DeLorean Motor Company Joins Airspeeder eVTOL Racing Series Following Tesla Roadster Unveiling

The DeLorean Motor Company (DMC) has announced its entry into the Airspeeder International Series, an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) racing competition. The move comes just days after Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiled a new Roadster edition capable of brief airborne maneuvers, leveraging renewed public interest in flying vehicle technology.

What Happened

In a press release dated October 13, DMC confirmed that it will compete as the DeLorean Airspeeder Team, with its race debut scheduled for the opening of the 2026–27 season in November. The team will utilize the Airspeeder Mk3C, an eVTOL aircraft developed by aerospace startup Alauda, which is affiliated with Airspeeder through its founder Matt Pearson. The racing series involves national teams competing in three-dimensional electronically defined courses rather than conventional circuits. While DMC stated that its team includes pilots, it remains unclear whether the initial races will be crewed or remote-controlled, as the original 2021 plan involved uncrewed Mk3Cs as a warm-up for crewed events.

Why It Matters

This announcement highlights how legacy automotive brands are attempting to capitalize on the emerging eVTOL market, often by aligning with existing technology providers rather than developing aircraft from scratch. It is important to distinguish this racing initiative from DeLorean Aerospace, a separate startup founded by Paul DeLorean in 2017, which is developing the DR-7, a two-person eVTOL prototype with a design unrelated to the Mk3C. DMC’s strategy involves using the racing platform to advance technology and regulatory frameworks, with plans to design its own vehicle, the DeLorean Airspeeder, for the 2027–28 season in collaboration with university engineering teams from institutions including UC Berkeley and Georgia Tech.

The Bottom Line

DMC’s participation in the Airspeeder series serves as a marketing and development vehicle for the brand’s future in electric aviation, distinct from both its historical automotive roots and the separate DeLorean Aerospace startup. The team’s debut in November 2026 will mark the first competitive appearance of the iconic DeLorean name in the eVTOL racing sector.