Hypercars are getting more and more extreme but nothing prepares you for the visual assault of the outrageous Delage D12. Delage is a French luxury carmaker being resurrected with a completely new ethos of developing an extreme road car with no compromises.
Related: Hypercar market to grow by 43 per cent in 2022
It makes a Lamborghini look as extreme as a Prius with its Formula One style design along with the mildly terrifying power figures. Delage was the brainchild of Pierre Louis Adolphe Delage and the cars were layered with a heady mix of luxury and performance.
Now being back from the ashes (Delage Automobiles was relaunched in 2019), the D12 has veered towards the pointy end of the automotive spectrum with a fighter jet style car. In the flesh, the car looks more of an alien racing car rather than a street legal V12 monster. Laurent Tapie, re-founder and CEO of Delage Automobiles has attempted to graft F1 tech and design into a road going hypercar. That brief has been followed with the exterior design and it’s barely a road car with those incredibly low-slung proportions.
Delage D12 hypercar: 990 horsepower
A strong F1 connect also comes with the involvement of F1 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve, who has helped with the D12 development. The looks are wild but a canopy style arrangement further brings the “F1 car for the road” sensation the minute you climb aboard. The driver sits like in a fighter jet along with controls which also mimic one. That said, the seat is moulded to the owner. You also get an audio system, plus there are even interior customizations!
Naturally, this car is made from all-carbon fibre with a smattering of rakish alien-like lines draped over the admittedly small body. There is also no letting the driver get away from the aural delight of the atmospheric V12 that powers this mad creation.
The Delage D12 generates 990 horsepower from its V12 powertrain. But that is clearly not enough as it is also mixed with an electric motor generating an extra 110 HP. In other words, it is a hybrid but also brings together a big gasoline engine, which is crucial for the overall experience of a hypercar.
The Delage D12 will run you $2 million USD
This brings the power figure to a total of 1,100 horsepower (820 kW). The racing car philosophy also extends to other parts of the car, including its contractive suspension, which is taken from F1 racing cars. There are four settings that the car allows, with City, Road, Track and My Mix with 432 possible configurations.
With a power-to-weight ratio close to 1, the top-speed is 360 km/h. When you buy one, Jacques will coach you in driving skills. And with only 30 units being made, it’s an exclusive club for sure. There will be two versions: GT and Club for track use. Each will have a price-tag of $2 million USD.
The D12 will be available in 2023. it’s surely one fine way to stand out amongst your billionaire friends, turning up in their Bugattis.
Images: Delage Automobiles
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Somnath Chatterjee grew up around cars and most of his childhood was spent obsessing over supercars. Years later he decided to start writing about them and hasn’t looked back since. While he has had his fair share of cars, the world of automobiles never ceases to amaze him. Travelling all over the world to drive them along with sharing that experience is what ultimately keeps him going. He hopes to drive a Ferrari 288 GTO someday because, well, do you really need a reason?
