Revived from the ashes of its former company, DeLorean is putting the iconic DMC-12 back into production. The DeLorean DMC-12 was in built for only two years in the early 80’s and only 9,000 were produced. By some estimates, more than two-thirds of those are still around.
Parts today are hard to come by. The company name changed hands and became a way for parts to be sourced or made custom for the modern-day enthusiast. Now, DeLorean plans to build a small production of 300 full DeLorean DMC-12s for the 2017 model year. Intended as a replica, they plan to keep it as similar to the original model as possible. They’ll need to source a new engine as all 2017 production cars need to meet EPA emissions standards, and the 1981 technology just won’t cut it.
If they’re making a some changes here and there, here’s 5 more technologies we’d like to see in the 2017 DeLorean DMC-12:
1. Electric Engine
If you’re forced to update for the future, go for broke. Mr. Fusion technology isn’t here yet, and keeping plutonium in your trunk is more dangerous than a fully-fuelled Pinto. DeLorean will likely outsource the engine to one of the Big 3 American auto companies, but since Tesla released the patents on their electric car technology to everyone, why not look to them?
In the spirit of innovative start-ups producing revolutionary cars, Tesla succeeded where DeLorean failed. One issue that might arise is that such a radical change in technology could be the need for a completely redesigned drivetrain. If the goal for DeLorean is to make more cars so that there are more parts for the new AND old models, then they might stick with gas. How retro.
Still, when you’re charging over $100,000 for a car and Tesla will be releasing an all-electric Model III for one-third that price, you can’t use the excuse that it will cost too much.
2. Flux Capacitor
We don’t have time travel technology yet. Or if we do, then someone is wisely keeping it shelved. That’s not the point. I would bet that of the estimated 6,500 current DeLorean owners, Back to the Future contributed to their purchase in some way. If I were to consider buying a new DMC-12, then it would need that equally iconic Flux Capacitor.
It doesn’t need to “make time travel possible”. That’s not what matters. It could charge my USB devices for all I care. When I’m driving at 88 mph I want to see those lights flashing by my side; not just the ones in my rear-view mirror.
3. Time Circuits Dashboard Clock
The entertainment system in the 2017 model will connect to your iPhone. How’s that for a juxtaposition in technology? It could have a 24” UHDTV in the passenger seat for all I care, but I’m going to need to have those LED Time Circuits telling me what time it is.
That green display in the middle shows the current time and date. What car doesn’t do that today? Yet, there’s exactly one car in the world that can pass this off as its dashboard clock. The yellow and red LEDs can be programmed, synced to your calendar, or just randomly show dates and times from the franchise.
4. Paid Celebrity GPS Voices
When TomTom released Darth Vader as a voice to help you navigate through traffic, all bets were off. There’s probably no character that’s taboo for GPS directions. When the popularity of a car is so closely tied to a movie franchise, then just sitting in the driver’s seat will bring back a flood of memories.
Then just imagine it. Doc Brown panicking as you miss a turn. Marty McFly telling you how far in the future you have to go before your destination. Biff Tannen mocking you because you’re getting directions to “your mommy’s house”.
Okay, maybe not that last one.
5. Fax Machine
Everyone in 2015 will have at least one fax machine in every room of their house. That’s the futuristic view presented by Back to the Future II. Of course, that was in 1989 and the World Wide Web had only just been born. No one could have predicted that we’d have screens with cat videos in every room of our house.
While they aren’t common technology, fax machines haven’t disappeared. They are still the preferred format for signing contracts. With the prevalence of cell phone technology, it’s entirely possible to have one installed in your car. It’s a retro technology, outdated, impractical, and for the most part only appeals to nostalgia.
Then again, so does a 2017 model of a 1981 car.