The revival of the DeLorean brand is something that has excited automobile fans all over the globe. The original DeLorean of course only ever made the DMC-12 sports car, a car that was of course plagued by multiple issues, one of which being the FBI investigation into company founder John DeLorean. Now though, DeLorean are firmly back in the picture when it comes to automobiles. They recently unveiled the Alpha5, the new DeLorean inspired by the DMC-12 set to offer a luxurious EV experience.
There is more to come from DeLorean too, with the recent unveiling of the Alpha5 Plasmatail Shooting Brake concept which will go into production. Plus, there is the 100% concept Omega off-road Baja DeLorean. But what has really excited DeLorean fans recently is the new Hot Wheels x DeLorean collector set, already sold out via creators Mattel Creations. This special set features the DMC-12 and new Alpha5, in a special collection set that would delight any fan of DeLorean, and any automobile fan in general. We think this rather cool collector's set deserves a closer look, so that is what we are going to do right now.
A Truly Special Set For Hot Wheels And DeLorean Fans
This set is very much a collaboration between DeLorean and Mattel. The two models are 1:64 scale recreations of the DMC-12 and the Alpha5. DeLorean themselves have said that the new set allows us to have a first look at the new Alpha5 in three dimensions. The car of course has only been recently seen in digital renderings and drawings, with the reveal of the real, physical Alpha5 happening alongside the reveal of the die-cast at a special event during Monterey Car Week.
The set also marks 40 years since the birth of the DMC-12, which coincides nicely with the launch of the new Alpha5. The DMC-12 in the set is a standard DeLorean, and not one see in the “Back to the Future” films. Matel say that the body color of the DMC-12 is Zinc Plated, or ZAMAC, as is the body type. The wheels are Real Riders racing wheels with silver VUM hubs, with clear windows and a metal base for the car. The Alpha5 die-cast meanwhile has a red body color, as well as the ZAMAC body type. It also has Real Riders wheels, of the 10-spoke kind with grey hubs, and this time we have tinted windows.
A Very Special Hot Wheels Set Already Sold Out
Mattel says that both sets capture the innovation, evolution and rebellious spirit of the DeLorean legacy. The process of creating this kit was quite a process. Mattel and Hot Wheels say they have been working with DeLorean for quite a few months now to develop this special 1:64 scale edition of the Alpha5. The process included concept art sketching if the car, as well as digital rendering development via computer assisted drawing, or CAD for short.
After that followed a process of creating a digital clay, using a haptic feedback tool and then followed 3D printing of the model. This led to the final stage of development which was the engineering prototype models, before they were eventually signed off as the production models sold to customers. Mattel says that they worked very closely with DeLorean to recreate the Alpha5 as a die-cast car, to make sure they had the proportions and design language of the Italdesign machine as accurately modelled as possible. The set was on sale for $40.00 but amazingly, they are all sold out already.
Recreating The Next Generation Of DeLorean
The new Alpha5 is a car that many of us are of course very excited about. The new design is bigger than the DMC-12 but features a very smooth body shape, with some subtle bulges but mostly elegant lines dotted all around it. A black roof compliments the main body color of silver. We expect the Alpha5 to have a range of some 300 miles and a top speed of 155 mph with a 0-60 time of just 2.9 seconds. Very impressive statistics. This will all be thanks to a 100 kWh battery pack that can fast charge at 150 kW.
A Hot Wheels Set That Could Become A Future Classic
This special DeLorean collectors set from Hot Wheels could very much become a future classic. In the future, if these ever come up for resale, it is likely that they will go for a lot more than the $40.00 price tag that Mattel slapped on them when they went on sale in Mid-August. It is impressive just how fast the sets sold out. But that is perhaps down to the love not just for the classic DMC-12, but the DeLorean brand as a whole, as we eagerly anticipate the physical reveal of the all-new Alpha5.
Sources: Mattel, DeLorean