Following in the footsteps of legendary machines like the McLaren F1 or Ferrari F50, the latest attempt to build a road-legal hypercar heavily inspired by Formula One comes from France. It’s not a Bugatti, as we would expect, but a Delage, a famous manufacturer that built some of the most terrific racecars of the 1920s. The brand was recently revived with the mission of creating one of the fastest production cars ever created.
The man behind this audacious project is Laurent Tapie, a French entrepreneur and racecar history buff that decided to revive the Delage brand, which ceased operations in 1953.
He signed an agreement with “Les Amis de Delage ", the association that owns the rights to the brand, and unveiled the D12 prototype on December 10, 2019 in Los Angeles.
The gorgeous hypercar was met with dropped jaws as it resembles a combination between a futuristic fighter jet and a Formula One car. It has no doors but instead uses a plane-like canopy to access the cockpit.
Photo: Delage Automobiles
Since it's still in development, with the first customer test drives scheduled for the summer of 2021, the carmaker didn’t release many details about the D12. Here is what we know so far.
It is powered by a hybrid drivetrain that uses a 7.6-liter (464 cu in) V12 - like any Formula 1-inspired car should. The massive naturally aspired engine spits out no less than 990 hp (739 kW) at 8,200 rpm.
The unit is built employing a 66-degree V configuration to make it narrower, a similar construction method to what Ferrari used when developing their legendary Colombo powerplants.
It features a 102-mm (4-in) bore, a 77.5-mm (3-in) stroke, four valves per cylinder, and variable timing cams. Like any respectable high-performance engine, it also uses a dry-sump lubrication system and an indirect fuel injection system.
Although Delage has stated that it is an in-house developed engine, details have emerged indicating that it is manufactured in Australia.
Photo: Delage Automobiles
The powerplant is aided by a high-capacity electric motor which comes in two versions: 20 hp and 110 hp. The bigger one equips the D12 GT, which is designed for road-use and the extra power will enable it to be driven exclusively on electric energy for short periods of time. The smaller and lighter motor is used in the D12 Club edition which is built and optimized for the track. Power delivery to the rear wheels is provided by an eight-speed gearbox.
The wide and ultra-low futuristic body sits on an advanced chassis built using the latest Formula One-inspired construction methods and technologies.
It features a frontal crash box and a central monocoque made from high-grade carbon fiber and an aluminum-alloy rear frame. The car also uses active front flaps and rear wing for improved aerodynamics.
As for the suspension, the D12 will be the first road-legal car to use the contractive system that revolutionized Formula One cars in the late 1990s.
Photo: Delage Automobiles
Optimal stopping power is provided by six-piston aluminum calipers in the front that use 380-mm (14,9-in) carbon-ceramic ventilated rotors and four-piston calipers with 360-mm (14.1-in) rotors on the rear. Additionally, innovative carbon fiber wheels are designed to provide active cooling to the brakes.
Delage turned to former Indy 500 and Formula One champion Jacques Villeneuve to optimize the car, and the result is an acceleration time from zero to 100 kph (62 mph) of only 2.6 seconds and a top speed of 360 kph (224 mph).
The D12 will be available next year, with only 30 units scheduled to be produced. The first one will be available for almost $4 million, and the other 29 will cost around $2.5 million.
Photo: Delage Automobiles
Customers will be able to test the car alongside Villeneuve, and the interior will be custom made for each driver to make the seat, steering wheel, leg support, and pedals fit like a glove.
In conclusion, the Delage D12 promises to be an epic hypercar heavily inspired by Formula One that should deliver a unique driving experience.
It will attempt to break the Nordschleife record for production cars currently held by the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series sometime next year, and we’re eager to see if it will succeed.
Vlad's first car was custom coach built: an exotic he made out of wood, cardboard and a borrowed steering wheel at the age of five. Combining his previous experience in writing and car dealership years, his articles focus in depth on special cars of past and present times. Full profile
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