Putting all else aside, John Z. DeLorean has done a remarkable thing: He has built an honest-to-goodness sports/GT car from scratch ... and it works. All of the attendant hype, flashy publicity involving show business personalities and oft-delayed introduction dates may have served to induce a healthy dose of skepticism in automotive circles, but now that we have put a DeLorean through our road test procedure, we find that it's an exciting car in many ways. It may well be that the DeLorean will become a cult car, purchased for status reasons by persons wishing to be seen as individualists. And if that keeps serious car enthusiasts away, that's a shame because the DeLorean is a handsomely styled, comfortable and fun-to-drive automobile.
When Associate Editor Thos L. Bryant went to Northern Ireland to preview the first car off the production line (R&T, June 1981), he returned saying, "I wanted to like the DeLorean sports car very much, simply because it looks right, uses a variety of new and exciting materials and production techniques, and because a successful new carmaker could bring needed fresh thinking to the U.S. market." Now that the rest of the staff has had a chance to drive the DeLorean, we find it even more significant. DeLorean promised that he would build a distinctive, unusual and pleasant-driving GT when he embarked on this course in 1974, and while it took longer than he expected, he accomplished what he set out to do. It's a professionally designed and built car in every way, and has none of the kit-car feel that many critics expected.
When the Giorgio Giugiaro design was first unveiled, most critics found it exciting and eye-catching, with the proper blend of classic G T styling and innovative thinking. Over the intervenÂing years, the styling has been altered somewhat but it is still handsome and uncommon. One of our number characterized the styling as dated, but most of us see it as reasonably contemporary without being so unusual that it will age quickly. The gullwing doors are fascinating and appeal to most people because they are different. Even while recognizing that they are a gimmick, they do serve a useful purpose in making it easier to get in and out of the car, which is quite low (44.9 in.).
The stainless steel body panels that fit over the glass reinforced plastic (GRP) underbody also fall into the gimmick category, perhaps, and some observers see them as an overreaching attempt to be different at the expense of practicality. But then who said all cars have to be practical? Especially in the $25,000-plus GT segment. Silver is a popular car color these days and the DeLorean's lines take advantage of the brushed stainless steel finish quite nicely. Our objection is that the steel body shows the slightest trace of dirt or dust, so if you don't keep the DeLorean absolutely spotless, it looks a bit shabby. But the body pieces on our test car were well made and the fit was good, with all of the joints and interstices matching closely. As with all fiberglass bodies, however, there is more creaking noise than in a convenÂtional car. The polyurethane end pieces are a good idea and serve a useful function for hanging on the bumpers and lights as well as offering some low-speed crash protection. They don't match the color of the stainless steel body panels but then that's a virtual impossibility.
There's nothing like the feel and aroma of leather in a car interior and DeLorean has done a wise thing in upholstering the seats of his car with this natural material, while covering the door panels and dash with vinyl. There is very much an aircraft feel to being behind the wheel of the DeLorean, as the driving position is really a cockpit that envelopes the driver and either gives a feeling of claustrophobia or oneness with the car. depending on your personal proclivity. Outward vision is one area that comes in for criticism by most everyone who drives the car. Looking ahead, the front end is not in the normal line of vision and the very wide A-pillars and outside mirrors block a considerable area of the line-of-sight when cornering. The rear quarter vision is better than expected for a mid/rear-engine car. however. Looking straight back through the louvers of the rear deck covering is somewhat like being far-sighted: You can see things off in the distance fairly well but up-close vision is limited, so parking can be a challenge.
The driving position is reasonably comfortable and there is sufficient adjustment of seat and steering wheel to suit most body types. The seats themselves are shallow and skimpy on bolstering for the driver who is going to put the car through its ultimate paces, but for normal driving they are comfortable. We would prefer somewhat more lateral support and a slightly longer cushion for thigh support, but those who spent long periods of time in the car found the seating good. The steering wheel is a touch low for some tastes, despite its capacity for vertical adjustment, and the top portion of the rim obscures the view of the instruments. It does have a healthy, business-like feel about it, though.
The pedal layout is functionally efficient, but some (not all) drivers felt that heel-and-toe maneuvers required an awkward twisting of the right foot to reach both accelerator and brake pedals. All agreed the lack of a dead pedal to the left of the clutch is disconcerting.
The center console is slightly higher than most drivers would like and it adds to the sensation of being surrounded. It can also interfere with shifting, especially for shorter drivers. However, the DeLorean's controls are easily within reach and well marked for easy understanding on short acquaintance. The parcel shelf behind the seats has flexible netting to hold oddments in place and it will stow camera bags, jackets and other small bundles fairly well. There is also a lockable small storage box behind the driver's seat for little items of value.
