And give it a proper engine. A properly maintained BMW 3.5 straight-6 would be my best bet for power (around 280hp) and it makes a great noise. That or a Rover V8.
@@DARam4009 I'm a huge fan of BMW inline 6 power (E30 owner), sadly you could never fit one into a DeLorean, too long of an engine for too short a car. I do know of one Rover V8 swapped D in Illinois.
@@augustneverends there are DeLorean existing with SUPRA Engines .... there is enough Space for your tiny BMW Inline 6 Junk Engine which sucks Oil like a Whore in the Bronx
I saw one for the first time in Virginia Beach approaching me as I crossed the pedestrian crossing. I literally stopped walking and gawked. Pictures don't convey how low and wide this car is and how ridiculously good it looks - Giorgetto Giugiaro (its designer) really knocked it out of the park.
You need to compare the DeLorean with the other cars of it’s time. The early 80s were not kind for hp. And if he’s whining about the handling, he can direct his complaints at Lotus of England who engineered the chassis, frame, and suspension after the Esprit.
They were given extremely cheap components, what do you expect them to do? Perform miracles? Plus they were all built badly and too quickly by the DeLorean factory. Hardly the fault of Lotus.
@@gavinwyllie7855 I’m not complaining about the handling. Personally, they handle pretty well considering the layout. It doesn’t take much to modernize what Lotus started with. Beefing up the front, lowering the ride and tying in the front shock towers does a lot for these. I applaud Lotus and the expertise they lent to what was a daunting task. I partially agree the factory (see assembly) wasn’t top notch but build quality was improving toward the end. If they would have survived, the ‘84 + models would have been much improved.
@ LucasTNTman93 DeLorean was constrained by the times. He needed an engine that already met US emissions, was versatile enough for the application and wasn’t crazy expensive or heavy. It was underpowered but everything was in ‘81. The development of the Legend twin turbo cars were very promising but would only have been a reality if the company survived through ‘83-‘84.
Yep. Around 3,000lbs. Same as GT86/FRS/BRZ, Mini Cooper, etc....not heavy, just underpowered. Sweet spot for DMC is around 250hp...anything beyond that is a death wish unless suspension, brakes, etc are modified as well.
A standard 911 ...corvette or mustang at the time where heavier ... The emissions requirements at the time the DeLorean was launching killed of the performance of those either.... But the DeLorean sticks in the memory because there are no cars from before those restrictions build by DeLorean!
some guys tried to do it. th-cam.com/video/B-Lr4KOBU3U/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=NineCarGarage Dunno if they suceeded i cant watch the video because of bad quality. pet peeve of mine and ridicolous but i just want to bring it to your attention
Wow he got a LOT wrong here including the specs, and where the parts came from. Cars of that era were heavier then the 2700 lb DeLorean. For some additional perspective, the Corvette of that era was 190hp, and Porsche 911 170hp. The Delorean was stymied by emissions updates which prevented the rotary from being an option, and choked the PRV from 160hp down to 130hp. Come on guys...I expect much better research vs. the standard debunked rhetoric.
What ? Nope. Porshe 911 was making over 300HP at the time (turbo models), Corvette models at the time (C3) also made over 300 in top trim engines. For the power it made, it's was really heavy. You just can't deny the fact, that this was in essence a cobbled together "sports" car with fancy wings and futuristic (for the time) styling. Otherwise it was a shit driving car, as mr harris pointed out. If BTS never existed, nobody would remember this car today.
@@hojnikb most car enthusiasts would definetly remember even without the movie... if not for it being so unique and yet beautiful, then for its colourful history and certain scandal surrounding its relatively famous owner.
Rear brakes are jaguar. Glovebox *catch* is golf. Door catches are also used by lotus *to this day*. Gear knob is a bespoke item. Get your facts straight.
The DeLorean, for all its faults, is not a bad car. It was never built as a sports car but rather a grand tourer. The PRV engine had already passed US emissions and was fairly thrifty on fuel so that was a no-brainer. The deep leather seats, tall gearing, and softer suspension all play into it being a gt. All faults can be addressed with modern solutions and many owners daily these, myself included. Is it fast? No. But the ‘81 Vette only had 180 hp too. Is it that heavy? No. 2800lb empty. The same as a modern Mini. Is it reliable? Eh.. depends on the history. The ones that sit and never run develop issues but that’s not unique to the DeLorean. It’s an antique car feature.
I heard at the start of the year that coachbuiler Italdesign were making a new Delorean style model but that was in January so idk if we will still see it.
They already did. Some one in texas bought the remaining stock house of unfinished Deloreans and you could buy a "new" one with an electric powertrain, or a Buick V6 which was better than original. But that was several year ago that I saw that, they might be sold out now. But they do exist.
There is a company in Texas that has all the parts you need to build a new one. I was once working at a fast food joint in Michigan when a guy came through the drive through in one. I was very surprised to say the least. He managed to get the food through the slot in the window. I've seen one get turned into a electric car. If I bought one I would modify it. I think Chris totally misses the point of this car. He needs to put it into perspective. It was good for its time. He should have talked to the owner about the ownership experience. Thanks.
As an owner this is the same old rubbish that every Delorean owner has heard before they fail to mention that British built cars from the Era were shite .. fact. A review done by media clowns that fail to appreciate the iconicness & fact that the car is the fastest appreciating car on the planet right now with collectors globally shooting for them.
