What a time to be alive! While some of the world's most brilliant automotive engineers are developing the electric hypercars of tomorrow, others are still using F1 race cars as a source of inspiration for their projects. There are quite a few production vehicles on the market or about to hit the market, that are capable of delivering over 1,000 hp, and it doesn't hurt to have one more added to that list.
The French automobile manufacturer ceased operations about half a century ago, after being active for about 48 years. But a man named Laurent Tapie decided to give Delage a second chance, and so the D12 prototype was presented in Los Angeles back in 2019.
Aiming to provide a good mix of power and downforce, the design resembles that of a Formula 1 car. Once you have to get inside the car, you can't help but feel like you're reliving a scene from the latest Top Gun: Maverick movie.
Moving the car forward is a hybrid engine consisting of a 7.6-liter V12 and an additional electric motor. The combined output can go as high up as 1,100 horsepower. Only 30 people will get the chance to own one of these cars, and it's not hard to understand why the price tag is set at €2 million ($2.1 million) before tax.
The use of contractive suspension, brake cooling carbon fiber wheels, a monocoque chassis, and collaboration with Jacques Villeneuve further emphasizes how special this car is.
While this might not produce as much downforce as the McMurtry fan car, it might come close, so you should expect some pretty high G forces when driving fast. Speaking of which, the D12 comes with four driving settings including a purely electric mode for in-city use, a hybrid-mode for the road, a track mode with full power at your disposal, and an additional customizable mode.
With an estimated top speed of 223 mph (360 kph), it seems that the Delage D12 will also tackle the Nürburgring Nordschleife next year in an attempt to set a world record.
Until then, we're left with imagery from the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The D12 could be seen spitting huge flames out the exhaust, and some influencers even managed to have a chat with company representatives, diving deeper into the technical details of the car.
The things Dragos enjoys the most in life are, in no particular order: cars, motorcycles, diecast cars, and drifting. He's seen (and driven) many vehicles since he started his writing career back in 2009, but his garage currently houses a 1991 Mazda RX-7 FC3S Turbo II and a 1999 Suzuki SV650-S. Full profile
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