Dust off your hoverboard, the DeLorean DMC-12 has returned. Like a Phoenix from the ashes, it has taken a few decades to realize the potential of the revolutionary car. Only 8,583 original cars were built from 1981 to ’83, but when the company became insolvent most of the parts were simply boxed up and sold. Historians offer many reasons why John DeLorean’s brand went under, but the simple truth is that the car was from the future.
His career started at Pontiac in 1956, but he left GM as the head of Chevrolet in 1973 to build his own car. With cars like the GTO and Vega to his credit, John sought to build a car he would want to drive. Unencumbered by the bean counters of the big car companies, he pulled together the best minds in the world in 1980. An innovative chassis from Lotus and breathtaking styling by Giugiaro have made the car timeless in the eyes of many.
With recent advances in CNC machine tools and rapid prototyping, the DMC-12 has returned. Based in Humble, Texas, DeLorean Motor Company is officially taking orders for the 2017 model year. After securing a modern engine supplier, they have enough original parts to build 300 cars. Power was the weakest link of the original design, as the Renault V6 has proven to be an underpowered time bomb.
A small piece of legislation was passed last year (HR 22) to allow for low-volume production of replica cars, so DMC has launched a web page for inquiries on the new cars. The only stipulation is that the drivetrain must meet 2017 emissions standards in all 50 states. While they haven’t officially announced the performance numbers, any modern engine will outperform the originals. It could be anything from Hyundai to Hellcat, so tell us what engine you want to see in the comments below. Stay with us for more updates on the reborn DeLorean Motor Company.
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