Autoblog

Restored Back to the Future DeLorean arrives at Universal Studios [w/video]

Michael Harley — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Videos, Specialty, TV/Movies

Fans of the Back to the Future trilogy will be pleased to learn that Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown's modified 1981 DeLorean DMC-12, better known as a time machine, is on display at Universal Studios Hollywood in California after a painstaking museum-quality restoration over the past year. While Universal used a handful of cars during filming from 1985 to 1990, this particular vehicle is referred to as the "Hero A" car, as it was the only Delorean featured in all three films.

The Time Machine Restoration Team was tasked with bringing the car back to its original state during its first appearance in Back to the Future, complete with its plutonium-powered flux capacitor (later versions were modified to develop power for time travel from lightning and garbage). From what we can tell, the team's work appears flawless.

While we are still waiting for the official announcement from Universal regarding the project, the team has put up a slick teaser video that you can watch below and has posted a bunch of pictures on its Facebook page. Enthusiast of the films or not, both are worthy of a closer look.

Continue reading Restored Back to the Future DeLorean arrives at Universal Studios [w/video]

Restored Back to the Future DeLorean arrives at Universal Studios [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 17 Feb 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Where it's going, the DeLorean hovercraft doesn't need roads

Zach Bowman — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 12:45:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Etc., Technology, Videos, Specialty

Our favorite DeLorean-turned-hovercraft is back. The Kickstarter-funded project was originally the brainchild of grad student Matthew Riese, and the last time we saw it, the floating car was busily hovering around McCovey Cove in San Francisco. This time, Riese's creation has taken to bombing beaches down by the Golden Gate Bridge. The video below shows the hand-built machine busting along the bay before taking to land for a quick flat spin. We can't convey how badly we want to operate this thing. We'd even find ourselves a Michael J. Fox-spec puffy vest for the occasion.

You can take a look at the latest clip below or, click back to our original post from last year. You can also take a look at the story of the hovercraft's genesis over at MAKE.

Continue reading Where it's going, the DeLorean hovercraft doesn't need roads

Where it's going, the DeLorean hovercraft doesn't need roads originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 Jan 2013 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Author of Ready Player One gives away DeLorean via book 'Easter Egg' contest [w/video]

Zach Bowman — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 12:45:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Toys/Games

If you have a geeky bone in your body and haven't read Ready Player One, stop reading this right now and get your hands on a copy. Author Ernest Cline has created an amazing universe within the story by drawing on some of the best elements of both science fiction and fantasy genres, along with '80s pop culture. From Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica and Firefly to Dungeons and Dragons, Ladyhawke and classic Atari games, Cline leaves no stone unturned. The plot centers around an eccentric billionaire who creates a virtual reality, game-based version of the Internet.

When he dies, the billionaire leaves his entire fortune and a controlling stake in his company to one player who can find an Easter Egg hidden in the vast virtual universe. Cline wanted to do something similar in promoting Ready Player One, so he hid a URL within the text. That URL led to a specially created Atari game, which in turn allowed winners to participate in another game. Those who completed that challenge were met with one final task: set a new world record in one of a handful of classic '80s videogames.

Surprisingly enough, it took a player just eight days to set a new record on Joust (the first challenge in the novel) and win the keys to the grand prize: a DeLorean DMC-12. Cline himself is a big DeLorean fan, having purchased one himself as transportation on his nationwide book tour. He then turned around and bought a second example to give away in the contest. Scroll down to watch a video of Cline being interviewed on G4TV before handing over the keys to the winner.

Continue reading Author of Ready Player One gives away DeLorean via book 'Easter Egg' contest [w/video]

Author of Ready Player One gives away DeLorean via book 'Easter Egg' contest [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 04 Sep 2012 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Original BTTF DeLorean getting museum-quality restoration

Zach Bowman — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 18:59:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Etc., Celebrities

We've seen plenty of Back to the Future DeLorean DMC-12 replicas pass through the halls of the internet. In that time, we've always assumed the original movie car was tucked away safely in a museum somewhere. As it turns out, that wasn't the case. Of all the vehicles created for the three films, the most detailed hero car, otherwise known as the A Car, was left on display outside. The ensuing years of suffering in the elements weren't kind to the DMC-12, and Bob Gale, co-writer for the BTTF saga, is now working to have the vehicle completely restored to its original condition.