Sums it up perfectly imo. Same as all the cars from the era out of England. Killer car for collectors, probably the best ever. But for driving enthusiasts and car nuts its definitely one to avoid.
This is in my Top 5 of thel most iconic movie / tv show cars ever. Among a Pontiac Firebird (Knight Rider), the Aston Martin DBS from James Bond, the 1963 Volkswagen Beetle from Herbie and a Cadillac Miller-Meteor (ECTO-1 [Ghostbusters]).
Sorry to say this, but, this felt like a fill in piece, nothing I hadn’t heard before, I was half expecting someone had brought one up to date, but, no, not one of current Topgears finest moments, in fact, Paddy’s and Freddie’s feat were brilliant!
Why would you be pushing it like that on a public road anyway? And in the wet no less? Anyway. I've owned mine since July 2000. Everything said is true, but it's a GT cruiser. It's fast enough stock to keep up with modern traffic, but the real joy is just cruising for hours on the open road. It is very, very comfortable and smooth. It will also pull more of a crowd standing still than a $300,000 Lambo. Kids 4 to 100 beam ear to ear. It's joy on wheels more than just about any other car in history.
This car looks cool and it's appearance in Back to the Future was iconic, but yeah this wasn't a especially good car in general, especially performance-wise.
Well there is a lot of backstory and corporate politics involved with developing this car. As well as scandal and (alleged) illegal activity. DeLorean did his best while being blacklisted by the Detroit three. Remember though that DeLorean designed the GTO. So his heart was in the right place even if his parts sourcing was not...
I've waited for Top Gear to give the DeLorean its due. I've learned to deal with the Back to the Future comments and remarks about John Z DeLorean.. I've delt with similar fictional comments like @ 7:30 in the segment about " he was going to use a rotary engine from the RX7" "a not very exotic 130 horsepower" "it weighted quiet a lot"... all things that I thought Top Gear would have done research on considering they had to source 2 DeLorean owners to film this. The added SFX and 'poor shifting' performance I guess fits their style of 'humor'.. They really should have explained why John needed money for the company, and how he got tied up in the drug deal, but I guess Top Gear has to stay within their little 15 minute segment slot. The next part unfortunately.. downright disappointed me. Showing footage of DMC employees whilst talking about "they had to work with whatever they could get their hands on".. I damn near felt pissed off at this point. After interview Barrie Wills and him praising the work ethic of these people in Northern Ireland at that time. They sincerely wanted this dream to succeed, the local economy began to pick up with people taking out loans for cars, furniture, TVs, VCRs.. The workforce that was taken off the streets and given work for the first time in generations should be credited more than just writing the DeLorean off as a "terrible" car. It was average for the day, but by no means a bad car. Most people in the community consider it to be a great GT car and not a sports car. I've daily driven mine for 2 years (going on 3) and have had barely any issues keeping it on the road. Considering its now 40 years old, my hats off to those Dunmurry employees for "having thrown this car together so fast". -VIN 4693 For those who might want to know more about this car in video form, check out Carfection's documentary on YT, as well as the "Framing John DeLorean" film or the BBC "DeLorean: Back from the Future" segment. th-cam.com/video/qt5X83NA-pE/w-d-xo.html
Chris Harris, please actually do some research and get your facts right, pretty much everything you said that video clip was absolute drivel or plain wrong. The car isn't perfect by any means, but by the standards of the time, it was pretty good. It's not a heavy car, the stainless panels are very light-weight and can be lifted with one hand. The engine was detuned for the US market, loosing approx 30hp due to emissions regulations at the time. The power output was sufficient for the cars it was competing against at the time. There were some early issues with alternators which were quickly fixed. The gear knob is bespoke, the rear brakes are Jaguar xjs. I've owned a Delorean for 16 years now in the UK, with some minor adjustments to the engine to regain power and derestrict the exhaust and it is a great joy to drive. I've certainly never experienced any sudden snap oversteer and killed myself, nor have any other owners. Then again, maybe we can actually drive a rear- engined classic car correctly and safely. Maybe you should start with the basics, like learning to use a manual gearbox of that period correctly, as that's obviously major problem for you. I have no problems with the performance or handling of the car, I generally find that people hold me up on the roads around here. Of course, all this is going to go on deaf ears, since Top Gear long stopped being a factual show and is just another excuse to bash a slightly flawed gem of a car, repeating the same tired crap and untruths about something which was an amazing achievement at the time.
As a Delorean admirer, I despise this video's take on the car. I hate how whenever a well-known show/person covers this car they constantly bash it to no end. You have to take into consideration the era this car was built-in. When you do, this car really isn't as bad as people portray it to be.
But then again, if BTS never existed, NOBODY would know about this car, even the hardest of fanboys. It's really not that good of a _car_, but it is a legend. Just not as a car, but more like a prop.
Chris succinctly captured the driving experience - the steering is sloppy and it accelerates like a naturally aspirated 4 cylinder economy car made in the 1990's but he failed to mention the main reason people love it - it has a nostalgia for people that grew up watching the BTTF movies. If you want a fast car, you could easily buy several of them for the cost of a low mileage Delorean now.
