Fanboys that jerk off to flux capacitors?Originally Posted by Godson
Fanboys that jerk off to flux capacitors?
Are they though? I think they have parts and are going to build cars with them. I don't think they have 300 dusty old DeLoreans in a warehouse that are getting engine swaps. They are going to be brand new cars... just built with old metal.
What Rob Dickinson does with Porsches is nothing short of amazing. If he can do that, I don't see why Texas can't have some restomodded DeLoreans.
Honestly, I'll bet a restomodded DMC drives better than a overpowered 911/930. It certainly has the credentials to!
I think they'll need to distinguish them from the current fleet, not just in the handling and engine departments. Maybe a name change (DMC-13?) and something different visually too?
But otherwise, i hope it goes ahead and actually performs well.
They're called new because there is a new law that allows up to 300 cars be built to an old design without meeting federal crash standards. I can't recall whether they're also exempt from emissions standards.
Basically it's to allow the kit car makers like Factory Five to sell complete cars to people without the time or skills to build themselves. DeLorean seems to have lucked into this.
Ah, ok. Thanks for that info
Get that weak shit off my track
They are not exempt from the emissions
For what they're asking I'd rather go out and get a Revology GT350.
DMC-H makes an announcement similar to this every few years. Motoring press bit extra hard this time. James is a great guy and has wonderful intentions, but the chances of this getting off the ground in a meaningful way is pretty low. It's a boy-who-cried-wolf sentiment, but the reality is there are heavy obstacles that need to be overcome both mechanically and financially. Those can be achieved overcome with a large production run where the costs are distributed over thousands of units, but they're talking about doing up a 5 cars a year and selling them for six figures. It just doesn't add work on any level. Nobody wants a six-figure DMC, even one with a modern drivetrain and bluetooth.
It's not just a matter of putting in a bigger engine and transmission and loading up on horsepower to make the car perform in accordance with its look. The fiberglass on frame design can only handle about 300ish horsepower before it becomes unsafe to drive. The few people that have put the money into putting big HP into these cars found out that the structural integrity just isn't there, and the suspension is an archaic Lotus design that never evolved into something capable of handling those numbers. It did later as the Esprit evolved away from the a-frame from suspension but the DMC never got the benefit of that. This video touches on a lot of what I'm saying here:
People like to chirp that the car was designed poorly because it can't handle being beefed up, but that's not the case. It does what it was designed to do very well, which is tour around with 130hp and last forever. It's great at that. The PRV-6 motor wasn't their first choice, they actually (and thankfully passed) on a rotary while working with Dick Brown and Mazda and a few other interesting choices, but ultimately needed to use a drivetrain that was already EPA certified because of the strict timeline they put themselves under to appease the British government that was footing the bill.
Sure, could be. As I noted above it will take a complete redesign of the suspension as well as the body on frame design. They claim they have an idea for a new body tub material but as of now they have not actually pressed anything yet, it's still in R&D.300hp NA V6? Well dang. If they work on the suspension on the thing, it might actually be a fun car
That quote was made off the cuff and posted out of context. I don't mind, but it needs clarity. 'Frauds' is jokingly harsh, see boy-cried-wolf comment above. James is a great guy, DMC-H and their partners are great companies, and I have nothing bad to say about their operations. They do get a little fanciful about wanting to release a 'new DMC' every few years, though. But whatever, it drives interest in the marquee. And no, a new DMC is not my cup of tea, I'm getting an original, thanks. The comment about the refurb in 2004 was a allusion to an argument I had with Matt when the '2004' DeLorean showed up in Gran Turismo. Slapping on a turbo and calling it a 2004 is still not a real thing, sorry Matt.
Not me, I'm the biggest DMC-12/DMC-H fan you know. Have to be a realist, though.
I'd love a witty retort here, but really, John did some really shady things in the name of his image. The 1985 book Grand Delusions: The Cosmic Career of John De Lorean by Hillel Levin goes into great detail about the deals JZD did during the time after he left General Motors until the fall of DMC. He had his hand in a lot of weird stuff, from RVs to a chain of go-kart tracks that dotted the Midwest. He was really great at starting things, especially with others peoples money, but he wasn't a finisher.Sounds awesome.
And are they any more of a fraud than Delorean himself?
James and DMC-H are not frauds, just quick to dream out loud when they shouldn't.
There have been lots of thoughts on the subject in the DMC enthusiast community. Some like the idea of new parts and revived interest in the brand, others think it will suck up the NOS parts bins and drive prices through the roof. I'm apathetic to it, the DMC vendor market is absolutely huge for the amount of cars that are out there and I'm not worried at all about the new car affecting anything with the original in a meaningful way. Worst that could happen is DMC-H overplays their hand and somehow loses the company, but given their penchant for talking bigger than acting I don't think it'll go that far.
I do. I'm getting my ducks in a row to purchase in Spring 2017. Buying an immaculate model this time, though, no project car for this go round. There are plenty of others like me as well. The DMC owner community is fiercely loyal.
Unless you meant a new one, then yeah, I don't know, who the fuck wants a warmed over 35 year old platform that isn't a Porsche?
The factory produced about 8,000 units. They had parts on hand for thousands more. A liquidation company bought all the parts and shipped them to Dayton, OH. They sold the entire stock to DMC-H in the mid-90s. They're 'building the cars' with these NOS parts and whatever new tech they'll design. The only thing that is completely out of stock is the trim the covers the speaker and wall behind the driver, and they're super low on left front fenders. They'll have to punch more fenders to do any kind of meaningful run, which is great, since it will drive down the cost on LF fenders for owners of original DMCs.
For anyone that is interested in automotive business, project management, history, Lotus, whatever...The DeLorean Story: The Car The People The Scandal by Nick Sutton is an exceptional read. It was just published recently but the insight found in it is very interesting. I'm going to get to meet Nick at DCS 2016 next month, really looking forward to it.
When you scrape away the silliness of BTTF and the stench of the DeLorean arrest (acquitted, btw, turns out threats were made on his family and that's why he was entrapped into the cocaine deal, DMC was already bailed out by a third party investor at that point) the DMC-12 and the enthusiast community that supports it today is pretty remarkable. The enthusiasts love it, the vendor market is huge, and the cars themselves are reliable and iconic. Given the outlandish design and the short 3-year run the DMC-12 is the exact case study for what would happen if someone designed your favorite car and it was frozen in time. Same as if the E30 was the last 3-series before BMW went out of business.
The lack of enthusiasm and downright derision from this community towards that phenomenon is pretty surprising, honestly. Given the eclectic tastes of the user base here I'll chalk it up to pure ignorance (BTTF car, drug deal, whatever) rather than well considered and thoughtful opinions.
We're all sensitive boys here, no disrespect meant.
Very cool that you're angling for a pristine runner.
No disrespect meant here either. Keith said I was harsh, but I don't think so if it was conveyed how I intended.
I welcome criticism of the original car if it's an informed opinion. It's really hard to present a case that it didn't achieve what it set out to do. At the time the DMC facility was state of the art, best in the world and it produced a good product. Cheap, safe, reliable touring sports car that could carry golf bags.
Criticism of their effort to create a 'new' one? I don't really care either way on that as, to me, it's vaporware. I hope they pull it off but it would be a first for them despite the stack of announcements.
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