Joe Walser, J Ryan and Terry Matalas are currently working to get the car back to its former glory, but the project needs help. The craftsmen may not need roads where they're going, but they do need anyone with photos of the original A Car or parts from any of the movie DeLorean models to reach out via TimeMachineRestoration@gmail.com or the restoration's Facebook page. Very cool.

Original BTTF DeLorean getting museum-quality restoration originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 27 Feb 2012 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Translogic takes DeLorean DMC-EV for a spin

Jeff Sabatini — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Technology, Electric

This electric DeLorean is just a prototype, but our sister publication, Translogic got to take it for a spin and found that a 260-horsepower electric motor finally makes the DMC-12 the sports car everyone has always wanted it to be. While we get to see plenty of footage of the car lapping Houston Motorsports Park, this episode also includes an interview with DeLorean Motor Company CEO Stephen Wynne.

While we don't want to give too much away, Wynne discusses future plans for the Texas-based DeLorean restorer and remanufacturer, which include bringing the electric DeLorean to market. Wynne tells Translogic that the car is expected to sell for between $95,000-$100,000. The car is said to have a 100-mile range, which would make it roughly equivalent to the Nissan Leaf, but with far more performance - not to mention its iconic time machine looks.

With all the negative publicity some pundits have heaped upon electric vehicles as of late, we wonder if perhaps this is the car to change their minds about EVs? See Translogic's full experience with the electric DeLorean in the video after the jump.

Continue reading Translogic takes DeLorean DMC-EV for a spin

Translogic takes DeLorean DMC-EV for a spin originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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On the Block: Back to the Future III DeLorean up for auction

Zach Bowman — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 18:31:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Auctions, Etc., Celebrities

There are reported to be just three surviving Back to the Future Delorean DMC-12 movie cars left in existence, and only one of those is held in a private collection. Next month, you'll have a chance to take it home. One of the stainless-steel wonders used in Back to the Future III is headed to the Profiles in History auction block. The Icons of Hollywood auction will feature a litany of items from the trilogy, including the vest worn by Michael J. Fox's character Marty McFly and a remote-control hoverboard. This has the makings of the best Halloween costume ever.

According to the auction house, the DMC-12 was used in 1955 drive-in move scene where Marty heads off into the Old West. The vehicle was built specifically for off-road use, though the auction doesn't specify exactly what sort of modifications were made to the gullwing machine to handle bouncing through the desert sand. The auction house expects the vehicle to roll away with a winning bid between $400,000 and $600,000. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Continue reading On the Block: Back to the Future III DeLorean up for auction

On the Block: Back to the Future III DeLorean up for auction originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Nov 2011 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2013 DeLorean EV hits the track

Eric Loveday — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 12:31:00 EST

The electric DeLorean DMC-12 is coming 2013, so says Humble, Texas' reborn DeLorean Motor Company. That was the shocking announcement made by DeLorean in mid-October at the DMC Texas Open House.

But what else occurred on that mid-October day? Well, apparently a handful of DeLorean enthusiasts got to test drive DMC's electric prototype. Now, we can't say for certain whether this clip shows DMC's own electric version of the DMC-12 or the work of some shadetree mechanic, but we can say with confidence that DMC's Cameron Wynne (son of Stephen Wynne, owner of DeLorean) is the one who is driving the electric vehicle around the track.

Dubbed the DMCEV-12, DeLorean claims this electric time machine hits 60 miles per hour in a quick 4.9 seconds and warps to a top speed of 125 mph, though we'll have to wait to hear more about total range. Reports suggest the limited production DMCEV-12 will retail for approximately $100,000.

Hit the jump to check out some shaky in-car video of the electric DeLorean lapping the 3/8-mile track at Houston Motorsports Park.

Continue reading 2013 DeLorean EV hits the track

2013 DeLorean EV hits the track originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 26 Oct 2011 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Doc Brown goes Back to the Future, finds Garbarino electronics store

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 19:58:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Celebrities, Specialty

The DeLorean used in the Back to the Future movie trilogy may be the single most memorable movie vehicle for anyone who grew up in the 1980s (as did the vast majority of the staff here at Autoblog). And so, whenever we hear anything having to do with the car, the movie or its main characters, we sit up and take notice.