I worked in DeLorean factory building them cars if you had seen some of the things we had to do to put them together you would have laugh your lungs out lol 🙄😬😮💨
By today's standards it does not weigh a lot. Roughly 2750 pounds. That is way less than anything currently in production, except maybe a Lotus or Ariel. Maybe that was a lot in 1981, but not now. It is super underpowered though.
Heavy is just some of the incorrect info out there. The 1981 Corvette weighed more. The Ferrari 308 weighed more. The 911 Porsche only weighed 200lbs less. Most sports cars did 0-60 in around 8 seconds, the DeLorean managed it in 9.5(stock), so it's slow, but not as slow as people make it out to be. The Triumph Spitfire 0-60 was over 13 seconds and a lot of the Japanese sports cars of the time had 9+ second times as well, but only the DeLorean for some reason gets the "slow and heavy" moniker tagged to it. Mine puts out close to 200hp with mild mods to the stock engine(mostly took out the emmissions BS)
@@whiteviper1979 Hybrid would work. Just like with the Toyota Prius and others, the main powerplant is the gas engine with the battery to supplement and extend the mileage.
@@georgehenderson7783 it would be a cool concept car for sure and their already are new replicated versions of the Delorean as well but I personally think they should let the Delorean rest in peace 🕊️☮️
That is a stunning car and the engine, suspension, brakes, even the transmission could be replaced or upgraded. The interior is good and it has a stunning exterior. The prices had been low to reflect that in comparison to other classic cars of this type, the Delorean is all about the looks and the association with the Hollywood franchise. Now that the prices are high, perhaps some companies will offer tasteful upgrades to keep some of these on the road, rather than hidden away in private garages.
If it is remastered as an ev, don't change the exterior, just change the inside. Android auto + apple car play + good looking screen (inspired by btf movie)
It's true, all of it. Bear in mind, even Chris is being generous as the one he's driving is in near mint condition. Many are not. I rode in one decades ago and it was like driving a truck with too small of an engine, and very little thought put into suspension tuning. I had a 1996 Honda Civic at the time, and despite being bigger (almost anything is bigger than a DMC-12) and having similar power, it was still faster because it was several hundred pounds lighter, and that car was slower than some minivans. Everything under the iconic skin was objectively average, or worse. Some have been made into proper sports cars with handfuls of money, it's just a shame they didn't come from the factory that way.
all I see are people saying "make it an EV" let me just say not everything needs to have laptop batteries to be good and also this thing was rebuilt in recent time with a V8 a few years back if memory serves me right
It's more like refreshing the interior of Buckingham Palace, adding WiFi, and air conditioning, to replace the old coal burners. Looks the same on the outside, but more comfortable and efficient on the inside.
Made in Belfast and just like the titanic it was ok when it left here!! Might be crap but still very collectable, more for looking at than driving I suppose
Yes.. BUT with a backstory worthy of a best seller, Hollywood appearances and a high survival rate it still a landmark car and cannot be measured just on flinging one around a track chewing up its tyres.
can it hit 88 i belive there is someone in american that made a modern delorean with tesla style interior and model x style doors but i cant remember the engine
the main reason for the delorian being stainless was to combat the biggest problem of all with cars - paint! also its a lotus esprit S2 without the performance or refinements.
Apart from the fact that it is from the same era, it is also designed by Giugiaro and engineered by Lotus, it is NOT a lotus esprit S2 at all. Different engine , different gearbox, the lotus is a mid engined car, the delorean is a rear engined car, so totally different weight distribution because it is all about the place of the engine over the rear axle etc.... We can call them cousins and they are related, but very different at the same time.....from a lotus esprit S2.2 owner. Still, they look spectacular. BTW, I am not impressed by this video. I am not a Delorian fan , but Chris Harris just rattled off a bunch of platitudes about the Delorean. He may be spoiled with all these hypercars he did drive already, but this is a 40 year old low production car... I see flashbacks of people mumbling LOTUS = Lots Of Trouble Usually Serious....Yeah right ....another platitude. Take an old esprit...keep up with maintenance...drive it regulary and ask yourself Is it really that unreliable for a 40 year old car. That Delorian has a futuristic design even today, ( fantastic isn't it, look at it) but it is very much a 40 year old car, so judge it like that Mr Harris
I have been a fan of this car (despite all of its flaws) ever since I saw Back to the Future over 30 years ago as a small child, and I never have heard in my entire life that Johnny Z wanted to use a Rotary Engine instead of the PVR V6...if it was the 3 rotatory engine used in the Mazda Cosmos that seriously could have changed everything. The weight distribution over the rear axle could have been dramatically reduced, or because of its smaller size...it could have even been mid-engined instead. Though, if things had not turned out the way they did and the car remained in production, I'm sure like Porsche as time went on with the introduction of modern electronic driver aids that they would have made the rear-engined layout work, that is if they engineers didn't convince Johnny Z to adopt a mid-engined layout instead...and got that twin-turbo setup that Legend Automotive was working for them as well.
