--- title: "If You Had a Time Machine, Which Car Would You Drive Brand New?" description: "Time travel isn't a thing (yet), but if you could, which car would you drive? Tell us what you'd do if time wasn't a barrier." date: "2022-05-21" modified: "2022-05-21" authors: - name: "Kristin V. Shaw" job_title: "Contributor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/kristin-shaw" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/if-you-had-a-time-machine-which-car-would-you-drive-brand-new" categories: - "Culture" - "News" - "QOTD" tags: - "classic cars" --- # If You Had a Time Machine, Which Car Would You Drive Brand New? ![Classic car on green grass next to blue water in Pebble Beach]() *\Kristin Shaw\* Last year, I had a pinch-me moment when [I got to slide behind the wheel of a 1981 DeLorean DMC-12]() with Hagerty. Laugh if you want, but it was something I’d dreamed about since I saw *Back to the Future* in the movie theater back in 1985. Even then, the model was a few years old, and it was a revelation. In large part because of the movie series, the DeLorean model was a head turner then and it still is today. Driving it was fun in 2021, and I can only imagine what it was like to take it for spin right out of the box in 1981. If you had the ability to time travel, either backward or forward, which car would you want to drive brand new? ![Silver car on driveway]() *Kristin Shaw* Have you seen *The Adam Project* on Netflix, by the way? Because it’s a trippy time-travel flick with vehicles from 1982 to 2018 sprinkled throughout. Even wilder is that the original *[Blade Runner]()* was made in 1982 and set in 2019, and everyone was expected to have flying cars by then. One car I wish I could drive new is the 1987 Honda Prelude, which was ahead of its time in many ways and boasted precise steering and excellent handling. Another would be a 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300SL with its iconic gullwing doors and beautiful body lines. ![]() ![]() ![]() In 2017, I got to whip a brand-new Lamborghini Aventador S around a curvy track south of Dallas, Texas, and it remains one of my favorite driving experiences of all time. Getting behind the wheel of a new [Aston Martin DBS]() is at the top of my list, as well; I’m exceedingly envious of [Mike Spinelli’s time in the cockpit]() of the brand’s new Valkyrie. Honestly, though, I am head-over-heels in love with the cars of the 30s, 40s, and 50s, and dream about taking an extra-long 1933 Chrysler CL Imperial Dual-Windshield Phaeton for a spin. Or an elegant 1931 Cord L-29 Cabriolet. Or a sunny yellow 1935 Lincoln K Convertible Roadster. What is your dream drive if you got to blast into the past (or the future)? *Got a tip? Send it to kristin.shaw@thedrive.com.* ## Author Kristin Shaw is the former Weekend Editor for The Drive and a current freelancer in both the automotive and aviation worlds. She’s a big fan of anything car-related and calls on her technology background on the corporate side to explain engineering and high-tech concepts. Now living in her sixth state (New Jersey, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Georgia, and now Texas), she is thrilled that working from home is now mainstream. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Instagram]() [Twitter]()