DeLorean Airspeeder Team Brings American Icon to Electric Flying Car Racing

DeLorean Motor Company announced this week at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco that it will enter the Airspeeder International Series as constructor of the United States team. The new DeLorean Airspeeder Team becomes the first American constructor in the championship and is scheduled to make its race debut when the 2026–27 season opens in November.

Instead of traditional racing tracks, national teams can watch electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft fly over three-dimensional courses with electronic boundaries and virtual gates. Sophisticated sensors and collision-avoidance technologies allow the machines to dance close together as the crew manages the power, strategy, and position of their aircraft. This competition tests electric propulsion, flight control software, vehicle communication, and AI-driven safety systems in real-world conditions.

When the first season begins, DeLorean will race the Airspeeder Mk3C, a standardized aircraft manufactured by Alauda Aeronautics in Australia. DeLorean will be in charge of developing the design identity, livery, and branding for the carbon fiber octocopter. They all start with the same basic package, as will the other national entries. A quick-release battery system should make ground pit stops a snap, and the aircraft’s strong thrust to weight ratio should allow it to easily navigate abrupt curves in all three dimensions.

A number of student engineering teams from various US institutions, including those partnering with UC Berkeley and Georgia Tech, are currently working with DeLorean on a special race aircraft for the 2027-2028 season. They’re extending their design and analysis talents to the development of future machines as DeLorean’s function in the constructor team expands beyond just the appearance.

Cameron Wynne, chief brand officer of DeLorean Motor Company, stated that the company has a long history of pushing limits in transportation, which is why they chose to participate the competition. Matt Pearson, the founder and CEO of Airspeeder, even referred to DeLorean as the original flying car brand, claiming that the world knew what one looked like in the air all those years ago, even though no one had built one yet, and now that an American icon is preparing to line up on the grid in the international season, it’s a pretty big deal.

For those interested, the competition serves as a live testing ground. Teams and engineers can observe how their systems and technology compare to the actual world, and the results can even help shape future safety standards and operating norms for advanced air vehicles. DeLorean sees this as an opportunity to get in on the ground floor, as well as to make advances on the actual technology as it transitions from prototypes to real-world applications. The DeLorean Airspeeder Team is expected to arrive in November 2026, just in time for the season premiere.
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