When DeLorean CEO Joost De Vries told us that designers “never stopped” developing concepts, we didn’t know we’d get to see them!
The DeLorean Motor Company is that special kind of carmaker that lives in infamy in the minds of many car fans. It is remembered for the one model that it produced, nicknamed the DMC-12, which is simultaneously thought of as an ambitious experiment, an underperforming dud that cost too much, and the unforgettable time machine in the Back to the Future franchise.
After some cocaine-fueled drama, the original DeLorean Motor Company went defunct in 1982 (after only getting started in 1975). In 1995, a Liverpool-born mechanic named Stephen Wynne started a separate company, using the name, taking on the stylized DMC logo, and acquiring the leftover parts inventory. Now located in Texas, DMC Texas has been supporting DeLorean owners with service, restoration, and the sale of new old stock.
Well, it turns out that the current DeLorean Motor Company has something new for us after all: the Alpha5.
Revealed on May 30, the Alpha5 coupe melds the DMC-12’s iconic design of the gull-wing doors and louvered rear window with contemporary EV stylings. It has a more curvy body than the original design and made room in the back for two rear seats. It has some fairly good power – enough to deliver a 0-60 time under 3.0 seconds. We do know that its 110 kWh battery pack is said to last for more than 300 miles on a charge.
One neat thing that DMC has done to help hype the Alpha5 is to release a reimagined timeline of DeLorean Alpha models throughout the decades. Saying that the DMC-12 was never meant to be a static interpretation of the brand, the company’s reimagined history shows four generational designs from their “archives” and how they “influenced” the modern Alpha5.
Concept sketches and notes share a vision of a 1981 Alpha with four to five seats and new materials beyond stainless steel. The 1993 Alpha2 sketches show a swoopier body design that puts the focus on aerodynamics with a low-profile, Ferrari F40/Toyota Supra-style spoiler.
DeLorean Alpha2 Concept Art
The Alpha3 concept from 2003 embraces more technology and is noted as “the brand’s first interpretation of an electric vehicle.” Its unconventional design uses standard doors for the front and saves the gull-wing doors for the rear to allow easier ingress and egress.
DeLorean Alpha3 Concept Art
Then there’s the Alpha4 SUV, which is a bigger, blockier concept that could have been hydrogen fuel cell-powered. The 4 keeps the rear gull-wing doors (similar to the Tesla Model X’ “falcon wing” rear doors), while some sketches extend the rear to make it a bit of a truck-SUV hybrid.
We think it’s a very modern take, and a DeLorean like the Alpha4 could have a chance against high-end vehicles like the Rivian R1T or GMC Hummer EV. Check it out for yourself, below.
DeLorean Alpha4 Concept Art
Whatever the true inspirations may be for the upcoming Alpha5 sports coupe, fans can look forward to its premiere at Pebble Beach Concours d ‘Elegance later this month.
SOURCE | IMAGES: DELOREAN MOTOR COMPANY.
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