Despite not having built a vehicle in decades, the name is unmistakable: DeLorean.
The name we all know for time travel is returning with a new battery-electric model it plans to debut at the Pebble Beach Concours in August. The car will make its appearance on the Concept Lawn at the prestigious show Aug. 21, but it’ll make its world debut Aug. 18.
“Excitement is rising like the doors of our iconic sports car, and we are revealing the next generation prototype 3 days earlier than planned on the most prestigious stage at Pebble beach” said Troy Beetz, CMO of DeLorean Motor Company Inc.
DeLorean officials will also reveal the name of the new model — the original called the DMC-12 — and will offer insights about the company’s future during Monterey Car Week.
More than 40 decades of waiting
The DeLorean has been at the center of a spate of rumors about its revival for at least a decade. There have been court battles, multiple designs and other problems that have continually pushed back the return of everyone’s favorite time machine.
However, the stars seemingly started to align in recent months with the San Antonio, Texas-based DeLorean Motor Co. releasing a couple of images of what appeared to be not just an actual vehicle, but a battery-electric model.
The reborn DeLorean Motor Co. said in February it was planning to launch a modern update of the sports car which will be produced at a facility at the Port of San Antonio, Texas. The operation is expected to create about 450 jobs.
What’s coming?
The previous picture as well as the new one offer very few clues, but one carry over from the original appears to be the gullwing doors. However, the new model gets a new light bar on the car’s nose — a suggestion — since confirmed — it would be an EV.
The new teaser of the rear end shows a more sculpted vehicle with plenty of curves to help it navigate the wind. While the original looked sporty, it wasn’t particularly slippery. The color of the body panels almost hint at a stainless steel body like the original, but that’s highly unlikely.
There does appear to be another carry over aside from the gullwings — which appear to be confirmed based on the new picture — are the slats across the back window. What is unmistakable is that the as-yet-named model is not a retromobile, but a vehicle that draws inspiration from the original vehicle but is a thoroughly modern machine.
What will it cost? When will it arrive? Can you order one? All questions that will likely be answered in August.
Yeah, the world is waiting. A friend had an original and resorted to leaving it in a shopping center parking lot with the keys in it hoping it would be stolen. It was.