For decades, the idea of a flying DeLorean has been inseparable from Back to the Future. Now, the famous automotive name is preparing to take to the skies for real, although Doc Brown might be disappointed by the lack of a flux capacitor.
DeLorean Motor Company has announced its entry into the Airspeeder International Series, a racing championship for electric flying vehicles. The company will compete under the DeLorean Airspeeder Team name, representing the United States.
The announcement was made at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 in San Francisco on October 13. DeLorean will become the first American constructor to join the championship when its inaugural international season begins in November 2026.
Unfortunately for movie fans, this doesn’t mean a stainless-steel DMC-12 will suddenly be able to enter flight mode. Instead, DeLorean is entering a futuristic form of motorsport involving purpose-built electric aircraft.
DeLorean Is Entering Flying Car Racing
Unlike conventional racing championships, Airspeeder competitors don’t race around a traditional circuit. They pilot electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft through three-dimensional courses defined by electronic boundaries.
The series combines electric propulsion, advanced flight controls, and AI-assisted safety systems. Its organizers hope that competition will accelerate the development of technologies that could eventually benefit the wider aviation industry.
For its debut season, DeLorean will use the Airspeeder Mk3C aircraft, with the company responsible for its visual design identity. That means the first flying DeLorean racer won’t be an entirely new aircraft engineered by the automaker.
A More Ambitious Aircraft Is Planned For 2027
DeLorean plans to expand its involvement for the 2027–2028 season with a specially developed Airspeeder aircraft, created in collaboration with American university engineering teams, including UC Berkeley and Georgia Tech.
However, several important details are still under wraps, including the aircraft’s final design, the team’s pilots, and its racing program. Airspeeder says those details will be announced ahead of the November season opener.
The Future Is Coming, Just Without The Time Travel
“People have pictured a DeLorean in the sky for forty years,” said Cameron Wynne, DeLorean Motor Company’s chief brand officer. “We decided it was time to stop picturing it.”
The partnership gives DeLorean an opportunity to explore emerging electric aviation technology while capitalizing on its unmistakable pop-culture identity.
We don’t know whether flying-car racing will ever become a major motorsport, but seeing the DeLorean name take to the skies should make Back to the Future fans smile. Just don’t expect it to hit 88 mph and disappear into 1955.