by "Nick Has an Exocet" (nickallain)
Published 03/12/2017 at 01:42
by "Nick Has an Exocet" (nickallain)
Published 03/12/2017 at 01:42
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STARS: 1
I saw some BTTF Delorean diecast cars today in the store. Kind of got me thinking: what would Doc Brown have used if he had to use a modern car?
Rules:
1) Needs to look good with the big afterburner things
2) Can’t be a Tesla
3) Must actually be able to hit the “serious shit” speed
4) For the sake of this exercise we’ve adjusted 88mph accordingly:
1985 fastest production car: 188 mph ( Ferrari 288 GTO)
1985 Delorean top speed: ~130mph
1985 movie speed: 88mph (47% of fastest production car)
2017 fastest production car: ~270mph (Venom GT)
2017 movie speed: 126mph (47% of fastest production car)
Conveniently, that rules out a Prius. So don’t even try that shit.
"DC3 LS, will be perpetually replacing cars until the end of time" (dc3ls-)
03/12/2017 at 01:46, STARS: 0
"TheHondaBro" (wwaveform)
03/12/2017 at 01:47, STARS: 1
Well he used the DeLorean because of its stainless steel body. If I’m correct, no production car today has a stainless steel body. So I nominate the closest thing, the Honda Civic Type R concept.
Maybe brushed aluminum has the same properties as stainless steel.
"Nick Has an Exocet" (nickallain)
03/12/2017 at 01:52, STARS: 1
I kind of think it’s the BRZ:
- FR layout
- Dubiously underpowered
- Poor sales volume
- 2 seats
- 143 mph
"Nick Has an Exocet" (nickallain)
03/12/2017 at 01:53, STARS: 0
I had that thought as well, but I think it has too much substance for old doc brown.
"pip bip - choose Corrour" (hhgttg69)
03/12/2017 at 01:57, STARS: 1
"The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock" (jukesjukesjukes)
03/12/2017 at 01:57, STARS: 0
A 918 Spyder.
"facw" (facw)
03/12/2017 at 03:05, STARS: 0
Doesn’t really make any sense to compare to the fastest production car, both because top-end speed is not-necessarily consistent with the rest of the market, and because the DeLorean was a slow car anyway.
In any event, I’m going to say the 4C. Like the DMC, it has exotic looks and construction, but without a full-on supercar price tag.
Marty McFly : Wait a minute. Wait a minute, Doc. Ah... Are you telling me that you built a time machine... out of a 4C?
Dr. Emmett Brown
: The way I see it, if you’re gonna build a time machine into a car, why not do it with some *style?*
The only thing I’m not sure of is if the 4C is iconic enough. I’d guess it’s less well known than the DeLorean, but I don’t have a good picture of how well known the DeLorean was before BTTF. If BTTF had used an SV-1, would everyone know that while the DMC-12 was just a quirky footnote?
Alternative proposal: Fisker Karma, which is iconic (though probably also not well know), and inherently sciencey, so adding tech feels like it would make a lot of sense.
Edit: For reference a new DMC-12 cost around $67,000 in 2017 dollars, so that’s around the new car price-point we are looking for. Cars have gotten more expensive faster than inflation (though they have also gotten safer, faster, and longer lasting), so there’s some leeway to go for something more expensive than that and still stay in the same thematic area.
"FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com" (alphaass)
03/12/2017 at 03:10, STARS: 0
I hear your rules, but you know it would be a Model X. It’s probably the closest thing to a DeLorean on the market now, the big difference being that the X is actually, you know, kind of fast.
"facw" (facw)
03/12/2017 at 03:21, STARS: 2
On a kooky mad scientist’s salary? 918 is over an order of magnitude more expensive than the DMC-12. For reference the DeLorean was about midway between the 924 and a base 911 in price.
"DipodomysDeserti" (dipodomysdeserti)
03/12/2017 at 03:22, STARS: 6
Calling the Venom GT a “production car” is a pretty big stretch. Order one today and let’s see how long it takes you to get it. They went with the Delorean because of its styling. I’s say the BMW i8 is the modern equivalent.
"The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock" (jukesjukesjukes)
03/12/2017 at 03:25, STARS: 0
> patent some invention
> get Gov’t contract for invention
> invention sells great
> make enough to buy 918 spyder
"facw" (facw)
03/12/2017 at 03:25, STARS: 0
Ooh, i8 is pretty solid choice. Bit on the pricey side compared to where the DMC-12 was, but maybe it will depreciate quickly.
"facw" (facw)
03/12/2017 at 03:31, STARS: 3
If Doc Brown were in good with the government, he wouldn’t have to be stealing plutonium from the Libyans now would he?
"The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock" (jukesjukesjukes)
03/12/2017 at 03:33, STARS: 0
he be older now & maybe follow the rules more now.
"CRider" (crider)
03/12/2017 at 03:34, STARS: 3
Not a stretch, it’s a lie. The Venom was never a production car, it was just another Hennessey scam. The cars are all registered and insured as Lotus Exiges, using Lotus VINs.
"Birddog" (maintmgt)
03/12/2017 at 03:56, STARS: 2
(Love you too Kinja!)