No surprise, then, that a company may want to make use of all that nostalgia to market itself - apparently, even one based in Argentina that we'd never heard of called Garbarino. The superstore apparently has all manner of high-end gadgetry, and it's hocked the skills of one Christopher Lloyd - forever known to BTTF fans as Doctor Emmet L. Brown - to help sell them.

You may remember a couple of videos that were floating 'round these parts a little while ago featuring Doc Brown and his time-traveling gullwing. It seems those were viral teasers intended to drum up some nostalgic interest ahead of the real deal.

We'll get this out of the way right off the bat... these are just commercials for an Argentinian electronics store and aren't going to set your BTTF-filled world on fire. Regardless, it's good clean fun, and it gives us yet another reason to ogle over a certain nuclear-powered DeLorean and its flux capacitor (which is what makes time travel possible...). Check out the vids after the break.

Finally, for more on the actual car used to film these commercials, check out this link. We also think it's cool that Garbarino is setting up a way for patrons to make donations to Michael J. Fox's charity to find a cure for Parkinson's disease.

Continue reading Doc Brown goes Back to the Future, finds Garbarino electronics store

Doc Brown goes Back to the Future, finds Garbarino electronics store originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 07 Sep 2011 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Christopher Lloyd reprises Doc Brown role with De Lorean for Argentinian commercial

Aaron Richardson — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 19:27:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Videos, Celebrities, Humor, Specialty, South America

It's been 26 years since Christopher Lloyd donned a lab coat and portrayed lunatic genius Doc Brown in the Back to the Future franchise. This year, though, Lloyd jumped back into the lab coat to revisit his role in an Argentinian TV commercial.

The commercial shills for an electronics store, and proudly feature both Doc and his DeLorean DMC-12. Even cooler, the DeLorean used for close-ups in the commercial is one of the actual originals used in the filming of the movie. Look closely, though, and you'll see that the machine used for the stunts is actually an old and heavily disguised Toyota Celica... apparently, nobody was in the least bit interested in damaging such an iconic movie prop.

Click past the jump to see the spots for yourself.

Continue reading Christopher Lloyd reprises Doc Brown role with De Lorean for Argentinian commercial

Christopher Lloyd reprises Doc Brown role with De Lorean for Argentinian commercial originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 29 Aug 2011 19:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Beastie Boys "Make Some Noise" rocks the old-school metal

Zach Bowman — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 20:01:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Etc., Videos, Celebrities, Humor

Danny McBride, Seth Rogan and Elijah Wood in "Make Some Noise" - Click above to watch video after the jump

The Beastie Boys are back, ladies and gentlemen, and they've brought along a suitably awesome video to announce their triumphant return. Danny McBride, Seth Rogan and Elijah Wood star alongside nearly every Hollywood actor of any account, including Steve Buscemi, Will Ferrell, Orlando Bloom and Will Arnett, to name but a handful.

That's all well and good, but our fanboism has been kicked into overtime thanks to the riotous profundity of amazing metal in the clip.

The video seems to be set in the early '80s, and as such, there are cameos by everything from an International Scout and a Toyota FJ40 to a killer Datsun pickup. Of course, the king of '80s metal, the DeLorean DMC-12, also shows up for spell. We'd expect nothing less.

To top it all off, it sounds like the New York trio haven't lost any of their talent for entertainment since The Mix-Up. Hit the jump to check out the video for yourself.

[Source: MTV]

Continue reading Beastie Boys "Make Some Noise" rocks the old-school metal

Beastie Boys "Make Some Noise" rocks the old-school metal originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Apr 2011 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Brammo Enertia and Icon Motorsports visit Rose City Rollers

Zach Bowman — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 20:26:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Videos, Motorcycle, Electric

Icon Motorsports and the Rose City Rollers - Click above to watch video after the jump

The kids at Icon Motorsports are hitting this whole viral marketing thing square on the money these days. The bike apparel company has just turned out a new video to hawk its wares, and the clip features a trifecta of awesome that the world isn't likely to see again anytime soon. The clip enlists the help of the Rose City Rollers - some of the meanest ladies in roller derby - and includes appearances from one of the most iconic vehicles to ever cruise out of Northern Ireland. That's right, the DeLorean DMC-12.

The final piece of this amazing pie comes in the form of two Brammo Enertia tow bikes. We fully support the idea of adding a little speed to the whole roller derby throw-down, and what better way to do it than to use the full might of a couple electric motorcycles? Hit the jump to take a look at the full clip for yourself, just be warned that it may not be entirely safe for work depending on how strict your overlords are.

