What could have been: DeLorean had reportedly been planning hydraulic hybrid

Filed under: Hybrid, Green Daily, Lightweight

The name John DeLorean is synonymous with the automotive industry. From his days at General Motors, where he turned Pontiac into the automaker’s de facto performance division with the creation of the GTO, and, therefore, the muscle car genre in general, to his days running his eponymous car company that gave us the classic stainless steel gullwing wedge that became an iconic time machine through the magic of the movies, DeLorean was at the forefront of the industry for three decades.

Sadly, John DeLorean died in March 2005. We’ll never know what exactly he may have had in store to bring DeLorean Motor Company back to the market, though a telephone call two weeks before his death gives us a few clues. Apparently, DeLorean was planning to relaunch DMC with a new take on the classic DMC-12, complete with an engine from Renault with an optional hydraulic hybrid drivetrain and carbon fiber panels to keep it all lightweight and efficient.

The above information comes courtesy of our sister site AOL Autos’ Maintenance Editor Tom Torbjornsen, who had planned an interview with John DeLorean that was to take place one week after his death. Torbjornsen pieced together information from a conversation he had with DeLorean and his “best guess at what [he] thought John might have said based on [their] conversation.” It’s an interesting read, and you can check the whole thing out by clicking here.

[Source: AOL Autos]

What could have been: DeLorean had reportedly been planning hydraulic hybrid originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sat, 20 Mar 2010 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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