I'm sure they're aiming for the nostalgia factor. Their target market is probably people who grew up with Back to the Future and always wanted one of these cars but don't want to deal with finding and maintaining an old, old used one with no manufacturer support. That demographic is getting to an age and point in life where a decent number of them (small, but perhaps enough) can afford this sort of price. "Dated" is exactly what you want, here. Just the right kind of "dated."

I wouldn't buy one either. I'm in the right demographic, and nostalgic for them, but not that nostalgic. But I think enough of my fellows are that this will enjoy some success. It won't be a mass market item, but that's OK.

> I'm sure they're aiming for the nostalgia factor.

That's a polite way of putting it. They're aiming for the kind of geek whose money-to-sense ratio is so high that they'll pay any amount of money for a thing that reminds them of a thing they liked when they were kids, no matter the quality.

Granted, replacing the engine fixes the #1 problem, which was that some dipshit thought 130 horsepower was enough for a status-symbol sports car. But somebody that silly isn't going to stop at one mistake.

Wasn't the engine due to tougher emissions regulations? I thought that it was supposed to have something better, but ended up stuck with what it got because the original plans wouldn't have passed emissions by the time they actually started producing the car.

As for being polite, if the buyers have the disposable cash for it, who am I to judge what they buy? Most cars are luxury purchases to an extent. Almost nobody buys the minimum necessary. It's just a matter of how much unnecessary spending you do.

> and I don't really want a car that "luckily" doesn't have to meet safety standards.

Especially with the purported engine upgrade. A 400 HP modern engine in something that might have struggled to meet early eighties standards of braking, handling, and so on is a shiny coffin.

That, too. I had a 350Z, which had 287 horsepower, and was terrifyingly fast...but, it also had the brakes, suspension, tires, and cage to match. It could stop faster than it could accelerate. I can't imagine driving a car with 1975 brakes, suspension, and cage, with even more horsepower. Even though the Delorean is probably heavier than the Z, so its top speed is probably not more than the Z, even with more power; the ability to stop and turn are also reduced by the increased weight.

It really does seem like a very bad idea. Then again, people of the prior generation would seek out a 1968 Camaro or a 1963 Corvette Stingray, which could be, and often were, equipped with terrifyingly large engines. A Camaro or Mustang or other muscle car from the 60s, in particular, are kinda famous for being able to go really fast, but only in a straight line.

So, yeah, I just can't see it. Even if I had that kind of disposable income, and even though I have on a couple of occasions considered buying a Delorean (when I was in my 20s I even looked at one, but it needed more work than I was willing to put into it), the factors that led to it being under consideration just don't line up with a new one at $100,000. The one I was looking at was listed at $10k, and I think the seller was hinting that he'd take as little as $7k by the time I walked away. In short: As a project that didn't cost a fortune and didn't need to be a daily driver, it seemed like maybe a good idea.