The DeLorean DMC-12 surely counts among our world’s most easily recognized icons thanks to Back to the Future. What fewer people remember is that it was not such a great car, only packing 130 hp (97 kW) and being rather maintenance-heavy. This example by OMD San Diego is a different story, however.
The tuner ditched the stock 2.85-liter V6 engine and put a robust 3.3-liter Kia Stinger GT twin-turbo in its place. Replacing the turbines, injection system components, the intake manifold, the surge tank and the intercoolers led to a power increase from 370 PS (365 hp / 272 kW) to 494 PS (389 hp / 290 kW). The torque simultaneously rose to 515 Nm (380 lb-ft).
The stock transmission had no chance of surviving that much torque, so it also went out, leaving enough room for the six-speed manual gearbox of the Porsche 911 (996). The net result is a DeLorean that is not only fast, but also remarkably more reliable than stock.