I always thought it was a Volvo engine. If it must be Renault powered, what about the 160hp motor in the Renault 5 Turbo?
What about Renault's partnership with American Motor Corporation starting in 1980, a year or more before Delorean production began? AMC was making a 200 hp straight six in this period https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMC_straight-6_engine and 300+ hp v-8s https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMC_V8_engine
Too bad the Lotus Esprit Turbo's 4cyl couldn't be considered.
believe the engineering WAS largely done by Volvo? and that became a source of some problems as they wanted a fee of sorts?
but the manufacturing of the Peugeot-Renault-Volvo engine was managed by Renault.
Delorean tried to buy Lotus but of course Chapman wanted no part of that. always wondered about the Lotus 4cyl. myself, whether they could manufacture in any sort of volume?
the deal to build the car was being set in '77 - '79 and it might have looked too big a gamble (especially to government backers) to use Lotus as key supplier?