DeLorean Alpha5 has arrived

This is going to be an exercise in restraint - trying to avoid cliches linking this car to its classic predecessor and its time travel adventures will be difficult. Not mentioning a flux capacitor at least once is going to be especially tricky.

This car is so much more - it’s not the DeLorean of the old, it’s not a refreshed classic, it’s not calling on its fame as a pointless marketing exercise. Say hello to Alpha5.

DeLorean had us all waiting for a very long time, promising uncompromized performance, revolutionary design, range and power and the falcon doors - or gullwing, depending which side of the ocean you’re reading this from. And it delivered, 24 hours before the car goes public, the DeLorean allowed a few lucky souls to have a look and admire its creation. This isn’t a design exercise, this is the real deal with the preorder list filling up quickly.

All the teaser photos we’ve seen this far were pointing to the new DeLorean being a fast coupe but the manufacturer managed to fool everyone. It is a four seat GT with falcon doors giving unprecedented access to front and rear row seating, no B pillar to be seen to obstruct the gorgeous interior. It’s a very successful mix of design and function without overindulgence in screen estate but for now let’s focus on the exterior.

There is no question this is a very dynamic car, the stance is wide and long and that car sits so low you may wonder how it fits 4 adults in there in comfort. The explanation is in the numbers, this isn’t a small car - its 4,995 mm length makes it 25 mm longer than Tesla Model S and it is 80 mm wider at 2,044 mm. The height is 1,370 mm which is 75 mm less than Tesla. Interestingly though, the wheelbase is only 2,300 mm which is 360 mm less than Tesla - it suggests a much nimbler car but the space inside should have been compromised. There is some witchery at play here.

Once those falcon wings pop up with a silent hiss of gas struts you are being presented by one of the most stunning interiors on the market. Four individual seats with the rear row visibly sitting higher than the front, there’s a tall tunnel that runs between the seats all the way to the back.

At the front we have a central screen which refreshingly doesn’t take half of all the space available. Focus here is on the pleasure of driving. The driver’s instrument cluster is taken care of by a single screen sitting behind a steering wheel - what a joy!

An actual steering wheel. DeLorean didn’t give in to the latest trend of chopping off the top of the wheel for the sake of futuristic looks and decided to spend some time listening to customers. The result is a nice, flat bottomed wheel with wider sections at the top that force you to hold it at 10-2.

Two cup holders complete the center console, with additional storage visible under the screen - Volvo style. Once the doors are shut, they create a single design with the dashboard, the sides morph into a shelf that runs across the dashboard, simple and effective - it makes the driver feel cocooned in the car which is amplified by a low seating position.

Exterior is just as amazing as the interior - functional and yet restrained, it’s not all out there for the sake of futuristic point scoring. It sports traditional mirrors and loads of lights. Both front and rear logos light up, there are two almost vertical lights at the rear surrounding what usually would have been a giant exhaust pipe but in this case it’s a gentle nod to the flux capacitor - they had to do it. When the falcon doors pop open the edges light up as well to make sure that even during the darkest night nobody can mistake Alpha5 for anything else.

The front is very low with really narrow headlights, most likely we are looking at the matrix type lights with a myriad of prisms and mirrors making sure the light projection is as perfect as it gets. Looking at the photos you can clearly see the air vents in the bumper with the air being directed over the bonnet and then split to the sides, a very subtle but very clever solution to streamline airflow.

Similar situation is happening at the sides with air from the front wheels being directed onto the doors and forced down just before the rear wheels. The air from the rear wheels is forced through the rear bumper and towards the centerline of the car, again creating a smooth airflow with less turbulence. All that work pays off with a drag coefficient of 0.23 - not revolutionary but commendable.

DeLorean hasn’t shown all its cards yet, the car will be officially unveiled on August 18 in Palm Beach when more info will be presented. For now they released acceleration numbers of 2.99 seconds (0-60mph) and 4.35 seconds (0-88 mph) with both numbers being estimated.

Top speed is estimated at 155 mph and range should be over 300 miles based on EPA estimates - not many solid numbers but enough to keep our appetites wet. Battery pack is over 100kWh which really should push the Alpha5 comfortably over the 300 mile mark.

I can’t help it - it’s an amazing car. For someone to grow up with DeLorean being an icon, watching all the movies and having the privilege of working on a couple of projects involving the classic DMC-12 today is an important day. Seeing this car emerge from all the rough times the brand went through is a dream come true.

I had a long conversation with my kids this morning and announced that their college fund is being scrapped. Instead of education they will get to share this icon - because it will be an icon. And it will be a much better value than education. Both my kids walked out without letting me finish the argument, kids these days…

Enjoy the gallery:

DeLorean Alpha5

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