“Did you hear about the sick new rims?” Picture: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment via AP.
The DeLorean Motor Company is going “Back to the Future” — and resurrecting the iconic car that Marty McFly and Doc Brown made famous in the 1980s time-travelling trilogy.
Thanks to the recent passage of a new law permitting the sale of up to 300 historical car replicas per year, the Texas-based manufacturers are now allowed to start selling brand-new DeLorean DMC-12 models after a 34-year break in production.
“It’s fantastic,” DeLorean CEO Stephen Wynne told NBC News on Wednesday. “It is a game-changer for us, you know. We’ve been wanting this to happen.”
Starting in 2017, the car company plans to crank out as many as 325 DeLoreans over a five-year production period. The 1982 replicas will cost at least $100,000 ($142,000 AUD) each, depending on the engine.
“Ooit, ooit!” Picture: Stephen Dunn/Getty Images.Source:Getty Images
And yes, they will still have those famous, gull-wing doors.
“There’s no reason to change the appearance of the car,” Wynne said. “As we go into the program, we’ll decide what areas need to be freshened up.”
While an estimated 9,200 DeLoreans were built between 1981 and 1982, only 6,500 are believed to still be cruising the streets today, according to The DeLorean Museum. The DeLorean Australia enthusiasts’ website estimates that there are “probably at least 80 or more” in Australia.
Refurbished DMC-12s are known to cost between $45,000 and $55,000 ($64,000-78,000 AUD).
The new models will feature a V6 engine that produces around 350 to 370 horsepower, officials said.
In comparison, the Peugeot-Renault-Volvo V6 that was in the original DeLorean was only able to put out a measly 130 horsepower.
The new DMC-12s will also be fitted with larger tires and wheels, modern-day brakes and futuristic amenities that would have Doc Brown screaming “Great Scott!” — such as heated seats, a GPS navigation system and Bluetooth phone connectivity.
But DeLorean officials have yet to find out whether or not the vehicle will be able to launch to 88mph (142km/h) while being shot at by Libyan terrorists, like the classic scene in the first Back to the Future.
“We’re still waiting to hear back from Doc Brown on that,” DeLorean vice president James Espey told Maxim magazine on Wednesday.
[Souce:- news.com.au]
