DeLorean Motor Company announced at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 on October 13 that it will enter Airspeeder’s international electric air racing series as the championship’s first American constructor. Debut is scheduled for November 2026, with the opening venue reported as Adelaide, though Airspeeder has not publicly confirmed the exact race date.
What DeLorean Is Actually Racing
This is a racing entry, not a flying car announcement, and the distinction matters.
For its first season, the DeLorean Airspeeder Team will campaign Airspeeder’s standardized Mk3C electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, the shared platform used across competing entries. DeLorean’s initial contribution centers on design identity, visual styling, and branding rather than a fully independent airframe.
Key details, including the pilot lineup, final aircraft design, and full race schedule, remain undisclosed, according to Airspeeder. The series defines its courses using virtual gates in three-dimensional space, with onboard sensors and collision-avoidance systems serving as safety-support mechanisms as aircraft navigate the routes.
According to Airspeeder, DeLorean chief brand officer Cameron Wynne said, “People have pictured a DeLorean in the sky for 40 years. We decided it was time to stop picturing it.” Gadget Review has not independently verified the quotation against the original release.
The Engineering Ambition Behind the Brand Play
The first season reads largely as a brand exercise; what follows it is the more consequential question.
Starting with the 2027-28 season, DeLorean plans to develop a future DeLorean-specific racing aircraft in collaboration with engineering students from UC Berkeley and Georgia Tech. Specific aircraft details, student team responsibilities, and performance targets have not yet been announced.
DeLorean has connected the initiative to advancing air mobility regulation and safety frameworks, stated as an ambition rather than an established outcome. No consumer flying-car product has been announced, according to Airspeeder and Motor1.
According to Airspeeder, founder and CEO Matt Pearson called DeLorean “the original flying car brand,” framing the entry as giving the series a recognizable American automotive identity. Gadget Review has not independently verified the quotation against the original release.
Airspeeder’s model draws a comparison to what Formula E demonstrated for electric road cars: competitive racing used to accelerate battery, propulsion, and safety technology faster than a lab environment allows. That analogy is reasonable framing, though whether it holds for eVTOL aviation depends on whether the series generates data and regulatory engagement that feeds real aircraft development.
What Comes Next Determines Everything
Right now, DeLorean’s most substantial contribution to electric aviation is its name, and that name carries genuine cultural weight.
Starting in 2027-28, the university collaboration with UC Berkeley and Georgia Tech will offer a clearer measure of whether DeLorean intends to build real engineering capability in this space. Disclosed aircraft specifications, pilot selection, race safety records, and progress on the future prototype will be the proof points worth watching.
November’s debut will not confirm whether consumer flying cars are coming. It will begin to show whether DeLorean is serious about being among the companies that help build them.
