The DeLorean DMC-12 is about to go back to the future, thanks to a new law that lets small-volume replica car manufacturers to be treated on different standards unlike big brands such as Toyota.
To start things off, Click 2 Houston reported about the new DMC-12 going back into production, providing photos inside the factory where a line of the iconic vehicle is being assembled, which has a tentative release date sometime in 2017.
"It's fantastic. It is a game-changer for us. We've been wanting this to happen. That was a green light to go back into production. That was prohibited. It was against the law to do it," Stephen Wynne, CEO of DeLorean, tells the website.
The H.R.2675 "Low Volume Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Act of 2015" that allowed all this to happen is only for replica cars, which refers to vehicles that bears some similarities in appearance with others that were manufactured 25 years ago or earlier.
To boil things down, the new DeLorean purchased every leftover part it could get hold of when the original company went down the tubes three decades ago, and it has either been fixing or restoring DeLorean vehicles since then. But with a massive amount of parts at hand plus the law in question, the 2017 DeLorean DMC-12 can actually come forth.
"The new law provides common-sense regulatory relief for small businesses that would otherwise be treated as if they were producing millions of cars. The companies are required to register with NHTSA and EPA, and file annual production reports. The replica vehicles will be subject to equipment standards, recalls and remedies," DeLorean posted on its website.
Now, what everyone probably wants to know is what's going to be under the hood. Luckily, Jason Torchinsky of Jalopnik was able to get in touch with the DeLorean VP James Espey.
According to Espey, GM is not the only engine option, where the company is considering choosing among three suppliers. Two of those will be domestic and one will be foreign.
The carmaker could possibly go for a naturally aspirated V6 rear engine that packs in 300 to 400 HP, which suggests that it could be a Japanese engine.
As for the tires, the updated DMC-12 will sport 17- or 18-inch wheels so that it can be fitted with high-performance tires, a major step-up from the DMC-12 back in the 1980s that housed an engine that clocked at 130 HP along with 14- to 15-inch rims that can't accommodate high-performance tires.
Its components include a transaxle setup because of its rear-engine configuration and larger brakes and shocks. Regarding the center stack, HVAC and other ancillaries, they will be from the company's favorite supplier. Needless to say, the vehicle will come equipped with updated electronics befitting of a modernized car.
That's all the details that DeLorean would disclose for now, but it shouldn't take too long for the carmaker to make more announcements in the foreseeable future.
It's believed that the 2017 DeLorean DMC-12 will roll out with a price tag between $80,000 and $100,000.
With a huge upgrade in performance and power, it's hard not to get excited about it. Of course, it won't be that easy to get the new DMC-12s off the ground, as the NHTSA and DOT still have a couple of wrinkles to iron out before 2016 ends, but the year has just begun so they certainly have plenty of time.
At any rate, the modernized DMC-12 is about to hit the road, and that's what everyone wants to see.
Photo: Robbie Shade | Flickr
