If the DeLorean looks at all like a Lotus Esprit, it should. Both of them were designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, and much of the engineering work was done by Lotus founder Colin—to add speed, add lightness—Chapman. Amusingly, John De Lorean also owned a company that manufactured snowcats under the DMC name.
Owners and wannabes can join the fun at the DeLorean Motor Company open house, being held June 8 — 10 in Humble, Texas.
We have rented the Houston Motorsports Park and their 3/8 mile banked oval track… Attendees will have the opportunity to take their DeLoreans on the track and race against the clock for bragging rights. Time permitting, and drivers willing, we may be able to arrange some head-to-head competitions, as well.
I somehow doubt this monster DeLorean will be there, but you might get a chance to see one of the Back To The Future mods (check the license plate: OUTATIME).
Those interested in buying one of the gullwinged, stainless steel retro-cool status symbols can pick up a used (yeah, they’re all used) model for $20,000 to $60,000 or (cough) a newly rebuilt model starting at about $40,000 and rising to just under $60,000 with most of the options selected.
Creator John De Lorean died in 2005, but Tamir Ardon caught up with the man at his New Jersey home in 1999. In strangely familiar language, he described his plans for a new car:
He told me that the car would be made out of a special lightweight plastic and would have the signature DeLorean gull-wing doors. The performance aspect of the car would have zero to sixty times in the low three second range and the car would cost around $18,000.
Unfortunately, the only plastic DeLoreans I’ve been able to find are made out of Legos (and there are a lot of them: one, two, three, four, more), but you can make a paper DeLorean now (free if you print at work).