Back to the Future is timeless in more ways than one, but there’s one part of the classic movie that would be nearly impossible to recreate for a modern-day remake. Recently, hopes for a Back to the Future remake have been growing. Already, there are ideas for who to recast as Doc Brown, and quite a bit of discussion about casting Tom Holland as Marty McFly. However, there are also already quite a few roadblocks to the remake or reboot, along with two major reasons Back to the Future likely won’t be rebooted.

Hopes of seeing an updated version of Back to the Future are uncertain at best, but many still find it fun to imagine how a modern take on the classic movie might look. There are so many iconic moments and elements of the film that would be interesting to try to recreate in the modern day, from actors to locations and props. Many of those replacements could be made, but there’s one massive part of Back to the Future that is as timeless now as it was in the movie: the time machine.

No Modern Car Could Replace The DeLorean In A Back To The Future Remake

If a Back to the Future remake does happen, there’s no way it can replicate everything the DeLorean accomplished in the original movie. It was both a laughably bad car with a long list of problems, while also being incredibly stylish and futuristic. The DeLorean was exactly the car Back to the Future needed: one that was humorous while also selling the science fiction side of things. It also can’t be overstated what Back to the Future did for the DeLorean in return: before the movie, DMC had sold a dismal number of cars, but after, it was a pop-culture icon that is now instantly recognizable.

The fact of the matter is that the DeLorean simply can’t be updated for a modern Back to the Future remake because it doesn’t have a modern equivalent. Cars today aren’t nearly as bad as the DeLorean was, and they also aren’t half as visually unique. Engine specifications, features, and designs have become more standardized, and experimentation has been sacrificed in favor of marketability. A DeLorean was alien and special in 1985, but in 2024, there’s no car that could perfectly replicate that feeling.

Why A Back To The Future Remake Couldn’t Just Reuse The DeLorean

Since there isn’t a modern car to replace the DeLorean, the logical next step for a Back to the Future remake would be to simply reuse the DeLorean. That wouldn’t work either, though. DeLoreans aren’t unique, special cars anymore, they’re a pop-culture reference. Everything that made the DeLorean special was a product of the 1980s, and trying to recapture that in the 2020s with the same car just wouldn’t work. Additionally, if the remake didn’t update the original in some way and change it meaningfully, there would be no point in making it.

Picking A Modern Car To Replace The DeLorean (If We Had To)

While it’s a difficult feat, there are a few cars that could imperfectly replace the DeLorean today. When Back to the Future first came out in 1985, the DeLorean was already 10 years old. Keeping with that spirit, the best 10-year-old car to replace the DeLorean would have to be the Nissan Juke. It has the same futuristic look the DeLorean did, though wasn’t as visually distinct from other cars in that year. Additionally, since it only takes premium gas, gets about 28 miles per gallon, and is a very small SUV, the Nissan Juke fits the “bad car” component, though it drives better than a DeLorean.

Picking a truly modern car to replace the DeLorean is, surprisingly, an easier feat. Part of what made the DeLorean so visually interesting was its futurism. One modern car matches the DeLorean’s futurism perfectly; the Tesla Cybertruck. From its sharp angles to the stainless steel exterior, everything about the Cybertruck makes it seem like a car from a different century. Also, like the DeLorean, the Cybertruck is in many ways a bad car. It has a few major performance issues, from its off-roading capabilities to its electric charge range, along with several glaring design flaws, from its safety concerns to problems with its assembly.

The Juke and the Cybertruck are contenders to replace the DeLorean, but they both fall quite short. Even the Cybertruck, which nearly hits the things that made the DeLorean special, feels like an imitation. The fact of the matter is, there’s just not a car currently being manufactured that’s both uniquely futuristic and a poor performer. It’s the one thing that can’t be updated, yet it’s also one of the most important things a remake would need to update. A Back to the Future remake might be doomed before it starts if the car industry can’t think up something to replace the DeLorean.