Automotive

DeLorean to be resurrected with US$100,000 EV

DeLorean to be resurrected with US$100,000 EV
The new electric De Lorean.
The new electric De Lorean.
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The De Lorean
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The De Lorean
The De Lorean from above - a truly timeless design
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The De Lorean from above - a truly timeless design
De Loreans lined up at the new De Lorean headquarters.
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De Loreans lined up at the new De Lorean headquarters.
The original De Lorean.
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The original De Lorean.
The Epic EV which will lend its 200 bhp drive train to the De Lorean
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The Epic EV which will lend its 200 bhp drive train to the De Lorean
The Epic EV which will lend its 200 bhp drive train to the De Lorean
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The Epic EV which will lend its 200 bhp drive train to the De Lorean
The Epic EV which will lend its 200 bhp drive train to the De Lorean
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The Epic EV which will lend its 200 bhp drive train to the De Lorean
The DeLorean from "Back to the Future III" will be sold at auction in December
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The DeLorean from "Back to the Future III" will be sold at auction in December
The new electric De Lorean.
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The new electric De Lorean.
The controller of the new electric De Lorean.
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The controller of the new electric De Lorean.
The interior of the new electric De Lorean.
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The interior of the new electric De Lorean.
View gallery - 11 images

If you fell in love with the De Lorean in the Back to the Future movie series, the good news is that in 2013, you'll be able to buy a real one again. It won't have a flux capacitor, won't time-travel and it'll still be a thirty year-old design, albeit styled by Giugiaro himself, and structurally redesigned by Colin Chapman of Lotus fame after De Lorean himself screwed up the first design.

One thing it will have is the same horsepower De Lorean originally envisaged for the car - from a 200+ bhp electric motor, not the original wankel engine. Sadly, the wankel (rotary) engine was way too thirsty, and the V6 that replaced it produced just 130 bhp.

The interior of the new electric De Lorean.
The interior of the new electric De Lorean.

The DMC-12 was designed by Giugiaro, built in Ireland and sold in America in 1981-82 before the company went bankrupt. Though only 9000 cars were ever sold, the De Lorean achieved cult status globally due to the success of the Back-to-the-future Trilogy of films when it became the basis for a time-machine built by Dr. Emmett Brown (Christopher Lloyd) and used by student Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox).

The controller of the new electric De Lorean.
The controller of the new electric De Lorean.

Texas entrepreneur Stephen Wynne started the current "De Lorean Motor Company" in 1995 after acquiring the name and remaining parts inventory and since 2007, around 40 whole De Lorean cars have been produced from the spare parts cars. Now the company is to go another step, and at an International De Lorean Owners Event in Houston a few days back, the new electric De Lorean was announced.

"Now we are working with electric-car startup Epic EV to put an all-electric DMC-12 into production by 2013" was the announcement on the De Lorean web site. The three-wheeled Epic EV just happens to use a 200 bhp+ electric motor too.

One of the original De Lorean machines used in the shooting of the "Back to the future" film franchise is to go under the hammer at an auction in December. The car is expected to fetch in the ballpark of $400,000-$600,000.

Check out the video of the new Epic EV below.

EpicEV Torq Roadster

View gallery - 11 images
8 comments
8 comments
Jay Lloyd
I. WANT. THIS.
Burnerjack
Why? There are so many \"component\"(kit) cars out there so much better, sexier, swoopier, etc. Just look at the offerings from Factory Five Racing for just one example. This car is just an ugly box (IMNSHO), from the sketchbook of a 7th grader.
Gadgeteer
\"It won\'t have a flux capacitor, won\'t time-travel and it\'ll still be a thirty year-old design\"
Couldn\'t they at least give me a Mr. Fusion? I don\'t think that\'s too much to ask.
sara2816
the DeLorean looks awesome! especially the insides { iphone dock! :D } i think the epic ev should have a roof though, all cars need roofs
Soksume
So far as i know you can already have a gasoline one built to your specification by DMC at DeLorean.com
Kat Pruett
Wish I had an extra $100,000 laying around. I know its a piece of history, but come on! Make it more affordable for a normal person, and you might sell more than 10.
Heikki Kääriäinen
Another one to electrify would be Knight Rider Kitt car. I did some repairs to the CRT display when it was on show in Helsinki, in Finland some years ago. Might have been about 25 years ago? LCD screens were not very common then!
Slowburn
I fell in love with the DeLorean way before Back to the Future.