DeLorean: “Back to the Future” car is back

“Back to the Future” not only made Michael J. Fox a superstar, but also a car: the DMC-12 from DeLorean. The history of this manufacturer – crazy like a science fiction movie. Now a new car is coming.

Roller skates, Walkman, “Back to the Future” – those were the 80s. Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox), Dr. Emmett Brown (Christopher Lloyd): They are the stars of the blockbuster – alongside a car that everyone knows but few can name, the DeLorean DMC-12. The story of this brand is as crazy as the plot of the film series – and now gets a second chapter.

Because DeLorean is back. And with the Alpha5, the manufacturer is showing its first model in 40 years. The car should be on the market in two years. And with 88 copies, it will be even rarer than its predecessor (see below) – with which it has a few things in common: fans already know the large gullwing doors and the slats above the rear window from the original. But most of it is new: four seats instead of two, five meters in length instead of just under 4.20 meters, LED headlights, electric drive. The electric motor should accelerate the Alpha5 to 100 km/h in around three seconds (top speed: 250 km/h) and offer a range of 480 kilometers.

Thanks to the large gullwing doors and because there are no B-pillars (roof racks between the front and rear doors), getting in is effortless – at least if the parking space is large enough. The car should also be easy to operate. At least you won’t have to look for buttons – because there aren’t any here. As with Tesla, everything important is controlled on a central touchscreen.

However: The Alpha5 will not only be really rare, but also really expensive. A starting price of no less than 150,000 euros is assumed. But he should be the top model of a whole family. Among other things, an electric sedan and an SUV with a hydrogen drive are planned – so that the second chapter of DeLorean lasts longer than the first.

DeLorean – a single tragedy

Incredible as a science fiction film, bitter as a tragedy: the history of the DeLorean brand (established in 1975). It came to an end after just seven years. During this time, a single model was created, namely the DMC-12. The rolling hip flask with the gullwing doors looked like the future, which earned it a film role in Hollywood: In the blockbuster “Back to the Future”, the car is a time machine.

In fact, the DMC-12 is far less rapid than it looks: With 132 hp and a top speed of 200 km/h, it was clearly inferior to the true sports cars of its time. But it was very expensive. And so he could not make a trick with the customers: company founder John Zachary DeLorean († 80) was not even able to sell 8,600 cars – too few to survive.

New start in Texas: The name DeLorean is now at home there after it was taken over by an investor. So far, the brand’s old cars have had their quirks removed. However, new models will soon be available.

On top of that, in order to save his company, he first got involved with the wrong people and then in a staged cocaine deal, was arrested by the FBI and DEA (US Drug Enforcement Agency). The details of this shady story remained nebulous for a long time. One thing is certain: DeLorean was able to prove that he had acted out of fear for the well-being of his family and was acquitted. However, the company was still finished. After only two years of construction, the lights went out in his factory, built in poor Northern Ireland with a lot of government money.