Car identification help...

[Jpec07]

Ok, I figured that this might be a good place to put this. Last night my parents sdecided to go to some fancy restaurant in the city. On their way there, they passed an auto-repair shop, and saw a yellow sports car quoted to be "like a DeLorean". Now, after searching for at least an hour in my archive of cars that I use in photoshopping, I was unable to find the car she saw. She's convinced it was a DeLorean, but I've never seen a yellow DeLorean, and would like some help identifying this car (personally I think it was a Lotus Espirit because there are a few of those in this area). She said that it also had gullwing doors, which narrowed my search to no results (she said the Espirit was "too rounded"). Can you people help me?

 

[Famine]

There is at least one yellow DeLorean to my knowledge.

Someone posted a thread of a DeLorean convention - titled something like "People will modify anything". There was a yellow one in that - which I thought looked suspisciously like an Isuzu Piazza from the front (no gullwings on that though).

Check the Cars In General forum.

 

[1X83Z]

Lamborghini Espada. DeTomaso Pantera.

Contrary to popular belief, I've seen very very many DeLoreans in colours other than gray (particularly red, but yellow too). They're rare, though, so I wouldn't bet on it.

 

[Jpec07]

M5, you're thinking too much about the headlights. She saw it from the back and said "it was yellow and all angular and had doors that open upward, kinda like a DeLorean..." not her exact words, but that's basically the gist of it (something about looking like a DeLorean also...).
This is what I was thinking, although I'm not sure of the Gullwing Factor:

 

[Super-Supra]

Ferrari?

 

[Jpec07]

Lotus Espirit...

 

[Super-Supra]

No im saying it coud've been a ferrari!

 

[Jpec07]

wanna show me a ferrari that matches the criteria? (i.e. yellow, angular, gullwing-doors, DeLorean like body)

 

[KosmikFool]

First thing I thought of was an Esprit...hmm...maybe a custom car? Never know...

 

[1X83Z]

Originally posted by Jpec07
M5, you're thinking too much about the headlights.

I'm thinking about the overall design - in fact, not many cars match such a wild description - low-slung cars resembling a DeLorean are few and far between.

Lamborghini Countach, Lamborghini Diablo, Lamborghini Murcielago are my suggestions then.

 

[Jpec07]

Countach was the car. Can't believe I didn't recognize it by the description...

 

[-Fred-]

Except that these doors aren't gullwings. They're "jacknifes". Gullwings open like a McLaren F1's, or an Enzo.

 

[Frustrated Palm]

Plus, an Esprit doesnt have angular doors. I think I might know what it could be but I need to find a picture of it first to make sure...

 

[Gil]

Maybe somebody out there has an old BMW M1?

 

[Frustrated Palm]

OK, ask your mom exactly what the reat lights looked like. Where they solid or did they have different colors on them (like on a Delorean). Here is a picture of a DMC De Lorean from the rear (this one is the popular Stainless Steel color)...

 

[Frustrated Palm]

Do you think that it could have been one of these?

Ask you mom to look at them...

 

[1X83Z]

No - dudes - he said "Countach was the car."

I was right, as always. Nobody saw any W8 Vectors.

 

[-Fred-]

Originally posted by M5Power

Nobody saw any W8 Vectors.

Auto shows count? I've seen a black one there when i was a kid.

 

[1X83Z]

Originally posted by PunkRock
Auto shows count? I've seen a black one there when i was a kid.

No - but only because you saw one at an auto show. I want a W8 Vector but even if I was willing to fork over seven bajillion dollars for one of probably like four remaining examples I would also have to locate one.

And of course, it would have to be in black.

I bet their value has actually appreciated. Where would you service one?

 

[vat_man]

Originally posted by M5Power
No - dudes - he said "Countach was the car."

I was right, as always. Nobody saw any W8 Vectors.

I remember Car and Driver doing a test on one - if I recall correctly the car broke down on a couple of occasions through during the test.

 

[1X83Z]

Originally posted by vat_man
I remember Car and Driver doing a test on one - if I recall correctly the car broke down on a couple of occasions through during the test.

There's more pictures of these things on the 'Net than there were actual cars built. You can't tell me these things aren't the coolest since fried whatever.

 

[GilesGuthrie]

Originally posted by PunkRock
Except that these doors aren't gullwings. They're "jacknifes". Gullwings open like a McLaren F1's, or an Enzo.

I think the term you're looking for is "scissor".

 

[KosmikFool]

How much do you think a DeLorean sells for these days? If I could find one for cheap...

 

[Frustrated Palm]

Originally posted by M5Power
No - dudes - he said "Countach was the car."

I was right, as always. Nobody saw any W8 Vectors.

[Surfer]

Riiight dude! I dont know what I was thinkin' there! That's totally bodacious, its crazy *spins fingers in air*!

[/surfer]

...

 

[Famine]

Originally posted by KosmikFool
How much do you think a DeLorean sells for these days? If I could find one for cheap...

£5000-£20000

Problem is rust. Amazingly...

Although the body of the car is rust-proof stainless steel, the floorpan isn't. It's coated with a resin, which is prone to stone chips. Where the resin is chipped, rust spots occur, leading to chassis (and MoT) failures.

Any car with over 5000 miles in any one year of it's history, or 50000 miles total should be checked over very, VERY careful underneath.

 

[Frustrated Palm]

Originally posted by KosmikFool
How much do you think a DeLorean sells for these days? If I could find one for cheap...

Go here