Back To The Future? DeLorean Returns With The Alpha5
The name DeLorean brings to mind its gullwing doors and stainless-steel body, first iconised in the Back to the Future trilogy of movies. Earlier this year the sold-and-reborn company, now headquartered in Texas, announced its first product in the Alpha5.
The futuristic electric vehicle was designed to look like the classic DMC DeLorean, produced from 1981 to 1983.
It was officially unveiled at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in August, along with several other concepts, where its design, performance specifications and on-sale date (but not price) were revealed. Although it has now been rumoured it will cost in excess of $150,000.
The Alpha5 will be a 2024 model, but order books to purchase one of the 9,351 examples opened on September 30th. To reserve a production slot, buyers need to join DeLorean’s Alphas Club by purchasing a lifetime membership for $88.
Things really get interesting when the Alpha5’s doors go up. The cabin has a strong wraparound bow shape with two LCD screens, the larger of which can display a modern digital instrument panel or a perfect replica of the DMC-12’s analog instruments. Clever.
Then there’s DeLorean Sense: a connected band you can give to loved ones or (really close) friends that allows their heartbeat to be displayed on the console screen, their body temp to become your seat heater setting or their hug to be delivered to you via power seat bolsters. Apple does a couple of these tricks with its watch, but it definitely hasn’t figure out the hug thing yet.
Like every car under the sun, the Alpha5 can import your phone contacts but this car will do more than use them to support calls and texts: As you drive, people in your list will be pinned on the live map screen to remind you when they live or work nearby, perhaps rekindling fading friendships. It’s an interesting mashup of location, social and check-in that Google Maps on Android does to a lesser degree.
On top of the dash are two narrow LEDs that will both glow when you’re heading toward a location you’ve configured as a special place, be that home. DeLorean calls this a True North indicator and, honestly, it’s the most out there of a basket of edgy technology visions inside this car.
