Choosing a car for the character of an audiovisual work is not an easy task. Sometimes, the vehicle of a character in a film or a television series ends up being an icon within the work. We have cases like the Suzuki Esteem used by Jimmy McGill during his adventures in Better Call Saul , or the horrible Pontiac Aztek driven by a failed Walter White at the beginning of Breaking Bad . However, if there is an iconic car in the world of cinema, it is the DeLorean , the legendary car from Back to the Future . Times change, and Doc’s car is getting its own revamped version with an electric motor .
The DMC-12, a failure, but a success in our hearts
The DeLorean DMC-12 is a timeless gem, and was probably one of Robert Zemeckis and his team’s biggest hits when designing the set for Back to the Future . However, the DeLorean was one of the greatest automotive failures in history .
DeLorean Motor Company was only active during 1981 and 1982. They managed to produce around 9,000 units of the coupé, and manufacturing was in total chaos. First of all, John DeLorean had the great idea of locating his factory in Belfast. Saving some taxes meant dealing with the IRA. The CEO was subsequently arrested for drug trafficking. And, although he was found not guilty, his reputation took a nosedive. In addition, the car had numerous technical problems, so the company would end up shutting down in almost record time.
Fortune came a little late for DMC-12. Back to the Future was released in 1985, and the DeLorean was then known all over the world. In 1995, the American businessman Stephen Wynne took over the brand, and even obtained permission to produce 50 units of the sports car. From then until now, Wynne has had to make do with collecting royalties for making DMC-12 toys. However, this is going to change soon, as it has already been announced that the DeLorean will return with a modern and electrified version .
The DeLorean Alpha5 replaces the flux capacitor with batteries
The future has arrived for the DeLorean. The brand’s new coupé will be called Alpha5 , and will be presented at Monterey Car Week next August, although we have already seen some images of how this sports car will look.
It will be fully electric , although it will retain some elements of the original DMC-12, such as the gull-wing doors or the rear glass decorated with horizontal black slats. It will have a 2+2 seating configuration and will have to face very tough rivals like the Porsche Taycan. The Alpha5 promises a range of almost 500 kilometers and acceleration from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in about 3 seconds.
The design of this new electric DeLorean has been in charge of Italdesign , Giorgietto Giugiaro’s studio. Quite a success, since the Italian was the original designer of the DMC-12 , as well as many other vehicles that have gone down in history such as the BMW M1, the Lancia Delta and a good collection of Alfa Romeo cars.
Only 88 units of this model will be manufactured, a nod to Back to the Future , since that was the speed (in miles per hour) that the DMC-12 had to reach in order to travel in time. Each model will be registered on the blockchain with its own NFT and is expected to go on sale in 2024 .