French manufacturer makes a come back after 67 years as the new owner a French entrepreneur Laurent Tapir take to revive the company with the Delage D12 GT and D12 club. The racecar and luxury automobile manufacturer aims to set the Nurburgring lap record for a road-legal production car.
From the beginning of the 20th century in 1905, until it's closure in 1953. The company stood proud with the symbol of French luxury motoring. The company also tasted success in motor racing with its innovative 2.0-liter V12 LCV competition cars dominating the Grand Prix in the mid-1920s. The company was also awarded the prestigious 'world champion of car builders' title in the year 1927.
The company went on to collect multiple Le Mans podium finishes with 1.5-liter straight-eight.
The Delage D12 is a hybrid hypercar that the company claims to offer a driving experience of a Formula 1 car. The company is planning to sell two versions of the D12 . The top-spec being G12 GT and the track attack weapon the G12 Club.
To break the Nurburgring record the D12 needs to break the current lap record of the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ which lapped the track at 6:44.97 back in 2018. For this the company will use the D12 Club although it has 90 hp reduction than the GT but will be lighter than the GT making it sprint from 0-100 kmph in 2.8 seconds which is blisteringly quick with a top speed of 375 kmph.
The centrally-tandem-seated D12 gets a Formula 1 inspired pushrod suspension as the Chassis development driver being an ex-F1 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve who is working with a team of experienced motor racing engineers. The centrally placed cockpit definitely reminds one of a jet fighter ready to take off with that sort of power.
The Delage D12's body, wheel, monocoque chassis and seats are made out of carbon fibre giving it a dry weight of 1,400 kg in GT while the Club which is the track weapon is on a crash diet at 1309 kg. The design is heavily aerodynamic with a futuristic design.
Powering the hybrid hypercar is 7.6-liter Naturally Aspirated V12 motor mated to a low-output electric motor producing 1,100bhp for the top of the line GT whose groundbreaking power is transmitted to the rear wheels with an 8-speed manual transmission gearbox. While the Delage D12 Club has a smaller electric motor producing 1,010 bhp.
The company has yet to confirm a date for international deliveries rest assured the D12 will hit production next year. The engineering masterpiece wears a price tag of $2.3 million. Also, the company intends to produce only 30 of these making it rare, exclusive and expensive.