[Source: YouTube via Hell For Leather]

Continue reading Video: Brammo Enertia and Icon Motorsports visit Rose City Rollers

Video: Brammo Enertia and Icon Motorsports visit Rose City Rollers originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 21 Apr 2011 20:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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George Clooney to play John DeLorean in biopic?

Jeff Glucker — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 14:26:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Etc., Celebrities, Rumormill

John Z. DeLorean, driving force behind such iconic vehicles as the Pontiac GTO, Firebird and the DMC-12 that bears his name, led an interesting life. He helped jump-start the muscle car era, created a unique stainless steel sports car of his own, was charged with trafficking drugs in an attempt to raise funds for his company and later successfully defended himself against those charges. It's no surprise, then, that Hollywood has been attempting to get a biographical film together that focuses on the charismatic industry playboy. The idea for the film has been floating around for some time now, but we've gotten word that a big name might be cast in the lead role. According to Forbes, George Clooney could be the man destined for gullwing greatness.

Nothing is confirmed and it appears Forbes is merely speculating that Clooney would be the right man for the part based upon a conversation with Stephen Wynne, head of the reborn DeLorean Motor Company. It's certainly not a bad choice, but we're sure you have some good ideas as to who could fill John Z's on-screen shoes. Sound off in Comments and let us know who you think should play John DeLorean in the forthcoming David Permut-produced biopic.

[Source: Forbes | Source Image: TheSelvedgeYard]

George Clooney to play John DeLorean in biopic? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 07 Dec 2010 14:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DeLorean branding coming to Microsoft, Mattel and more

Jeff Glucker — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 13:32:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Design/Style

DeLorean Motor Company recently teamed up with Nike, to bring us a limited-edition sneaker modeled after the iconic, gullwing DMC-12. The Nike Dunk 6.0 DeLorean was limited to just 1,000 pairs and they sold out as soon as stores flipped the sign from CLOSED to OPEN. If you're a fan of the DMC brand but were unable to snag a pair of kicks, don't fret, because the Texas-based automaker reportedly has big plans to expand its brands.

According to Forbes, the DeLorean team is partnering up with companies like Mattel, Microsoft and Now & Zen. This means a line of DMC-branded toys, clothing and ... WinAmp skins? We're not quite sure what DeLorean and Microsoft are working on, but if the DMC brand stays hot, then the two could produce DeLorean-themed computer mice and they'd sell like hotcakes. Wait... we'd actually buy one of those. Quick, someone call RoadMice.

[Source: Forbes | Source Image: TheSelvedgeYard]

DeLorean branding coming to Microsoft, Mattel and more originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 03 Dec 2010 13:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Back to the Future DeLorean replica participates in Libyan scene recreation

Jeff Glucker — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 14:58:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Etc., Videos, MISC

Back to the Future fans recreate the Libyan chase scene - Click above to watch video after the jump

The Puente Hills Mall sits on an unassuming piece of blacktop in City of Industry, California. If you drove by it, you wouldn't give it a second glance... unless you are a keen-eyed fan of Back to the Future. Called the Twin Pines Mall, and later the Lone Pine Mall, it served as the location where Doc met Marty to have him film his newest invention. It's now the 25th anniversary of that film, and fans are gathering for a week-long celebration of their favorite movie.

Someone brought their BTTF DeLorean replica to one of the events being held at the Puente Hills Mall and, with video cameras rolling, recreated the scene where Doc gets shot by the Libyans. Showing up in their VW Bus, they gun down Doc and chase after Marty as he speeds away into the past. Check it out in the video after the jump.

[Source: Vimeo via Jalopnik]

Continue reading Video: Back to the Future DeLorean replica participates in Libyan scene recreation

Video: Back to the Future DeLorean replica participates in Libyan scene recreation originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 10 Nov 2010 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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eBay Find of the Day: Gulf Racing DeLorean is a very bad idea

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 14:59:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Auctions, Specialty, Design/Style

Gulf liveried DeLorean - Click above for high-res image gallery

Don't get us wrong. We love ourselves some DeLorean, and we'd argue there may not be a more iconic motorsports paint scheme in history than the classic Gulf Racing livery. But sometimes, two rights make one horrible wrong. Such is the case with today's eBay Find of the Day.

