Get ready for a whole crop of fresh “88 mph” jokes, because the iconic DeLorean DMC-12 featured in the Back to the Future films is coming back from the past—eventually. The cars will be built with a mix of new and new-old-stock parts but will be updated with key modern equipment to make them faster, safer, and much more comfortable, according to a report by Hagerty.
The journey for the DeLorean’s comeback will be a lengthy and complicated one, however, due to political shenanigans that involve lots of bureaucracy and even more waiting (fun!). And even though these will look a lot like the shiny car that hauled Marty McFly all over the time-space continuum, the new DMC-12s won’t be exactly identical. According to the publication, the cars will get a 350-horsepower engine, an upgraded interior with cooled and heated seats, as well as a modern audio system with various connectivity options. New headlights are expected to help the cars conform with modern safety standards, and there will likely be wheel and brake upgrades to handle the massive power bump over the original DMC-12. The report didn’t specify the source of the engine, as it’s still to be confirmed by the manufacturer of the new DMC cars, which is based in Texas.
DeLorean Motor Company (DMC) originally planned to start selling the cars back in 2016 under the newly-minted Low Volume Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Act, but political issues and slow action from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) stalled implementation of the legislation. After a lawsuit from SEMA and a few years of pressure from the industry, the government seems to be slowly getting up to speed.
Despite what is expected to be hearty demand, DeLorean can’t start making cars just yet. The legislation still has to pass through a few more government offices before becoming official, and even then cars won’t be produced under the new law for at least a year. DeLorean will eventually have the ability, under the new law, to build up to 325 cars per year, but company vice president James Espey says the upcoming run of cars will be much lower volume than that, with production targets of one or two units per week.
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