88 Miles Per Hour!

“It’s a Delorean!” Marty McFly

The new Diamond Select Toys (DST) Back to the Future (BTTF) Delorean Time Machine Mark I has jumped into Outpost Toys at e@ the Curve. For Marty McFly and Doc Emmet Brown fans, you can now own a piece of the iconic time travelling film series. It’s retailing for RM265.00 or USD 44.99.

I think someone at DST screwed up.

It is however not to be confused with the Mark II as the Mark I is shipped in a BTTF II box. You must be astute to detect “Mr. Fusion” on the energizer matrix, or lack thereof on the Mark I. A YouTube video review of the Mark I reveal a mistake on the box which says “Back to the Future II”. The maker remarks according to BTTF.net, the folks at DST claim that this was not really a mistake as if you remember the scene in BTTF II in 1955 when Marty was attempting an 88 mph temporal displacement threshold on that famous stormy night in Hill Valley, the car featured was the Mark I. These guys have really taken time travel paradoxes to explain away a blatant product misdescription!

Just remember, if it doesn’t have “Mr. Fusion” or hover-mode, it is not the Delorean from BTTF II.

A plastic body means the stainless steel effect is somewhat lacking

Apart from that, the Mark I battery operated lights-and-sounds effects really makes this a good display piece. The temporal flux tubes on the anterior and posterior lights up, so do the headlights, taillights, dash, time-circuits and the flux capacitor behind the seats.

As opposed to its die-cast counter-part by Sunstar, the Mark I is molded in plastic. Details are fantastic, although the paintwork could use a bit of work, in particular the stainless steel body of a Delorean. Copyright and licensing issues also mean that the front grill is missing the iconic “DMC” logo, but that can be easily fabricated. The vaunted gull-wing doors are arrested with clips which prevent them from undesirably swinging open. The toy is missing an engine as the engine bay is used to house the 3 AA batteries and it doesn’t come with the “lightning rod” which Doc Brown retrofitted on the Mark I to harness the 1.21 gigawatts from a bolt of lightning needed to send Marty back to the future in 1955.

Home sweet home...

The scaling has made this collectible more “malleable” in the hands of collectors who prefer to customize electronics and lighting systems. The Mark II would be a good candidate to add on the hover-mode lights on its undercarriage and in the wheels.

DST has yet to unveil plans to manufacture 3 ¾ Marty and Doc Brown figurines for the Delorean citing “licensing problems” (yet again). You could “kit-bash” some 3 ¾ G.I. Joe figurines to solve this problem.

Notice that this prototype of the Mark II does have a “DMC” logo on the front grill.

DST probably dropped that when “copyright and licensing” issues cropped

The dirt on the Mark III is a nice touch. Realistically so since Marty McFly

ploughed through the desert away from a rampaging bunch of red indians.

The Mark II is scheduled to be out in July 2010, as with the Mark III (as seen in BTTF III).

Also available from DST, the Delorean’s “OUTATIME” license plate (if you have a Delorean) through eBay or entertainmentearth.com.