@@gavinwyllie7855 Yeah the emissions requirements of the era and the mandatory introduction of catalytic converters really screwed things up (that and they had to increase the ride height), but there were people that worked around it like Buick did for the Grand National with refined used of sequential fuel injection and turbo chargers. Mazda had the RX-7 on sale during the time the DeLorean was available to the public, wonder what they did different to pass US emission requirements of the time to make it feasible. I know AMC was going to do something similar with the Pacer, their plans were to buy a rotary engine from General Motors that they had been working for a Corvette concept that almost became reality, but they canceled production and AMC was left having to cram one of their straight-six engines under the hood. I remember seeing a video almost 20 years ago about a guy who found a DeLorean in a barn in Ireland and nicknamed it "Dusty" and claims it was one of the first cars to be prepared to be converted to Right-Hand Drive and he was talking about how it was rated for 160 horse power because it just had straight exhaust with no catalytic converter.
Very early in the car's planning stage John DeLorean made inquiries to Citroen's Comotor subsidiary about a supply of rotary engines but Comotor was sinking fast and the rotary's poor fuel economy killed that possibility.
I actually got an opportunity to drive a DeLorean for a state inspection once. Granted I only needed to check the brakes on it so I didnt drive it for long but I will agree, the car itself is HOPELESS. It doesnt accelerate very well, it doesnt turn worth a damn, and it BARELY wanted to stop once I got it rolling. The whole thing was a nearly unequivocal MESS of a car. But still, even with all its glaring flaws I still can say "Hey, I drove a DeLorean once"
Well I hope you failed it. A brake check that barely stopped. Sorry you drove a crappy specimen. I’m on my second delorean and both had adequate pickup. Steered well, and stopped great. Your experience sounds like it’s had bad mechanics or a hard life.
The PERFECT car for a restomod. It looks stunning, even today, it just needs modern mechanics.
Exactly. Gut the damn thing and do it right
And give it a proper engine. A properly maintained BMW 3.5 straight-6 would be my best bet for power (around 280hp) and it makes a great noise. That or a Rover V8.
There's a fantastic Tesla powered Delorean on TH-cam
@@DARam4009 I'm a huge fan of BMW inline 6 power (E30 owner), sadly you could never fit one into a DeLorean, too long of an engine for too short a car. I do know of one Rover V8 swapped D in Illinois.
@@augustneverends there are DeLorean existing with SUPRA Engines .... there is enough Space for your tiny BMW Inline 6 Junk Engine which sucks Oil like a Whore in the Bronx
You don't get a sense of how low and wide this car is until you see one in traffic. A head turner even today.
Low and wide, with suspension that sways outward in a turn like it's trying to balance on a ball. Such a shame.
I saw one for the first time in Virginia Beach approaching me as I crossed the pedestrian crossing. I literally stopped walking and gawked. Pictures don't convey how low and wide this car is and how ridiculously good it looks - Giorgetto Giugiaro (its designer) really knocked it out of the park.
It was made to look cool.
Nailed that much at least 🤙🏻
Sure did! Shame about the rest of it.
Should of went to Honda with the j series
Just as well Chris didn't manage to get it up to 88 mph or we'd have already seen this video when our parents were dating.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
88 mph isn't that fast
@@jonianmarquez3030
Great scoot
You need to watch back to the future trilogy
The Delorean rebuilt using 2021 technology and EV platform would be AWESOME.
they were rebuilt a few years back using V8s if I remember correctly
There are a few EV conversions about and I understand that they are rather good.
It would be Quadra from Cyberpunk
But still heavy :)
I'd rather have an NA V8 or a turbo V6 instead of EV.
You need to compare the DeLorean with the other cars of it’s time. The early 80s were not kind for hp. And if he’s whining about the handling, he can direct his complaints at Lotus of England who engineered the chassis, frame, and suspension after the Esprit.
They were given extremely cheap components, what do you expect them to do? Perform miracles? Plus they were all built badly and too quickly by the DeLorean factory. Hardly the fault of Lotus.
@@gavinwyllie7855 I’m not complaining about the handling. Personally, they handle pretty well considering the layout. It doesn’t take much to modernize what Lotus started with. Beefing up the front, lowering the ride and tying in the front shock towers does a lot for these. I applaud Lotus and the expertise they lent to what was a daunting task.
I partially agree the factory (see assembly) wasn’t top notch but build quality was improving toward the end. If they would have survived, the ‘84 + models would have been much improved.
The car definitely doesn't weigh a lot. It was underpowered though.
Exactly. People think it’s just solid stainless. Total weight is around 2,800lb or the same as a modern Mini Cooper.
@ LucasTNTman93 DeLorean was constrained by the times. He needed an engine that already met US emissions, was versatile enough for the application and wasn’t crazy expensive or heavy. It was underpowered but everything was in ‘81. The development of the Legend twin turbo cars were very promising but would only have been a reality if the company survived through ‘83-‘84.
Yep. Around 3,000lbs. Same as GT86/FRS/BRZ, Mini Cooper, etc....not heavy, just underpowered.
Sweet spot for DMC is around 250hp...anything beyond that is a death wish unless suspension, brakes, etc are modified as well.
For 130HP it was certanly heavy.
A standard 911 ...corvette or mustang at the time where heavier ...
The emissions requirements at the time the DeLorean was launching killed of the performance of those either....
But the DeLorean sticks in the memory because there are no cars from before those restrictions build by DeLorean!
