The new DeLorean Motor Company, an outfit based in Texas, has thrown the cover off its long-teased production car. Set to be called the Alpha5, it’s an all-electric car with an estimated range of 480 kilometres, a battery with more than 100 kWh of juice, and a top speed of about 250 km/h.
And, of course, it has gullwing doors.
“There was this enormous responsibility to make sure we honored the history of the DeLorean brand,” said Troy Beetz, a man whose surname sounds like a set of popular headphones but is actually the Chief Marketing Officer for the new DeLorean, before going on to speak about the brand’s responsibility in curating its future.
In this vein, the Alpha5’s spec sheet includes the time for a run from zero to 88 mph, which should take less than 4.5 seconds. That should be more than fleet of foot to outrun any fake Libyans in a VW Bus who are looking for their cylinders of plutonium.
2023 DeLorean Motor Company Alpha5 Photo by DeLorean Motor Company
2023 DeLorean Motor Company Alpha5 Photo by DeLorean Motor Company
2023 DeLorean Motor Company Alpha5 Photo by DeLorean Motor Company
2023 DeLorean Motor Company Alpha5 Photo by DeLorean Motor Company
2023 DeLorean Motor Company Alpha5 Photo by DeLorean Motor Company
2023 DeLorean Motor Company Alpha5 Photo by DeLorean Motor Company
Details are scanty ahead of the DeLorean’s official reveal tomorrow, but officially unofficial specs are mentioned on a preview microsite. Acceleration to highway speeds from rest are expected to take less than 3.0 seconds, putting the Alpha5 in league with other high-performance EVs who deploy their power with gusto. An estimated 0.23 coefficient of drag means the wind thinks it is pretty, while some throwback design cues will permit children of the ‘80s to think the same.
A louver-style shade covers the back window, making a clear callback to the original car. Illuminated name badges pepper the front and rear fascia areas, and wind-cheating turbine-style wheels look like they’ve been taken straight out of Steampunk Daily magazine. It wouldn’t be a DeLorean without gullwing doors, of course, so the side portals raise skyward like oversized eagle wings. Astute readers will note the Alpha5 has a feature not found in the original DMC-12 factory units: a back seat.
A quartet of aggressive bucket seats are clearly shown in one of the official photos, meaning you can take three of your friends along for a ride that will surely be peppered with pop culture references to the 1980s. The dashboard is notably denuded of any DYMO-labelled time circuits, instead bearing the typical minimalist EV styling cues of a large centre tablet and a thin digital cluster ahead of the driver. Twin knobs that look like bullets but are probably temperature controls for ventilation system look interesting, and there’s a blue-red marking way down by a USB-C port which is out of reach of the driver.
Interested? Us, too. More details are scheduled to drop tomorrow, and an in-person showing is scheduled for the Tony events at Pebble Beach in August.
Keyword: That’s Heavy: DeLorean previewed ahead of official reveal