The DeLorean's most recognized feature is its gull-wing doors. Fully opened, the doors give the car the look of an X-wing fighter from Star Wars. Unlike the gull-wing doors of the 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300SL or the Bricklin, DMC-12 doors require only 14 inches of swing space, which comes in handy for tight parking or opening the door into traffic. Such economy, compared with the 40 inches or more required by most conventional car doors, makes the doors not only distinctive but also practical.

Balancing the practical and the stylish was foremost in DeLorean's vision of the ethical sports car. DeLorean wanted to produce a safe, economical, maintenance-free vehicle for those who enjoyed driving but weren't necessarily possessed of deep pockets. The original prototypes featured advances and safety aspects that anticipated the general automotive industry by years: air bags, advanced antitheft features, a one-piece elastomeric bumper, an elastic-reservoir-molded frame, passive-restraint automatic seat belts, and an onboard computer with digital readout. Financial or technological constraints and a compressed production schedule kept most of those features from being incorporated into the final DMC-12 models. Still, DeLorean delivered a car that was affordable, low maintenance, and safe.

It's comfortable, too. When you slip into the leather bucket seats of the DMC-12, the roominess of the cockpit tends to surprise. Unlike other sports cars-such as the Lamborghini Diablo, Dodge Viper, or Ferrari Testarossa-even drivers over six feet tall aren't cramped for space. Every inch of the interior is designed to give maximum comfort and easy access to controls. The seats are fully adjustable, and the steering column both tilts and telescopes for a customized feel and fit. The DMC-12 also is a surprisingly quiet car given the proximity of its power plant, which is just behind the seats. You can hear even the quieter passages of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony as you cruise.

And you'll want to cruise. The DMC-12 accelerates from zero to 60 miles per hour in less than eight seconds with nearly effortless shifting. Once on the road, you begin to appreciate the thought and imagination that went into the engineering. The DMC-12 is not simply a well-built driving machine; it's an experience. You're sitting a mere six inches above the asphalt in a vehicle that despite its tight engineering tolerances is very forgiving in its handling. The superior rack-and-pinion steering makes cornering and maneuvering a breeze. One ride, and you'll never want to leave the cockpit.

Another reason you don't see many DeLoreans on the road is the unfounded fear that service and parts are unavailable for a car that ceased manufacturing 15 years ago.   Several repair facilities for DMC-12s are still in business, and true to his vision, DeLorean created a vehicle whose components are still available today.  In part, he accomplished it by using components that remain industry standards and are built by several automotive parts companies.  In addition, organizations exist to assist DMC-12 owners.  The DeLorean Owners Association is the largest of them, with a membership of more than 2,000 and offering technical advise through its publication DeLorean World as well as on its Web site at www.deloren-owners.org.

But the main reason a DeLorean encounter is so rare has to do with taste. The DMC-12 is simply not the car for everyone. Even the exotic sports cars introduced during the past decade by the major automotive companies lack boldness and individuality of design. The soft, rounded lines of new cars invoke the shape of a newborn baby as a design paradigm - something simple, soothing, and relaxing. The sharp, distinctive lines of the DeLorean, however, leave no room for doubt: this car is a high-tech machine, a stainless steel interface between you and the road, a reliably engineered machine that will take you wherever you want to go.