I'd love to get my hands on a DeLorean and swap in the 13B that it was destined to have!
some guys tried to do it.
th-cam.com/video/B-Lr4KOBU3U/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=NineCarGarage
Dunno if they suceeded i cant watch the video because of bad quality. pet peeve of mine and ridicolous but i just want to bring it to your attention
Wow he got a LOT wrong here including the specs, and where the parts came from. Cars of that era were heavier then the 2700 lb DeLorean. For some additional perspective, the Corvette of that era was 190hp, and Porsche 911 170hp. The Delorean was stymied by emissions updates which prevented the rotary from being an option, and choked the PRV from 160hp down to 130hp. Come on guys...I expect much better research vs. the standard debunked rhetoric.
What ? Nope. Porshe 911 was making over 300HP at the time (turbo models), Corvette models at the time (C3) also made over 300 in top trim engines.
For the power it made, it's was really heavy.
You just can't deny the fact, that this was in essence a cobbled together "sports" car with fancy wings and futuristic (for the time) styling.
Otherwise it was a shit driving car, as mr harris pointed out.
If BTS never existed, nobody would remember this car today.
@@hojnikb most car enthusiasts would definetly remember even without the movie... if not for it being so unique and yet beautiful, then for its colourful history and certain scandal surrounding its relatively famous owner.
@@dodgygeezer4123 If that's the case, i'm sure you can name atleast one other alternative to delorean, that was sold around that time.
@@hojnikb bricklin sv-1
@@hojnikb I think you meant BTTF, not BTS
The best looking coupe from the 80s
Only if you lower it like 3 inches
You know that Chris Harris would say it's the coupé version of the Peugeot 205. 😉
Rear brakes are jaguar. Glovebox *catch* is golf. Door catches are also used by lotus *to this day*. Gear knob is a bespoke item.
Get your facts straight.
Agreed. Top Gear are an entertainment programme, not a serious car review. TG never let the facts get in the way of a good story.
DeLorean is the same man that invented the GTO but he's more known for his DMC car b/c it was made iconic by the movie Back to the Future.
i like and watch anything DeLorean
The DeLorean, for all its faults, is not a bad car. It was never built as a sports car but rather a grand tourer. The PRV engine had already passed US emissions and was fairly thrifty on fuel so that was a no-brainer. The deep leather seats, tall gearing, and softer suspension all play into it being a gt. All faults can be addressed with modern solutions and many owners daily these, myself included.
Is it fast? No. But the ‘81 Vette only had 180 hp too. Is it that heavy? No. 2800lb empty. The same as a modern Mini. Is it reliable? Eh.. depends on the history. The ones that sit and never run develop issues but that’s not unique to the DeLorean. It’s an antique car feature.
Make this an EV, it would sell like CRAZY
Naaah. People believe SUVs are cool.
I heard at the start of the year that coachbuiler Italdesign were making a new Delorean style model but that was in January so idk if we will still see it.
They already did. Some one in texas bought the remaining stock house of unfinished Deloreans and you could buy a "new" one with an electric powertrain, or a Buick V6 which was better than original. But that was several year ago that I saw that, they might be sold out now. But they do exist.
I wouldn't buy one.
Bahahahahaha 💀
Fun fact: the PRV V6 in that car, it's the same engine that was modified and ended up in the Alfa 155 DTM in the early '90s
That’s gotta be the most beautiful car I’ve ever seen
That's 1967 Jaguar E-Type
it will forever be one of the coolezt carz on the planet, and that itzelf iz pricelezz!
It still makes the sub Zero section on the cool wall.
Does cool wall still exists?
…But i still want one!
There is a company in Texas that has all the parts you need to build a new one. I was once working at a fast food joint in Michigan when a guy came through the drive through in one. I was very surprised to say the least. He managed to get the food through the slot in the window. I've seen one get turned into a electric car. If I bought one I would modify it. I think Chris totally misses the point of this car. He needs to put it into perspective. It was good for its time. He should have talked to the owner about the ownership experience. Thanks.
As an owner this is the same old rubbish that every Delorean owner has heard before they fail to mention that British built cars from the Era were shite .. fact. A review done by media clowns that fail to appreciate the iconicness & fact that the car is the fastest appreciating car on the planet right now with collectors globally shooting for them.
Sums it up perfectly imo. Same as all the cars from the era out of England. Killer car for collectors, probably the best ever. But for driving enthusiasts and car nuts its definitely one to avoid.
@@michaelcliff6574 Yep, it's a prop for collectors to invest and watch, not a car you want to drive.
Ah yes my favorite car
Best car
The only car that achieve a famous status after bankruptcy (and due to a movie).
DeLorean oversteers heavily, yet Harris let's it slide and controls it through the entire corner.
Pure class of driving.
Chris, I love your work but please stop shitting on my childhood dream
This is in my Top 5 of thel most iconic movie / tv show cars ever.
Among a Pontiac Firebird (Knight Rider), the Aston Martin DBS from James Bond, the 1963 Volkswagen Beetle from Herbie and a Cadillac Miller-Meteor (ECTO-1 [Ghostbusters]).
Out of those the Aston is the only one that is probably any good to drive.
Sorry to say this, but, this felt like a fill in piece, nothing I hadn’t heard before, I was half expecting someone had brought one up to date, but, no, not one of current Topgears finest moments, in fact, Paddy’s and Freddie’s feat were brilliant!
Why would you be pushing it like that on a public road anyway? And in the wet no less?
