DeLorean is taking its name into the skies, announcing plans to compete in the inaugural Airspeeder International Series, an electric flying car racing championship set to begin in November 2026. The revived American automaker will field the DeLorean Airspeeder Team during the 2026-2027 season, becoming the first American constructor to enter flying car racing as it joins national teams from around the world.
DeLorean Enters the Airspeeder International Series
DeLorean announced its entry during TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, marking a new step in the company’s efforts to reshape its automotive identity. The Airspeeder International Series is billed as the first-ever electric flying car race series, with its inaugural season scheduled for 2026-2027 and its first race set for November.
The DeLorean Airspeeder Team will compete against national teams from around the world in the series’ first international season. The move connects the DeLorean name with a new form of transportation competition built around electric aircraft rather than conventional race cars.
DeLorean has long been associated with the DMC-12 sports car and its connection to the Back to the Future movie franchise. The original vehicle was conceived as a revolutionary sports car, but the automaker faced well-publicized struggles and ceased operations not long after its founding. The DeLorean name has since returned as the brand seeks to reinvent itself.
DeLorean Says Flying Cars Fit Its Brand Identity
Cameron Wynne, chief brand officer at DeLorean Motor Company, said the company’s participation reflects its longstanding association with unconventional transportation ideas.
“DeLorean has always stood for the courage to imagine transportation differently,” Wynne said. “People have pictured a DeLorean in the sky for forty years. We decided it was time to stop picturing it.”
Matt Pearson, founder and CEO of Airspeeder, echoed that sentiment, describing DeLorean as the original flying car brand. He said that long before a flying DeLorean was ever built, people already knew what one would look like.
How the Airspeeder Electric Flying Car Series Works
The Airspeeder International Series will feature national teams racing electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, known as eVTOLs. Instead of competing around a conventional circuit, pilots will race in three dimensions through courses defined by augmented reality.
For the inaugural season, all teams will use a standardized electric racing platform called the Airspeeder Mk3C. The aircraft is built by Alauda Aeronautics and is designed specifically for the competition.
According to the series’ description, the Airspeeder Mk3C has a higher power-to-weight ratio than a fighter jet or a Formula 1 car.
A New Chapter for DeLorean
By entering the Airspeeder International Series, DeLorean is associating its name with an emerging form of electric racing while drawing on the public’s longstanding image of a flying DeLorean. The team’s first season is scheduled for 2026-2027, with the opening race planned for November.
The competition will bring together national teams using the same electric aircraft platform, with DeLorean representing the first American constructor in the series as it begins its inaugural international season.