The air-conditioning and ventilation system is well thought out and works efficiently, providing lots of refrigerated air when called for—and that will be often, given the black interior and the miniscule toll-paying windows. The car can be driven at low speeds with the doors open, although this is definitely not recommended. But we do recall seeing many Mercedes-Benz 300SL gullwings driven in this style on warm days, looking rather like some strange, pterodactylesque creature in our rearview mirror. The DeLorean's flow of fresh air is reasonably generous, though, and it shouldn't be necessary to run the a/c compressor all the time.
When you see a car of the DeLorean'ssort with exciting styling and a low, swoopy aspect, you naturally expect its performance to boggle the mind. In the arena of straight-line acceleration, the DeLorean is not a barn-burner. however, as the nee-Renault 2849-cc V-6 engine develops an only-adequate 130 bhp (SAE net) at 5500 rpm and 162 lb-ft torque at 2750. These are not numbers to impress the crowd, especially considering the car's test weight of 3130 lb. The result is a 0-60 mph time of 10.5 seconds and a quarter-mile performance of 17.9 sec at 76.5 mph. Frankly, that's not quick for a sports/GT car in this price category but the engine's flexibility makes up for its lack of brute horsepower, making it an entertaining car to drive, whether in the cut and thrust of city driving or down your favorite 2-lane road. The DeLorean's 0-60 mph time matches up with such cars as the Jaguar XJ6, the normally aspirated Porsche 924 or the Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce, which is not bad company. Legend Industries (they did the Fiat Spider Turbo) is developing a twin- turbocharged version of the V-6 engine for DeLorean and it will reportedly give the car the needed punch to make it competitive with other cars in its price class.
In the interim, the DeLorean driver can take comfort in the engine's easy cold starting and impeccable driveability—no stumbling or stalling, hot or cold. The V-6 revs freely up to about 5500-6000 rpm, but it feels increasingly strained as the revs rise and is not eager to go all the way to the 6500-rpm redline. Another consolation is that fuel economy is a respectable 19.5 mpg for all-around driving. Much of the credit for this efficiency can be laid to the 5-speed gearbox (also purchased from Re nault), which is rather long-legged, especially in conjunction with the 3.44:1 final drive ratio.
The gear shift linkage is acceptable but not inspiring. By and large, you get the gear you want but occasionally there can be a misstep and you may end up in 3rd instead of 1st. for example. Some of that may be attributable to the newness of our test car, as the linkage should get somewhat more tractable with use.
On the road, the DeLorean takes a bit of getting used to as it initially feels heavy. The rack-and-pinion steering is relatively quick and the effort level is greater than might be expected from a rear-engine car. The wide tires (Goodyear NCT 195/60HR-14 front, 235/60HR-15 rear) put a lot of rubber on the road, contributing to the heavy steering feel, feedback and fight, but all combine to give you a very good idea of what's happening between the rubber and the road. The basic handling characteris tic is understeer, which can be modulated toward a neutral stance via a delicate throttle foot. Lift off the throttle in a corner at fairly high speed and the rear end tends to come around, as with most mid-engine or rear-engine cars. On the skidpad the DeLorean generated 0.772g (comparable to the Alfa Romeo GTV 6/2.5 or Ferrari Dino 308 GT4), and its speed through the 700-ft slalom was 59.7 mph, slotting it between the Porsche 924 Turbo (60.7) and the Datsun 280ZX Turbo (58.6). The rear-engine layout tends to produce a pendulum effect during the slalom runs if the driver goes in too fast, resulting in the back end getting loose and out of shape.
In our braking tests, we quickly discovered rear-lock sensitivity that causes a mild slewing during simulated panic stops from 60 and 80 mph. for which the stopping distances of 158 ft and 260 ft, respectively, are quite short. However, the brakes d o n 't like to b e appl ied in anything other than a straight line, and the driver should be prepared to apply some quick opposite lock to the steering if high-speed hard braking is needed in the midst of a curve.
After adding up all the sums and reviewing our feelings, we're impressed with the DeLorean. It's a stylish GT car, sufficiently uncommon to offer a measure of exclusivity for its price. In day- to-day driving, it's quick enough to slice through traffic properly, yet not so powerful that it will frighten the novice driver or burn a hole in your fuel bill. The ride is appropriately firm while still comfortable, and the handling is tidy and fun up to the car's uppermost limits, as long as the driver realizes that the rear weight bias results in handling that may be "different" from what he's used to. The DeLorean is a GT car with enough unusual features (the gullwing doors and stainless steel body panels for starters) to attract a lot of attention to itself. John Z. DeLorean has reason to be proud: He's added a new dimension to the American sports car market.
