DeLorean Motor Company will relaunch its iconic automobile in April or May of 2017, if all goes to plan.
We reported in January that the original DeLorean Motor Company had plans to relaunch the DeLorean DMC-12, which was immortalised by the Back to the Future movie franchise, in early 2017.
Now the company has issued an update on those plans (via Mlive). DMC vice president James Espey says that the DMC-12 could launch in April or May next year, pending regulatory approval.
The company expects to make just one car per month during the first year of production. Production should ramp up to one car per week after that initial period, but we’re still talking about a seriously limited edition vehicle here.
It won’t be cheap, either, as Espey expects the revamped DMC-12 to cost around the $100,000 (£69,000) mark.
We’ve also learned a little more about the specs of the new DMC-12. While it will look the same as before, DMC is scrapping the infamously underpowered 138bhp Peugeot-Renault-Volvo V6 of the original for something twice as powerful. The precise unit doesn’t seem to have been nailed down just yet, but it could be a General Motors V8.
Add in the fact that the new DMC-12 will be lighter than the original car, and a modern day Marty McFly won’t be struggling to reach 88mph.
Espey claims that the wheels will be changing too. The original had 14-inch wheels on the front and 15-inch on the rear, but it’s now said to be impossible to get performance tires to match. This means that the new DMC-12 will switch to chunkier 17-inch wheels on the front and 18-inch on the rear.
Related: Best self-driving car tech from the Geneva Motor Show
A by-product of this latter change will be the chance to upgrade the car’s brakes, which is reassuring given the increase in power.
Expect the new cars electrics to be improved too, with DMC said to be working with a partner on a new in-car entertainment system to replace the old AM/FM cassette deck. You might even get heated seats.
Next, check out Ford’s view on the future of cars:
With a claimed 90 percent of the DMC-12’s components in place and suppliers lined up, it really is down to US legislators to give the go-ahead. Failing that, DMC claims it will still build the cars and export them to foreign markets.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
