At the end of Back to the Future, just before jetting off into the future, Dr Emmett Brown tells Marty McFly, “Where we’re going, we don’t need roads.” Now that holds true for DeLorean, which has announced it is fielding a team in the Airspeeder International Series – but sadly, it won’t involve a heavily modified DMC-12.

Organisers of the series bill it as the world’s first racing championship for electric flying cars, and the DeLorean team will debut when the 2026-2027 season gets underway in November. There’ll be nobody behind the wheel/joystick, however, as the Airspeeder Mk3 vehicle is fully autonomous.

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The series was founded in 2016 by Aussie entrepreneur Matt Pearson, and it sees pilots fly the craft through a three-dimensional course that uses virtual gates. While the hardware used at the moment is standard across the field, DeLorean – which is the first American constructor to compete – has added its own styling touches. 

That could change, however, with DeLorean planning to partner with engineering experts from universities including California’s famous Berkeley campus to develop fresh racing aircraft for the 2027-28 season.

Like Doc Brown’s car, the Airspeeder racers take off and land vertically. They also feature onboard sensors and collision-avoidance tech to reduce the chances of a spectacular mid-air prang, with the series acting as a proving ground for electric flight tech.

DeLorean Goes Electric in 2013
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Since its relaunch, DeLorean has strived to become more than a carmaker, with part of its focus on electric-powered mobility in several forms. The Airspeeder Series is a great fit for some very obvious reasons. 

“People have pictured a DeLorean in the sky for 40 years. We decided it was time to stop picturing it,” said chief brand officer Cameron Wynne.