Call us purists if you must, but DeLoreans should all be left in their bare unfinished stainless steel suit. And so it's a rather good thing that this otherwise fine example of the breed isn't actually painted at all - the horrid coating you see in the images below is actually a vinyl wrap. Thank God for small miracles.

Looking past the unfortunate wrap, what we have here appears to be a very nice gullwinged coupe with under 10,000 miles. It's got the preferred five-speed manual transmission, has been updated with an Eibach suspension kit and it's been otherwise completely refurbished by the experts at DeLorean Motor Company.

At the time of this writing, the top bid sits at just over $15K and there's five days left. Happy bidding (and happy removal of its vinyl wrap...)!

Gallery: Gulf liveried DeLorean

[Source: eBay Motors]

eBay Find of the Day: Gulf Racing DeLorean is a very bad idea originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 Aug 2010 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Translogic turns its attention to DeLorean

Zach Bowman — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 16:56:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Classics, Coupe, Performance, Plants/Manufacturing, Videos, Specialty

Translogic takes a look at the DMC 12 - Click above to watch video after the jump

The crew from Translogic had a chance to spend some time with one of the most iconic cars of the '80's - the DeLorean DMC-12. Co-host Bradley Hasemeyer took the time to look into the cars over three episodes by stopping into the DMC of California shop to see how the cars are continuing to survive, what owners are doing to update the machines and what's on the horizon for the stainless gullwing. While the DeLorean originally hit the scene with a lowly 130 horsepower, the company has managed to squeeze nearly 200 ponies from the 2.8-liter V6 with some creative engine work.

You can even have a DMC-12 built nearly brand-new for you right now if you have the cash. The company strips a donor car down to its individual pieces, swaps the standard steel frame for a stainless bits and goes from there. Hasemeyer doesn't say exactly how much that will set you back, but we can imagine it's not cheap, especially for a car that would get the run around by your run of the mill Honda Accord. Hit the jump to take a look (hint: If you just want to skip to the DeLorean material, you'll want to cue ahead to 1:40 in to the first video), and if you like what you see, subscribe to Translogic via iTunes.

[Source: Translogic]

Continue reading Video: Translogic turns its attention to DeLorean

Video: Translogic turns its attention to DeLorean originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Jul 2010 16:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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eBay Find of the Day: Great Scott! It's a twin-engined 1982 DeLorean

Dan Roth — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 10:20:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Performance, Auctions, Etc.

Twin-engine DeLorean - click above for high-res gallery

Why is it that people feel compelled to do silly things to DeLoreans? At least this one hasn't been totally ruined by making it another "Back To The Future" tribute car to manifest its owner's fawning lack of originality. This particular DMC-12 doesn't want for ingenuity, just pop the hood. No, not the rear engine hatch, where you'd expect to find an underwhelming PRV V6, but the compartment up front that used to be the trunk.

Why is there a 2.0-liter Honda engine stuck in front? Well, it teams with the 8.2-liter Cadillac engine out back, of course. The Caddy motor isn't included in the auction, curiously, but it is available for an extra sum. Reading through the seller's comprehensive information clearly points out that the car wasn't a concours example before the swap, and settling for a simple restoration wasn't going to happen. So you end up with a DeLorean with an aggregate of twelve cylinders, none in stock form. The car isn't perfect, but hey, what do you want for a current bid price of $6,100? Thanks for the tip, flyingaero!

Gallery: Twin Engine DeLorean

[Source: eBay Motors]

eBay Find of the Day: Great Scott! It's a twin-engined 1982 DeLorean originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Apr 2010 10:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The last interview DeLorean never gave?

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:58:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Etc.

The name John DeLorean is synonymous with the automotive industry. From his days at General Motors, where he turned Pontiac into the automaker's de facto performance division with the creation of the GTO, and, therefore, the muscle car genre in general, to his days running his eponymous car company that gave us the classic stainless steel gullwing wedge that became an iconic time machine through the magic of the movies, DeLorean was at the forefront of the industry for three decades.

Sadly, John DeLorean died in March of 2005. We'll never know what exactly he may have had in store to bring DeLorean Motor Company back to the market, though a telephone call two weeks before his death gives us a few clues. Apparently, DeLorean was planning to relaunch DMC with a new take on the classic DMC-12, complete with an engine from Renault with an optional hydraulic hybrid drivetrain and carbon fiber panels to keep it all lightweight.

