Watching Back to the Future as a kid, my focus wasn’t on Marty McFly, his family, or the time travel aspect of the story. Instead, I was mesmerized by the vehicle that Doc Brown transformed into a time machine, provided it reached 88 mph. The DeLorean became a favorite with me, and I mourned the fact that I would never be able to own an original. I did get to see a replica at an amusement park once, and it was just as thrilling as I’d hoped. However, recently, I experienced a bigger thrill.
DMC has announced that the DeLorean is returning and will be even better than the previous model. While we don’t have all the details on the 2024 DeLorean Alpha5, we do have some tantalizing information regarding the concept sports car. I do wish time travel was actually possible, as I would jump in now and speed toward 2024 so I could pop into the future for a little test drive. Alas, we’ll just have to wait.
Alpha5’s Design Differences
While the Alpha5 is a true DeLorean, there are some key differences from Doc Brown’s chunky gray speedster. Luckily, we’re still getting the iconic gull-wings, but the car has been streamlined, with just a few curves to show that it’s capable of moving design forward while still acknowledging the design features of the past. It looks sleek, incredibly gorgeous, and super fun to drive. It remains a two-door vehicle, but because of the gull-wing doors, it looks as if access to the back seats is still a quick and easy process, as opposed to vehicles that require a game of tug of war before the seat comes down, allowing people to access the rear seats.
The new DeLorean looks incredibly aerodynamic as well, which suits its label as a sports car. I think it’ll be a speedy ride and an ecstatic experience behind the wheel. We won’t have the time machine parts from Doc Brown, but we will be able to go above 88 mph, as the newest DeLorean is rumored to reach over 150 mph. With such a sharp-looking car and the potential capability to feel as if you’re flying, it’s no wonder that many are comparing the Alpha5 design to that of an aircraft fuselage. With such a beautiful yet practical shape, deep, bold coloring, and futuristic styling, the Alpha5 is sure to become one of the most popular vehicles of 2024 and, perhaps, the decade.
I’m happy with the changes that DMC has made. The previous DeLorean was definitely a product of its time, and while it still retains a nostalgic charm, it’s a good thing that the Alpha5 is a redesign. It’s bringing the best of the past into the future to be combined with modern technology and design elements to create a completely cool, unique, and deeply fascinating vehicle.
It’s All Electric
The biggest difference between the elderly DeLorean and the Alpha5 is that the newest DeLorean is completely electric, as opposed to the six-cylinder engine enclosed in the original. Though electric vehicles have not yet become the norm, many automakers are pushing to release more EV options within the next ten years or so.
Even with the electric battery capabilities of today, the Alpha5 will still be impressive, as the company hopes to utilize a larger battery, thereby increasing the distance per charge to over 300 miles. There are a lot of EVs out now that haven’t yet hit that milestone, and with details of the Alpha5 still scarce, it’s possible the final range will be even more than that. Keeping it charged should be easy with a home charging station, and more public charging stations are being added every day. While there aren’t any charging times available yet, they should fall in line with other vehicles, with it only taking a handful of hours to reach full power with a home charging station.
Gasoline and diesel are on the way out, electricity is on the way in, and innovation is happening, even if it seems like we’ve been waiting for decades. In Ford’s case, they have attempted electric vehicles for over one hundred years, and there is just now enough traction for it to be feasible for automotive companies to start producing large numbers of EVs. I’m excited to see how the Alpha5 performs, especially after DeLorean is able to watch other companies’ journeys toward more eco-friendly options and learn from their mistakes and missteps.
Looking forward, I am curious to see how DeLorean continues to develop its battery technology and keep up with the rising demand for vehicles that don’t require fossil fuels to run. We are entering an era where most of the population is moving to electricity, and DeLorean is smart to release a popular nameplate with a powertrain that matches the future direction of the automotive industry rather than get stuck in the past.
The Alpha5’s Premiere at Pebble Beach
For the past seventy years, people have attended the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance to see different antique and rare makes, models, and classes. This is a competition of elegance for one of the most prestigious awards in the auto industry. In 2022, the 1932 Duesenberg J Figoni Sports Torpedo took home the Best In Show label. What does this antique car event have to do with the new DeLorean Alpha5? Well, what better place to reveal a model of modern elegance than at a showcase of some of the most unique vehicles throughout history?
Though we won’t see the DeLorean Alpha5 on the streets until 2024, it is already being talked about, and there were scores of people who got an early peek at it while at Pebble Beach. Attendees of the event also got to see reveals for the Plasmatail and Omega concepts, so there is already more in the pipeline for the DeLorean brand.
Along with its premiere at Pebble Beach, the Alpha5 will most likely make the rounds at other events, ramping up excitement for its 2024 release to dealerships and car lots around the world. It’ll be interesting to see what the most common response is, though I hope it is a positive one. I don’t want this second DeLorean to disappear and go the way of the original, though if it reappears thirty years from now with a splash like the Alpha5, I might have to acknowledge that the wait was definitely worth it.
See You In 2024!
We’ll have to wait to find out all the delightful details regarding the 2024 DeLorean Alpha5’s build because the company has been holding the details close, but I believe it will be worth the wait. With how much innovation is happening right now in the automotive industry, it’ll be interesting to see how that affects the development from the Alpha5 prototype to the actual car that will be sold to (hopefully, millions) customers.
I think we’re ready for a new DeLorean and perhaps even a new Back to the Future film featuring the Alpha5. Are you excited about the new DeLorean? How are you going to spend your time knowing that we have to wait for 2024 before this model can become a reality to own? I think I’ll be rewatching Back to the Future and trying to figure out the best way to build a time machine and take me forward so I can drive it now.
