DeLorean is officially back and ready to embrace the future by hopping on the electric bandwagon with its all-new Alpha5. Much like its source of inspiration, the iconic DMC-12, this one too takes the shape of a stylish coupe with gullwing doors styled by Italdesign. The top-hinged massive doors and rear glass louvers are essentially the only nods to the past as the rest of the design is thoroughly modern.
In keeping with today's EVs, it has massive wheels and slim lights front and rear. Its curvaceous body hosts the charging port on the driver’s side front fender, so no more having to open the trunk to access the gasoline cap. The Alpha5 has a two-tone finish and a swoopy roofline reminiscent of the car made famous by the Back to the Future trilogy.
DeLorean Alpha5
Inside, gone is the flux capacitor as it has made way for two individual rear seats. As with the latest high-end EVs, it does away with most (if not all) conventional controls as everything has been embedded into the touchscreen residing on a "floating" center console. The driver has a wide fully digital instrument cluster and a flat-bottomed steering wheel. Accessing the rear seats should be a breeze given how wide the gullwing doors are and the absence of a B-pillar.
DeLorean remains coy on details about the drivertrain, but it does say the Alpha5 needs 3.4 seconds to 60 mph (96 km/h) and tops out at an electronically capped 150 mph (241 km/h). It has a battery pack with a capacity of more than 100 kWh, good for an EPA-estimated range in excess of 300 miles (483 kilometers). Mind you, all these specs apply to the "base performance model," suggesting hotter versions are on the way.
We also know the electric coupe has a remarkably low drag coefficient of only 0.23, which isn't the best in the business as Mercedes has achieved a Cd of 0.20 with the EQS liftback. Thankfully, there's no underpowered V6 gasoline engine from Peugeot-Renault-Volvo anymore, replaced with an unspecified electric setup that'll go from 0 to 88 mph (142 km/h) in 4.35 seconds after which it probably won't time travel.
It's much bigger than its ancestor, stretching at 4,995 millimeters (196.6 inches) long, 2,044 mm (80.4 in) wide, and 1,370 mm (53.9 in) tall when the gullwing doors are closed. DeLorean says it has outsourced production to Italy whereas the powertrain will be provided by a supplier from the UK.
Only 88 (of course!) cars will be made, with a V8-powered sports coupe to follow. If everything goes according to plan, the extended lineup is bound to include an electric sedan and even a hydrogen-powered SUV. Following its public debut in August at Pebble Beach, the DeLorean Alpha5 will enter production in 2024.
