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Back From the Dead and Up on the Stage, This 500 HP DeLorean Is Up for Grabs

DeLorean was the sporty-looking car that America want, built by the man who opposed the project of a mid-engine Corvette more than a decade earlier: no other than John DeLorean.
Delorean_DMC12_silver 20 photos
Photo: white_out/Bring a Trailer
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We told you about the sad story of the DeLorean carmaker, and we know that its main problem was the heavy bodywork and sluggish 130 hp European V6 engine. Back then, the former GM exec thought that installing a powerplant designed and built by Peugeot, Renault, and Volvo would be a good idea. Well, it wasn't. That power was just not enough for this car. As the owner of this DeLorean said: "with the original engine, once I raced a moped, and it was close."

This particular car spent almost two decades in storage before Nick bought it and started to work on it. After the car was ready, it was shocking news for everyone. We wrote about it on autoevolution  as well. Matt Farah, from TheSmokingTire YouTube channel, drove it, and he was stunned. He noticed that, in third gear, the speedometer moved faster than the tachometer. But how did this happen? What was changed?

Otsuka Maxwell Design built the car in San Diego. It started by taking the car apart and cleaning it. The idea was to build the fastest DeLorean ever, but there were more issues with that. First, it is a very heavy car due to its stainless-steel bodywork. Then, the chassis cannot handle too well, and, as Matt noticed, the lift-off oversteer is still there. Finally, even though the TheSmokingTire YouTube channel host is a big guy, he struggled a little with the steering, which is not power-assisted.

DeLorean DMC12 by Otsuka Maxwell Design
Photo: white_out/Bring-a-Trailer
That was the only part that remained, mostly, untouched. The builder had a big experience in restoring Ferrari, which sports a similar, mid-engine construction. That's why he upgraded the suspension and installed coil-overs in all corners, along with Ferrari 348 Challenge disc-brakes. That's why they are slotted, not drilled. These could fit inside the original 15" light-alloy wheels.

But the real beast was under the hood, where OMD performed a work of art. It stuck a Kia Stinger engine behind the cabin. That twin-turbo V6 was also modified to the max. Instead of the direct fuel-injection system, it placed a ported one. It ditched the standard turbochargers and replaced them with a pair of Garret T25 units. After that, a pair of intercoolers were added on the upper side. The original engine featured a variable valve timing, which was also ditched for this project. As the last addition, OMD designed and built a custom aluminum air intake.

It was evident that DeLorean's standard gearbox couldn't withstand the 390 lb-ft (530 Nm) of torque for the transmission. Thus a Porsche 911 (996.2) six-speed manual transaxle gearbox took its place. It also added a limited-slip differential to send the power to the rear wheels. A dynotest run (attached in the photo gallery) shows 487 whp! That's more than 500 hp at the crankshaft.

DeLorean DMC12 by Otsuka Maxwell Design
Photo: white_out/Bring-a-Trailer
But what is beautiful about this car's design is the interior, which looks almost stock. OMD searched for a pair of 1980s Recaro sport bucket seats and refurbished them with leather. Also, the dashboard, door cards, and center console were restored to the original look, or even better, I might add. On the center stack, it left untouched the tape-player! I know you can hardly find a tape at the thrift store. Still, OMD left it in place. Even the dials and gauges are original. The only exception is a turbo-gauge mounted in front of the shifter, which sports the original, refurbished DeLorean gear knob.

By the time of this writing, the action posted on Bring a Trailer had already reached $100,000, with five days to go. A die-hard DeLorean fan will get it and will truly enjoy the hero-car from the "Back to the future" franchise.
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About the author: Tudor Serban
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Tudor started his automotive career in 1996, writing for a magazine while working on his journalism degree. From Pikes Peaks to the Moroccan desert to the Laguna Seca, he's seen and done it all.
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