Italdesign Is Giving The Delorean DMC-12 An All-Electric Reboot
Italdesign Giugiaro S.p.A. was founded in Turin, Italy in 1968. The design house is celebrating its 54th birthday this 2022, and it came up with a gift like no other. In a teaser video released on YouTube, it seems Italdesign is giving the iconic DeLorean DMC-12 an all-electric reboot. The car won't be traveling back to the future to do so, but Italdesign claims the DeLorean Motor Company is beginning a journey towards electrification.
The original DeLorean DMC-12 is one of the defunct production cars that we wish still existed, and it has nothing to do with its starring role in the Back to the Future movie franchise. Enthusiasts are drooling over the car's brushed stainless steel body panels, and who doesn't love those legendary gullwing doors?
The DMC DeLorean's wedge-tastic design was the brainchild of Giorgetto Giugiaro, the man behind automotive design legends such as the Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GT, De Tomaso Mangusta, and Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta, to mention a few. However, the vehicle left the factory in Belfast, Ireland, with a rather feeble (and portly) V6 engine developed by Peugeot, Volvo, and Renault.
Retro Design
The V6 engine was no match for the DeLorean's exotic sports car design, but it didn't matter for car lovers the world over. It also helps that DeLorean only made 9,000 units of the DMC-12 from 1981 to 1982 before the company went bust, giving it an aura of exclusivity.
However, you won't have to think about an underpowered V6 gas engine for the DeLorean's reboot since we're pretty sure the car will enter the electrified age with a literal bang. Italdesign has yet to release the juicy details, but we're pretty sure a substantial redesign is in the works to go along with the vehicle's newfound electric prowess.
The new car seems to have smoother edges than before, and the doors are curvier, too. It also has a hi-tech front lighting signature with a V-shape element in the middle, portraying the vehicle's silhouette when the doors are ajar. Remember, we're not talking about a one-off reboot like the V8-powered Widebody DeLorean from last year's SEMA show – it's more likely an all-new DeLorean from the ground-up, making it doubly enticing.
The good news? You can go to DeLorean's official website to get updates and "sign up for the future." Doc Emmet Brown and Marty McFly will surely approve.