New DeLorean based on C8 Corvette incoming: report

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The DeLorean DMC-12 cemented its cult status decades ago after its starring role in the Back to the Future movie franchise. Now, DeLorean Next Generation Motors (DNG) wants to keep the car’s legacy alive with a modern iteration of the DeLorean sports car. “I needed to find a way to build an affordable car for the DeLorean community,” Kathryn DeLorean, DNG CEO and daughter of John Z. DeLorean, told Hagerty. “They’ll be heartbroken if I don’t give them something.”

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The new model’s name has yet to be made public, but there are other details. First, the new DeLorean will be based on the current Chevrolet Corvette, a fitting choice since John Z. DeLorean, while most famous for founding the DeLorean Motor Company back in 1975, built his career working in the General Motors offices for 17 years.

Sentimentality aside, it also helps that the C8 Corvette, in its base form, packs a naturally aspirated V8 that cranks out 490 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque. The plan is to strip off the Corvette’s bodywork and replace it with a kit designed by DNG. The Corvette’s targa top required Chevrolet to route the roll cage away from the front-hinged doors; now, that will also allow DNG to incorporate gullwing doors into its car’s bodywork, a signature feature of the original DeLorean DMC-12.

The changes are going to be more than just cosmetic, though. DeLorean Next Generation Motors is reportedly in talks with aftermarket firms for some modifications to boost the car’s performance and overall capabilities. Plus, a range-topping Model JZD is also apparently in the cards, not Corvette-based but instead handbuilt and limited to a 42-car production run.

Interestingly, Kathryn’s company is not the only one interested in reviving the spirit of the classic DeLorean sports car. You might recall our earlier reports about the Texas-based DeLorean Motor Company, which has its own take on what the DeLorean DMC-12 would look like today. Dubbed the Alpha5, that sports car boasts a larger design, an aluminum body, gullwing doors, and an electric powertrain.

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There is no word on when DNG’s car will be ready for production. All we have for now are the above renderings by Ángel Guerra, an automotive designer who spent six years with Croatian EV firm Rimac, and remained with the company after its merger with Bugatti in 2021.

Very few automobile start-ups are able to successfully navigate the treacherous journey from initial idea through concept to final production. Here’s hoping Kathryn and her company can “finish her dad’s story” by bringing the car you see imagined above to life in the near-future.