Iconic sports car brand DeLorean has revealed the final design for its long-awaited successor to the DMC12. Unlike the star of the Back to the Future films, which took the form of a compact two-seater, the follow-up will be longer, wider and heavier.
The car, badged Alpha5, will make its public debut at the Pebble Beach car show in August when buyers and those on the waiting list will finally be able to see the finished car in the metal. The brand is run by former Tesla and Karma entrepreneur Joost van Vries following its acquisition from Stephen Wynne, a British businessman who operated a spares and aftermarket service for owners of the original DMC12 car.
The new Alpha5 carries over a number of styling cues from the Northern Ireland-built DMC12, including the famous gull-wing doors and a slatted aero spoiler on the rear window. The design was penned by Italdesign – the Italian design company that created the original DMC12 – and bosses are planning to keep the Italian connection by outsourcing production to an as-yet-unnamed Italian company. The motors and other drivetrain components will come from a UK supplier.
In terms of specification and engineering, DeLorean has yet to reveal anything other than projected performance and range figures. According to the brand’s own data, the Alpha5 will have a 0-60mph time of 2.99 seconds and a top speed of 155mph. The battery size is listed as “100kWh+” while the range is predicted to be more than 300 miles.
Although the power output of the Alpha5 has yet to be confirmed, it will be significantly higher than that of its predecessor, which was lumbered with a 2.8-litre naturally-aspirated Volvo V6 engine from the original DMC-12 which produced just 130bhp
The first production run will be limited to 88 units - the figure referencing the speed the original car needed to reach in order to travel back in time in the Back to the Future films.
Speaking to Autocar magazine, Joost de Vries said that the first batch of cars will be for track use only as the brand works through the homologation process for the series production model.
Following the launch of the Alpha5, DeLorean plans to add a number of additional models to its range. The key model will be a large SUV which bosses view as the car with the highest sales volume. However, battery electric car fans will be disappointed to note that while the Alpha5 will be solely battery electric, the planned SUV will feature a hydrogen fuel cell.
Gullwing doors are about the only feature the new Alpha5 has in common with its DMC12 predecessor 
