A Revival for the Ages: The DeLorean Alpha5!
The DeLorean, a glimpse of the future yet a blast from the past. It had a rocky life, but the DeLorean folk fancy having another stab at redefining the motoring world with their new concept electric car – the DeLorean Alpha5. We all remember the super-modern and futuristic DMC-12 from Back to the Future, well now it’s getting a new lease of life! Of course, it will always be a classic, but will the new electric model – the DeLorean Alpha5 – turn heads like its predecessor?
It’s not the first time a DeLorean comeback has been attempted after the initial failed run of the DeLorean from 1981-1983; attempts were made in 2007 and 2017, will this time be the run of a lifetime? The start of something new? It’s a long way to 2024, if only we had some sort of time machine…
DMC-12 DeLorean vs DeLorean Alpha5!
The DeLorean DMC-12 – a glimpse of the future, yet a blast from the past. The two-passenger sports car was developed by John DeLorean’s DeLorean Motor Company (DMC) from 1981 – 1983. It was the only car this company brought to market and DMC made an estimated total of around 9,000 DeLoreans.
The DeLorean Alpha5 was revealed in late May of 2022 and is expected to go into production in 2023. The 4-seater electric powerhouse was designed by Italdesign Giugiaro, a subsidiary of VW Group, who also designed the original DMC-12!
Price and Performance
The base price of the DMC-12 on release was $25,000, equivalent to around $75,000 today. It had a top speed of 109 mph and a 0-60mph in 8.8s according to DMC, but others reported it was closer to 9.5 seconds.
Although shown as the car of the future, there were some pretty substantial faults with this DeLorean, including a sticking throttle and front suspension issues, resulting in 4 recalls. The vehicle was noted for its lack of power and performance compared to its looks and price.
The Alpha 5 however boasts an expected top speed of 155mph, with an expected 0-88mph (nice) of 4.35 seconds! Now, as that’s over the speed limit and may result in unexpected time travel, the 0-60mph is a very respectable 2.9 seconds; can’t knock that, gives Tesla a run for its money! What’s more? The range on this bad boy is estimated to be OVER 300 miles! That’s mad, but don’t get too excited yet – the retail price is around $125,000. Ouch.
Comparing Looks
We all know what the DMC-12 looks like – and if you don’t, there’s a nice pic on the right. It was designed from the Porsche Taprio concept car, the body is panelled with stainless steel and left unpainted; it really gives it that cardboard-box-covered-in-foil-time-machine effect. It also sports the classic gull-wing doors and louvred rear window, which carries over into the new Alpha5.
There isn’t much resemblance between the DMC-12 and the Alpha 5, basically except for the doors, but this seems to have been intentional; The developers wanted to imagine what DeLoreans would look like if they never stopped producing the car. The Alpha5 is where they believe the DeLorean range would be now.
This model is much more rounded out than the original, which is becoming the norm for electric cars. EVs like the VW ID.4 and the MG4 also have a sloped and sleek exterior. Keeping in the theme with most electric cars, this model also rocks huge wheels. It resembles a Jaguar I-PACE if it was squashed and stretched. Anyway, the Alpha5 comes in 3 colours, Chromosphere Red, Neutrino White, and Tidal Black, the interior of each resembles this.
Chromosphere Red Interior
Neutrino White Interior
Tidal Black Interior
Let’s Look to the Future
The Alpha5 will be a limited edition release. With conflicting reports, it’s tough to know just how limited. Some articles suggest there will be 88 vehicles made, can you guess why? Others suggest there will be 9,531 vehicles made, which is allegedly 1 more than the original DMC-12 release. It’s quite the jump in numbers, and both are pretty cool ideas to run with, but fear not, there are big plans for DMC’s future. The company have stated that they “need to get to the SUV if we’re going to become a car company”. If that doesn’t set hopes high for a realistic and affordable release in the coming years, what else will? You can check out the company’s other concept cars here!
Get Reserving
There is also a countdown on the DeLorean website for when Alpha Club members can reserve their vehicle. Reservations start on 30th September, so if you have $2,500 spare (and the rest!) this is one for you.
With the original model being noteworthy for lack of power and performance compared to its looks and price, and reportedly being one of the top 50 worst cars of all time, it’s safe to say that our hopes are very high for the new release (and maybe any future releases?). With those stats, not to mention that price tag, it’s sure to be one of the greats in the electric car market.
Tags : Alpha5, DeLorean, DeLorean Alpha5, electric car, EV