DeLorean Actually Made a Platform Where Customers Can Sell Their Build Slots

The DeLorean glory was very short-lived. It rolled out the DMC-12 in 1981. Little did DeLorean know back then that the car would become famous for playing the part of the time machine in the Back to the Future trilogy, hitting movie theaters in 1985, 1989, and 1990. But the brand was long gone by the time the gullwinged coupe made it in Hollywood. It had ended up in bankruptcy in 1982.

The company claimed the carmaker had rolled out between 10,000 and 12,000 units. But sales figures were only about 6,000. As it went bankrupt, DeLorean left thousands of owners without parts or service.

But it has the chance to make a comeback with the Alpha5, the futuristic-looking EV, designed to look like the classic DeLorean but with a modern twist. The Alpha5 is a whole different story. It is a project developed by Classic DMC, operating under the DeLorean Motors Reimagined umbrella. CEO Joost de Vries and CMO Troy Beetz had worked for EV maker Karma before they joined the DeLorean team.

The car was officially unveiled at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in August 2022. Penned with help from Italdesign, the Alpha5 sports gullwing doors just like the car from over 40 years ago, has similar rear-window louvers, and three-layer taillights. The car unveiled in 2022 was red, but it can also be ordered in white and gray.

Back in May 2022, DeLorean came up with several concept cars as well, in the shape of the Alpha2, Alpha3, and Alpha4. But none of them has made it to production yet.

Since then, we have been waiting for the model to go into production, with no sign that it would happen any time soon. However, reservation books have been open for the past two years. But no pricing was revealed.

Back in the mid-1970s, reservations poured in for the DMC-12, and waiting lists were endless, despite the somewhat prohibitive price: it started at $25,000, which would be around $70,000 today.

Labeled as a sports car, the only car that DeLorean has ever made wasn't quite that. It was powered by the 174-cubic-inch (2.85-liter) V6, which generated 130 horsepower (132 metric horsepower) and 153 pound-feet (207 Newton meters) of torque. The engine was linked either to a five-speed manual or a three-speed auto box, which sent power to the rear wheels for a run from 0 to 60 mph (0 to 97 kph) in 10.5 seconds.

It looks like the new DeLorean Alpha5 is trying to compensate for all the deficiencies of its predecessor. It can flash from 0 to 60 mph in just 2.99 seconds and hit a top speed of 155 mph (249 kph).

A lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 100 kWh will store enough energy for a drive of up to 300 miles (483 kilometers) before the car needs to be plugged in again. Doesn't it sound ready to take on the Porsche Taycan?

However, its innovative design and the stainless steel body (does it sound familiar now that the Cybertruck is out?) attracted customers like a magnet. It was unlike anything else on the road at the time. Just like in the case of the Cybertruck, the stainless steel body was next to impossible to paint. Still, some dealerships did it to make the cars distinctive.

DeLorean made an attempt at painting the cars with translucent paint. But there was no factory-painted vehicle sold. As for the interior, customers could either go for the standard black or the optional grey. Pinstriping and luggage racks were also optional.

DeLorean teamed up with MoonPay's Web3 creative agency, Otherlife, to access the digital world, creating a Web3 marketplace for vehicle reservations. That is where customers will be able to buy, sell, and trade their vehicle reservation build slots. With this move, DeLorean is counting on transparency and security in the reservation process.

The all-new platform is an industry-first. It will not only offer customers the possibility to buy, sell, trade, but also track vehicle performance analytics. According to the automaker, the platform, unlike any other, should be fully operational and accessible online by the fourth quarter of the year.

That is also where current build slot holders will be able to manage their active reservations. New slots will be available shortly after the platform goes online.

The automaker will build 9,351 cars but has not disclosed how many of those have already been reserved. The figure chosen for the production run of the new model would be, according to DeLorean, just one more than the production run of the original car.

To reserve a production slot, customers need to join the DeLorean Alphas Club. This can be done by purchasing a lifetime membership for $88. The membership also includes a variety of exclusive benefits. However, purchasing a random production slot costs $2,500.