Anyway. I've owned mine since July 2000. Everything said is true, but it's a GT cruiser. It's fast enough stock to keep up with modern traffic, but the real joy is just cruising for hours on the open road. It is very, very comfortable and smooth.
It will also pull more of a crowd standing still than a $300,000 Lambo. Kids 4 to 100 beam ear to ear. It's joy on wheels more than just about any other car in history.
Thank u for more truth than this pinky in the air tea sippa.
This car looks cool and it's appearance in Back to the Future was iconic, but yeah this wasn't a especially good car in general, especially performance-wise.
Pretty baffling of how the speedometer for it only goes up to 85mph
You can always buy all the parts for one brand new from the factory. They still have them in stock
You can put a Chevy LS motor in it and have a real nice ride
Have a bunch of new old stock on the shelf. My understanding is you can get all the parts for a complete car for about 40,000 US dollars
@@swaggyswampert5143 yeah didn't you have to go to 88 in order to get to the jump?
"Looks can be deceiving." Hm... Why does this car constantly reminds me of that phrase...
Well there is a lot of backstory and corporate politics involved with developing this car. As well as scandal and (alleged) illegal activity. DeLorean did his best while being blacklisted by the Detroit three. Remember though that DeLorean designed the GTO. So his heart was in the right place even if his parts sourcing was not...
All the 12yo kids: hey look it's that GTA flying car in real life...
how is it even possible for a show to go from that good to this shit 🤣🤣
I've waited for Top Gear to give the DeLorean its due. I've learned to deal with the Back to the Future comments and remarks about John Z DeLorean.. I've delt with similar fictional comments like @ 7:30 in the segment about " he was going to use a rotary engine from the RX7" "a not very exotic 130 horsepower" "it weighted quiet a lot"... all things that I thought Top Gear would have done research on considering they had to source 2 DeLorean owners to film this. The added SFX and 'poor shifting' performance I guess fits their style of 'humor'.. They really should have explained why John needed money for the company, and how he got tied up in the drug deal, but I guess Top Gear has to stay within their little 15 minute segment slot.
The next part unfortunately.. downright disappointed me. Showing footage of DMC employees whilst talking about "they had to work with whatever they could get their hands on".. I damn near felt pissed off at this point. After interview Barrie Wills and him praising the work ethic of these people in Northern Ireland at that time. They sincerely wanted this dream to succeed, the local economy began to pick up with people taking out loans for cars, furniture, TVs, VCRs.. The workforce that was taken off the streets and given work for the first time in generations should be credited more than just writing the DeLorean off as a "terrible" car. It was average for the day, but by no means a bad car. Most people in the community consider it to be a great GT car and not a sports car. I've daily driven mine for 2 years (going on 3) and have had barely any issues keeping it on the road.
Considering its now 40 years old, my hats off to those Dunmurry employees for "having thrown this car together so fast".
-VIN 4693
For those who might want to know more about this car in video form, check out Carfection's documentary on YT, as well as the "Framing John DeLorean" film or the BBC "DeLorean: Back from the Future" segment.
th-cam.com/video/qt5X83NA-pE/w-d-xo.html
PS: here’s a fellow owner giving a follow up to the Top Gear episode: th-cam.com/video/WnZZGLhMALU/w-d-xo.html
Love the deloreon
And I am glad that I will buy a Delorean anyway.
IDK Why each time I see a DeLorean, it kept reminding me of the AE86. Imagine if you put a 4AGE Power Plant in there
That car is the future
Now that is the deloreon time machine
The Desing and look are Amazing at his time. There wasnt any other car so cool looking like in these times
Chris Harris, please actually do some research and get your facts right, pretty much everything you said that video clip was absolute drivel or plain wrong. The car isn't perfect by any means, but by the standards of the time, it was pretty good. It's not a heavy car, the stainless panels are very light-weight and can be lifted with one hand. The engine was detuned for the US market, loosing approx 30hp due to emissions regulations at the time. The power output was sufficient for the cars it was competing against at the time. There were some early issues with alternators which were quickly fixed. The gear knob is bespoke, the rear brakes are Jaguar xjs. I've owned a Delorean for 16 years now in the UK, with some minor adjustments to the engine to regain power and derestrict the exhaust and it is a great joy to drive. I've certainly never experienced any sudden snap oversteer and killed myself, nor have any other owners. Then again, maybe we can actually drive a rear- engined classic car correctly and safely. Maybe you should start with the basics, like learning to use a manual gearbox of that period correctly, as that's obviously major problem for you. I have no problems with the performance or handling of the car, I generally find that people hold me up on the roads around here. Of course, all this is going to go on deaf ears, since Top Gear long stopped being a factual show and is just another excuse to bash a slightly flawed gem of a car, repeating the same tired crap and untruths about something which was an amazing achievement at the time.
He is a professional racing driver, I'd take his word any day over yours.
As a Delorean admirer, I despise this video's take on the car. I hate how whenever a well-known show/person covers this car they constantly bash it to no end. You have to take into consideration the era this car was built-in. When you do, this car really isn't as bad as people portray it to be.
But then again, if BTS never existed, NOBODY would know about this car, even the hardest of fanboys. It's really not that good of a _car_, but it is a legend. Just not as a car, but more like a prop.