The above information comes courtesy of our sister site AOL Autos' Maintenance Editor Tom Torbjornsen, who had planned an interview with John DeLorean that was to take place one week after his death. Torbjornsen pieced together information from a conversation he had with DeLorean and his "best guess at what [he] thought John might have said based on [their] conversation." It's an interesting read, and you can check the whole thing out by clicking here.

[Source: AOL Autos]

The last interview DeLorean never gave? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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eBay Find of the Day: DeLorean twin-turbo prototype engine

Noah Joseph — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:40:00 EST

Filed under: Auctions

DeLorean Twin-Turbo PRV-V6 Prototype Engine - Click above for image gallery

Between the sports cars and his jet-set lifestyle, John Z. DeLorean was a man typified by excess. So would it come as any great surprise that he wasn't perfectly satisfied with the meager 170 horsepower output of the Peugeot-Renault-Volvo V6 in his self-titled ~~aluminum~~ stainless steel wonder? In 1980, after an aborted attempt at fusion power, the ambitious auto executive turned to Legend Industries to develop a twin-turbo version of the PRV engine, and this is what they came back with.

While we figure the turbo upgrade ought to be good for 1.21 gigawatts, official output numbers weren't released when DeLorean introduced the DMC-12 turbo prototype to the National Automobile Dealers Association in January of 1980, nor have they been disclosed since. But fitted with the pair of RHB52 turbos from Ishikawajimi-Harima Heavy Industries (IHI), the gullwinged sportscar was said to be capable of accelerating to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds on its way to a time-space continuum-ripping 146 mph. (We can hear Doc Brown yelling it right now). That's a significant improvement over the stock DeLorean's claimed 8.8 second 0-60 mph run - which was, incidentally, actually clocked by Road & Track at 10.5 seconds - still perfectly adequate for outrunning Libyan terrorists in Volkswagen camper vans.

Only two of the engines were believed to have been built, and one of them is up for grabs right now on eBay. The engine comes mounted with its transmission to the original rolling display stand used by DeLorean to demonstrate the enhanced powertrain. Although the engine was at one point installed and used in owner Ed Bernstein's De Lorean for about 3 months, the manual transmission remains factory-fresh, as Ed's car had an automatic. At $1,500, bidding at the time of this writing had yet to reach the reserve price, but if you're keen to park this piece of history in your livingroom, we suggest you act fast, because you can't actually go back in time to place a bid once you've missed it. So check out the listing and the images in the gallery below. Thanks to Gabe for sending in the tip!

Gallery: DeLorean Legend Twin-Turbo Prototype Engine

[Source: eBay Motors]

eBay Find of the Day: DeLorean twin-turbo prototype engine originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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eBay Finds of the Day: Double dose of Delorean history - prototype #0001 and twin turbo

Frank Filipponio — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 12:31:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Performance, Auctions

No need for lame BTTF jokes for this pair of DeLoreans. These deserve to stand on their own as two of the most significant vehicles in the history of DMC. A pair of DeLorean prototypes owned by Tony Ierardi of DeLorean Motor Company Florida are being offered on eBay to help raise some capital. The first one is the very first DeLorean prototype, the car that appeared on the cover of Road & Track in July 1977. Yeah, the car that started it all. Ierardi bought it in 2005 and put it through a one-year restoration. Currently insured at half a million bucks, the ebay top bid right now is around $100,000 with more than a week to go. Click the image at right to get to the listing for this piece of automotive history.

The second car is also a significant prototype for DeLorean historians. It's a promise of what might have been in terms of performance. While other engine options were investigated, John DeLorean himself picked this vehicle to upgrade with a pair of turbochargers to increase performance. This particular car actually served as the factory press car. It was tested by Road & Track magazine and managed a 0-60 time of 5.8 sec. That was about 5 seconds quicker than the non-turbo. Although it never went into production, this sample has to be considered one of the best and definitely the fastest DeLorean to come from Ireland. It's current bid is $70,300 with eight days left. Click the image below to go to the eBay listing.

Thanks for the tip, Michael!

[Source: eBay]

eBay Finds of the Day: Double dose of Delorean history - prototype #0001 and twin turbo originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 04 Apr 2007 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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