Meet the modern DMC12.
"FromCanadaWithLove" (fromcanadawithlove)
03/12/2017 at 04:12, STARS: 0
VW Scirocco. It looks fast; isn’t.
"Shoop" (shoopdawoop993)
03/12/2017 at 04:19, STARS: 0
Why not a Tesla?
I vote Tesla
I don’t even like Tesla that much.
"Shoop" (shoopdawoop993)
03/12/2017 at 04:20, STARS: 0
This
"Spoon II" (Spoon_II)
03/12/2017 at 04:40, STARS: 1
I saw someone say Fisker, and I think that’s perfect. For one thing, it fits in with the Doc using a cool looking car from a company that recently stopped production. Because of that, you can kind of believe that he got his hands on one for cheap.
"ranwhenparked" (ranwhenparked)
03/12/2017 at 04:44, STARS: 11
Well, a big part of using the DeLorean was because of the notoriety over the company’s failure. By 1985, they were kind of thought of as jokes by much of the public, though the futuristic looks nonetheless stood out.
I would suggest a Fisker Karma - an unusual looking, somewhat technologically advanced, expensive car, built in a foreign country primarily for the US market, and sold by a startup company founded by an eccentric and previously successful auto industry executive. It kind of is the modern equivalent of the DMC-12, in a lot of ways.
You could even have Doc Brown make up some line about “besides, I needed the lithium ion battery pack to help power the blah blah blah” to further justify the choice (e.g., the stainless steel frame bit).
"CRider" (crider)
03/12/2017 at 04:53, STARS: 2
BTTF is the only reason the Delorean is as iconic as it is. Anyone remember the Bricklin SV-1? No. BTTF is why the DeLorean is anything more than a relic from a dead 80's car company made infamous because it’s founder was arrested for trafficking coke.
"RT" (rt-p)
03/12/2017 at 06:06, STARS: 0
Giugiaro design, commercial failure, not quite fast enough but good looking all the same - it even has weird doors.
The Subaru SVX, though maybe it would look more like this with all the gear on:
However, it is 25 years old now. When it comes to modern cars options are more limited, but if you were to capture all the awesome bits of the DeLorean and leave all the lethargic engines and shoddy build quality in the dust…
…You’d get a Huayra. Or a Fisker Karma, your call really.
"xyzabc" (stackofoldwood)
03/12/2017 at 06:42, STARS: 1
“What’s... this? Suddenly, the future’s looking a whole lot better...”
"Jobjoris" (Jobjoris)
03/12/2017 at 08:35, STARS: 0
Aren’t you forgetting a #5 rule?
5) Can’t be for sale right now. The DeLorean was already of the market when they were shooting BTTF.
What about an A610? Basically the same engine as the DeLorean!
"Frenchlicker" (frenchlicker)
03/12/2017 at 08:52, STARS: 0
Son of a bitch, someone else came to the same conclusion as me?!
"bhtooefr" (bhtooefr)
03/12/2017 at 10:10, STARS: 0
I’m going to argue that 126 mph is wrong.
There’s this explanation: http://scifi.stackexchange.com/a/50963 That would prefer speeds somewhere in the ballpark of 88.
Or, then, there’s this one: http://scifi.stackexchange.com/a/72630 That would prefer repeating digits. So, 111 mph for the modern version?
"Vicente Esteve" (vicente-esteve)
03/12/2017 at 11:00, STARS: 0
The BRZ does 143 mph??
"BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest." (bmanultima)
03/12/2017 at 11:18, STARS: 0
Why wouldn’t it?
"My bird IS the word" (mybirdistheword)
03/12/2017 at 11:38, STARS: 0
I thought the stainless steel construction was a critical function, otherwise he wouldn’t have picked a car that sucked at getting to 88 MPH
"Vicente Esteve" (vicente-esteve)
03/12/2017 at 11:39, STARS: 0
A little underpowered?
"BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest." (bmanultima)
03/12/2017 at 12:07, STARS: 1
It has 200 HP, and it’s light and aerodynamic. 143 makes complete sense.
" The Compromiser" (charger)
03/12/2017 at 12:11, STARS: 0
That’s exactly where I went. Bad business plan, unique design. Stylish. Ticks the boxes.
"Scott" (merl3noir)
03/12/2017 at 12:49, STARS: 0
I guess the first question is, why did he choose the Delorean in the first place? If 88mph is the only requirement than why would you choose a car like the Delorean? It’s not like it was a common car with loads of parts available in the 80's or common in the past. It would not be inconspicuous in other time periods, although honestly few cars would be. Since the Delorean is not really a very fast car, the need to reach 88 in a short distance is not really relevant. Admittedly, I think the movie played of peoples mis-conceptions on that one, so plausible, but I’d point out, how much did the equipment for time travel weigh, and how much slower would it be with the extra weight. I can’t imagine it has to do with space for the modifications, lots of other cars would fit the purpose and leave a lot more space. Did the SS body help it, possibly provide shielding? Or was it just a car that he liked, that he could get his hands on at the right price, and personal preference was a big factor.
"Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street." (demon-xanth)
03/15/2017 at 15:51, STARS: 0
Alfa 4C
