Kathryn DeLorean, CEO of DNG, announces plans to create a Corvette-based DeLorean with gullwing doors.
DNG’s strategy includes a more affordable, combustion-engine DeLorean and a high-end, limited-edition Model JZD.
Competing Texas-based firm plans an electric DeLorean model; potential legal challenges loom over the DeLorean name.
In an exclusive interview with Hagerty, Kathryn DeLorean, CEO of DeLorean Next Generation Motors (DNG), revealed plans to develop a new DeLorean model. The forthcoming car will be based on the C8 Corvette, promising a blend of nostalgia and modern performance.
A Nod to the Past with a Look to the Future
DNG plans to transform the Corvette’s fibreglass body, replacing it with its unique design that incorporates the iconic gullwing doors reminiscent of the original DeLorean. The company is collaborating with aftermarket builders to actualize this vision. The retrofitted Corvette will be the more affordable offering in DNG’s portfolio, aligning with the company’s strategy to bracket the Alpha5—another DeLorean model in development by a Texas-based firm—in both price and specifications.
This Texas-based competitor, aiming for a starting price of $125,000 USD, is set to release the Alpha5, an electric vehicle (EV) with ambitious specs: a targeted range of 300+ miles and acceleration from 0 to 60 mph in under 3 seconds. Amidst this backdrop, the potential for legal challenges looms, given that multiple entities lay claim to the DeLorean name.
Charting New Terrains
While the Alpha5 model is geared toward electric mobility, DNG focuses on combustion-engine heritage with its Corvette-based DeLorean. Equipped with a naturally aspirated LT2 V8 engine, the base C8 Corvette boasts 490 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque, with a price point just below $70,000 USD. The car’s targa top design allows for the feasible incorporation of gullwing doors, although it remains to be seen if the body kit will accommodate wider-bodied or hybrid Corvettes.
DNG is also crafting a high-end, limited edition called the Model JZD. This model will be hand-built, with only 42 units to be made, serving as the pinnacle of DNG’s automotive lineup.
In undertaking these endeavours, Kathryn DeLorean aims to complete what her father, John Z. DeLorean, started. The late DeLorean had a 17-year tenure at General Motors and was instrumental in advocating for a mid-engine Corvette.
