DeLorean Motor Company released the first pictures and information earlier than expected through the official website, for anyone signing up for news and updates. The DeLorean Alpha5, penned by Italdesign just like its predecessor, is a low-slung four-seater grand tourer with massive gullwing doors and a fully electric powertrain.
The return of the DeLorean nameplate has
fewer design references to the iconic DMC-12 than we would initially expect.
The aerodynamic body (0.23 cd) is a lot more curvaceous than the boxy shapes of
the original, while the characteristic windowline is replaced by a more modern
greenhouse. Still, the Alpha5 honors tradition with gullwing doors that take up
most of the profile, large-diameter multispoke wheels, a straight character
line going all around the bodywork, and a vented rear windscreen cover.
At the front, the thin LED headlights merge with the grille which bears the DeLorean emblem, instead of the usual DMC badge of the old car. There is an illuminated V-shaped element on both bumpers, with a prominent splitter upfront and a large diffuser at the back. The tail has full-width taillights with three horizontal lines, working as a loose representation of the pattern on the DMC-12 taillights. Speaking of LEDs, the gullwing doors have illuminated patches at the front and at the back, making them more visible when opened.
The DeLorean Alpha5 has a rather large
footprint, measuring 4,995 mm long, 2,044 mm wide,
and just 1,370 mm tall. This makes it slightly longer, wider, and
shorter than a Porsche Taycan. The sheer size of the gullwing doors allows
easier access to the cabin which has four individual seats. The dashboard is
characterized by simple lines with a digital instrument cluster being the focus
point behind the modern-styled flat-bottom steering wheel. There is a second,
smaller touchscreen screen for the infotainment on the high-mounted floating
center console and what appears to be a set of physical controls for the air
conditioning behind it, next to a wireless charging tray. We can also see two
cupholders and more storage compartments for the front passengers.
DeLorean hasn’t given us a detailed
presentation of the platform but announced some estimated spec figures for the
“Base Performance Model”. A large 100 kWh battery is good for more than 483 km of range and while we don’t know the output of the electric
motors, the Alpha5 will accelerate from 0-96 km/h in 2.99 seconds,
and from 0-142 km/h in 4.35 seconds. The top speed will be 250 km/h.
The official premiere is
scheduled for August 18 at the Pebble Beach Concours d ‘Elegance. While the
DeLorean Motor Company is headquartered in the US, production of the Alpha5
will be outsourced in Italy with the powertrain coming from a UK partner. The
Alpha5 will initially be offered in just 88 units, referencing the speed of the
time-travel DMC-12 in the Back To The Future movies.