The Stainless panels weigh very little. It's 1280kg.
bro imagine if he went for the Rx7 engine 😭 this thing would still be around the modding scene
is it weird that i love the car especially for that typa handling
“Cocaine is a helluva drug.” - John DeLorean
Only the idiots believe the drug story. The ones with a brain do some research th-cam.com/video/9MKIOMIAVgY/w-d-xo.html
Chris succinctly captured the driving experience - the steering is sloppy and it accelerates like a naturally aspirated 4 cylinder economy car made in the 1990's but he failed to mention the main reason people love it - it has a nostalgia for people that grew up watching the BTTF movies. If you want a fast car, you could easily buy several of them for the cost of a low mileage Delorean now.
Heard of this a thousand times
@@weta1726 Shut up!
Those doors though
I worked in DeLorean factory building them cars if you had seen some of the things we had to do to put them together you would have laugh your lungs out lol 🙄😬😮💨
Bullshit
By today's standards it does not weigh a lot. Roughly 2750 pounds. That is way less than anything currently in production, except maybe a Lotus or Ariel. Maybe that was a lot in 1981, but not now. It is super underpowered though.
Heavy is just some of the incorrect info out there. The 1981 Corvette weighed more. The Ferrari 308 weighed more. The 911 Porsche only weighed 200lbs less. Most sports cars did 0-60 in around 8 seconds, the DeLorean managed it in 9.5(stock), so it's slow, but not as slow as people make it out to be. The Triumph Spitfire 0-60 was over 13 seconds and a lot of the Japanese sports cars of the time had 9+ second times as well, but only the DeLorean for some reason gets the "slow and heavy" moniker tagged to it. Mine puts out close to 200hp with mild mods to the stock engine(mostly took out the emmissions BS)
Hard to believe but the new Lotus Emira tips the scales at 3,175lbs, light for the 2020s, porky by Lotus standards.
I desperately want to see the DeLorean resurrected for the new millennium and built the way it was meant to be.
It's going to be official, electric.
@@GasparKvarta The electric version, if made, will be a flop. There will be another gas powered version.
@@georgehenderson7783 Actually the Delorean would make the perfect HYBRID car
@@whiteviper1979 Hybrid would work. Just like with the Toyota Prius and others, the main powerplant is the gas engine with the battery to supplement and extend the mileage.
@@georgehenderson7783 it would be a cool concept car for sure and their already are new replicated versions of the Delorean as well but I personally think they should let the Delorean rest in peace 🕊️☮️
That is a stunning car and the engine, suspension, brakes, even the transmission could be replaced or upgraded. The interior is good and it has a stunning exterior. The prices had been low to reflect that in comparison to other classic cars of this type, the Delorean is all about the looks and the association with the Hollywood franchise. Now that the prices are high, perhaps some companies will offer tasteful upgrades to keep some of these on the road, rather than hidden away in private garages.
Nice car!
Great Scott's
Great Scott Marty.
There’s an Eibach suspension package available today that works great.
In ready player one movie the car is lovely👌
My dream car. I want it :(
If it is remastered as an ev, don't change the exterior, just change the inside. Android auto + apple car play + good looking screen (inspired by btf movie)
It would have to be a old one rebuilt. You can’t make this car now days because of safety regulations.
Delorean is an icon because it was used in "Back to the Future movies" without it its just an unknown car.
I still love the car.
Why has the awards video been privated?
Sorry Chris the real one had a flux capacitor
I'm a simple man. I see a Chris Harris review. I hit the thumbs up button.
Hey if you don’t like it I can take it hahaha 🤣
A PERIPHERALPORTED DeLorean ? !
Braaaap 🙃
wow, dmc delorean
It's true, all of it. Bear in mind, even Chris is being generous as the one he's driving is in near mint condition. Many are not. I rode in one decades ago and it was like driving a truck with too small of an engine, and very little thought put into suspension tuning. I had a 1996 Honda Civic at the time, and despite being bigger (almost anything is bigger than a DMC-12) and having similar power, it was still faster because it was several hundred pounds lighter, and that car was slower than some minivans. Everything under the iconic skin was objectively average, or worse. Some have been made into proper sports cars with handfuls of money, it's just a shame they didn't come from the factory that way.
May I kindly ask for the music in the first scene
What a nice car
all I see are people saying "make it an EV" let me just say not everything needs to have laptop batteries to be good and also this thing was rebuilt in recent time with a V8 a few years back if memory serves me right
Yeah. Electrifying Classic cars is like taking the Buckingham palace and turn it into a skyscraper. Not a job impossible to do, but you’re ruining it.
It's more like refreshing the interior of Buckingham Palace, adding WiFi, and air conditioning, to replace the old coal burners. Looks the same on the outside, but more comfortable and efficient on the inside.
And you should have seen the crash tests. They fold like an origami outhouse
You know that's a good thing, right? It's *meant to do that*
@@mgutkowski you didn’t see the crash test.
It doesn’t accordion in. It fell in on itself like a house of cards
Would you prefer the car absorb the kinetic energy in a crash or your body? I'd pick option one
@@augustneverends the crash test I saw collapsed and passenger compartment. All the energy of the crash into the middle of the car.
Made in Belfast and just like the titanic it was ok when it left here!!
Might be crap but still very collectable, more for looking at than driving I suppose
The car is iconic, that guy who made it though…
He was involved in a drug related scandal, wasn't he?
