The DeLorean Motor Company enters flying car racing and becomes the first American constructor to compete in the Airspeeder International Series.
The DeLorean Airspeeder Team is scheduled to debut when the 2026-27 season begins in November 2026.
The post, announced at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, puts the brand behind an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft that competes against national teams. DeLorean begins with a standardized racing aircraft before pursuing his own design with engineering students from UC Berkeley and Georgia Tech.
The partnership creates a brand that is closely linked to the fictional flying time machine Back to the future a role in the development of electric aviation through competition.
From the film sky to the racing grid
“For 40 years, people have imagined a DeLorean in the sky. We decided it was time to stop imagining that,” said Cameron Wynne, DeLorean’s chief brand officer.
The announcement brings DeLorean into a championship created by Australian entrepreneur Matt Pearson. Airspeeder positions its racing series as a test bed for electric flight technology and uses competition to advance aircraft development.
“DeLorean is the original flying car brand. Long before anyone built one, the world already knew what a flying DeLorean looked like,” said Pearson, founder and CEO of Airspeeder.
“Every great racing series is defined by the constructors who choose to participate in it. Having an American icon on our starting lineup in our first international season shows where this sport is going,” he added.
The entry also expands DeLorean’s identity beyond its recognizable road car and brings the name to an international motorsport centered around electric aircraft.
Electric planes race through virtual gates
In the inaugural season, the DeLorean team will compete with the Airspeeder Mk3C, the standardized aircraft package used by other competitors.
Initial involvement focuses on the team’s visual identity rather than a DeLorean-developed airframe. The shared platform offers competing teams the same underlying aircraft package for the 2026-27 season.
Instead of following an asphalt route, participants navigate three-dimensional routes defined by virtual gates. Integrated sensors and collision avoidance systems support racing safety as the aircraft moves through the course.
The format gives the competition a vertical dimension as the race track runs through airspace rather than remaining on a conventional track.
Tesla has also been exploring the idea of a floating sports car as part of its long-delayed Roadster project. His model
University teams support a tailor-made racer
DeLorean plans to expand its engineering role for the 2027-28 season by developing its own racing aircraft with students from UC Berkeley and Georgia Tech.
The collaboration brings university engineering resources into the design and analysis of the aircraft before a DeLorean-specific racing aircraft enters competition.
Wynne also linked the program to the broader development of advanced air mobility. He said racing offers the opportunity to help shape the “necessary regulatory, safety and compliance frameworks” alongside technology.
Several details remain secret, including the team’s pilot lineup, the design of the customized aircraft and the full sports program for the debut season.
The announcement concerns a racing operation, without a flying car for consumers having been announced. DeLorean said further details on the direction of the partnership are due in the coming months.
