Built like a futuristic Formula 1 race car, the D12 by French automaker, Delage, marks the end of a 67 year engineering hiatus, since its heydays in the 1920s and ‘30s. Founded in 1905 by Louis Delage in Levallois-Perret near Paris, the company officially collapsed in 1953, due to stiff post-war competition, allowing French arms and 20th century automobile manufacturer, Société Anonyme des Anciens Etablissements Hotchkiss et Compagnie, to fully absorb the remainder of their assets.
Utilizing a 12-cylinder engine mounted in a midship position, the D12 mates this 7.6-litre powerhouse, and an eight-speed automatic transmission to an electric motor, generating an estimated 990 horsepower. Available in two distinct models, the street-legal Delage D12 GT is expected to harness 1,100 hp and have a dry weight of 3,086 pounds, whilst its Club alternative will possess a dry weight of 2,888 pounds.
Taking cues from most modern day fighter jets, this car showcases what is perceived as the industry’s second-most extreme layout – a central driver’s seat with room for a single passenger directly behind the pilot, thus promising an adrenaline pumped experience, courtesy of CEO and self-professed speed junky, Laurent Tapie, and his expert team which include a head engineer with six world titles under his belt, a technical director responsible for two touring world championships and development driver, Jacques Villeneuve.
Complete with a carbon fibre monocoque chassis, bodywork, and wheels, intended to funnel cool air into the brakes, the car’s unique bodywork flows around the narrow fuselage, creating a taut hourglass between the extension of the front wheels and the wide swell of the tail.