Too bad. I mean the car itself is a looker though...
Yes.. BUT with a backstory worthy of a best seller, Hollywood appearances and a high survival rate it still a landmark car and cannot be measured just on flinging one around a track chewing up its tyres.
can it hit 88 i belive there is someone in american that made a modern delorean with tesla style interior and model x style doors but i cant remember the engine
It wasn't terrible you big lassie
"You're not really robing from royalty, are you?" Gotta love Chris Harris. :D
the main reason for the delorian being stainless was to combat the biggest problem of all with cars - paint! also its a lotus esprit S2 without the performance or refinements.
Apart from the fact that it is from the same era, it is also designed by Giugiaro and engineered by Lotus, it is NOT a lotus esprit S2 at all. Different engine , different gearbox, the lotus is a mid engined car, the delorean is a rear engined car, so totally different weight distribution because it is all about the place of the engine over the rear axle etc.... We can call them cousins and they are related, but very different at the same time.....from a lotus esprit S2.2 owner. Still, they look spectacular. BTW, I am not impressed by this video. I am not a Delorian fan , but Chris Harris just rattled off a bunch of platitudes about the Delorean. He may be spoiled with all these hypercars he did drive already, but this is a 40 year old low production car... I see flashbacks of people mumbling LOTUS = Lots Of Trouble Usually Serious....Yeah right ....another platitude. Take an old esprit...keep up with maintenance...drive it regulary and ask yourself Is it really that unreliable for a 40 year old car.
That Delorian has a futuristic design even today, ( fantastic isn't it, look at it) but it is very much a 40 year old car, so judge it like that Mr Harris
Have heard it said that you don’t steer a Delorean, you aim it.
"Great Scott!" Sorry, I couldn't resist. I always wanted to say that on here if I'm honest, though.
LOVE 💓 the car no matter what!❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ GREAT looks👍
The other U.S cars of the malaise era were not much better in the performance department.
The next Delorean supercar mass product in 2024
Nice car.
yes but it can do 88mph and thats all I need.
But it looks good! :)
Hey Chris you just can't base how well a car can drive by the way it handles in a drifting situation.
"Tonight on Top Gear! A moron rants about a car released over 30 years ago......"
"No car had ever reached production faster." Cocaine is a hell of a drug.
Only the brainless ones believe the drug story. The ones with a brain do some research th-cam.com/video/9MKIOMIAVgY/w-d-xo.html
But that car is a figure that everybody knows😁
On the upside we didn’t make that many of them....
LOL i was waiting for the positives
I have been a fan of this car (despite all of its flaws) ever since I saw Back to the Future over 30 years ago as a small child, and I never have heard in my entire life that Johnny Z wanted to use a Rotary Engine instead of the PVR V6...if it was the 3 rotatory engine used in the Mazda Cosmos that seriously could have changed everything. The weight distribution over the rear axle could have been dramatically reduced, or because of its smaller size...it could have even been mid-engined instead.
Though, if things had not turned out the way they did and the car remained in production, I'm sure like Porsche as time went on with the introduction of modern electronic driver aids that they would have made the rear-engined layout work, that is if they engineers didn't convince Johnny Z to adopt a mid-engined layout instead...and got that twin-turbo setup that Legend Automotive was working for them as well.
They couldn't use the rotary engine due to emission regulations at the time plus about 30hp was lost from the v6 engine for the same reason.
@@gavinwyllie7855 Yeah the emissions requirements of the era and the mandatory introduction of catalytic converters really screwed things up (that and they had to increase the ride height), but there were people that worked around it like Buick did for the Grand National with refined used of sequential fuel injection and turbo chargers. Mazda had the RX-7 on sale during the time the DeLorean was available to the public, wonder what they did different to pass US emission requirements of the time to make it feasible. I know AMC was going to do something similar with the Pacer, their plans were to buy a rotary engine from General Motors that they had been working for a Corvette concept that almost became reality, but they canceled production and AMC was left having to cram one of their straight-six engines under the hood. I remember seeing a video almost 20 years ago about a guy who found a DeLorean in a barn in Ireland and nicknamed it "Dusty" and claims it was one of the first cars to be prepared to be converted to Right-Hand Drive and he was talking about how it was rated for 160 horse power because it just had straight exhaust with no catalytic converter.
Very early in the car's planning stage John DeLorean made inquiries to Citroen's Comotor subsidiary about a supply of rotary engines but Comotor was sinking fast and the rotary's poor fuel economy killed that possibility.
I actually got an opportunity to drive a DeLorean for a state inspection once. Granted I only needed to check the brakes on it so I didnt drive it for long but I will agree, the car itself is HOPELESS. It doesnt accelerate very well, it doesnt turn worth a damn, and it BARELY wanted to stop once I got it rolling. The whole thing was a nearly unequivocal MESS of a car. But still, even with all its glaring flaws I still can say "Hey, I drove a DeLorean once"
Well I hope you failed it. A brake check that barely stopped. Sorry you drove a crappy specimen. I’m on my second delorean and both had adequate pickup. Steered well, and stopped great. Your experience sounds like it’s had bad mechanics or a hard life.
I absolutely love these polished turds...
Fun fact: almost all the collectors now at Days when they want to buy one but with another motor.