years later despite being supported by around £77m of taxpayer money.
John DeLorean’s reputation also suffered further in recent years when he was embroiled in a cocaine trafficking scandal.
As reported by IGN, DMC’s latest design revives the ‘Medusa’ sedan, a concept that was in development before the company collapsed in 1982.
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The new DeLorean EV (Photo: The DeLorean Motor Company)
Although officially known as the DMC-24, it would have featured no less than four independent gullwing doors.
Eager to capture the futuristic feel of the original, the DeLorean EV will have two electronically operated gull-wing doors that allow access to the front and rear seats.
The specifications also show that the car will have a 100kWh battery that is estimated to enable more than 300 miles of travel on a single charge and 0-60mph in 2.99 seconds.
For Back to the Future fans, going from 0 to 88 mph will take 4.35 seconds, with an estimated top speed of 155 mph.
Pricing is reportedly expected to be around $175,000 (£138,269), with production set to begin at DMC’s new San Antonio facility in the next few years.
While the current Delorean Motor Company only shares the name of the company’s founder, the design was created by ItalDesign, who also created the original look of the DMC 12.
It is estimated that approximately 9,000 DeLoreans were produced between 1981 and 1983, with around 6,000 models still surviving to this day.
In February of this year, it was first revealed that the DeLorean Motor Company planned to establish its headquarters in San Antonio, creating 450 new jobs.
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The new DeLorean EV (Photo: The DeLorean Motor Company)
As a statement of intent, a television ad prior to the Super Bowl announced plans to make an electric model with images showing the silhouette of the vehicle.
The slogan read: “The future was never promised. Reimagine today.”
The Resurrection of the DeLorean Motor Company FirIt started in the late 1990s, when English mechanic Stephen Wynne bought the name and opened a DeLorean showroom and restoration facility in Texas.
Until now, the main line of work has been dedicated to maintaining the original DeLoreans that are still on the road.
Whether or not the new company can erase the ghosts of the past remains to be seen, but it’s clear that the new model will soon turn heads either way.
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John DeLorean photographed in 1981 with the original DeLorean model in Belfast.
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