A few days after the Tesla Roadster returned to the spotlight with the promise of incorporating technologies inspired by SpaceX rockets, another legendary name in the automotive world decided to enter the race for flying vehicles. That name—well-known to anyone who has seen *Back to the Future*—is DeLorean, the manufacturer of the car that transformed into a time machine on the big screen; the company has announced its entry into an international championship for electric flying cars.

But this time, the goal isn’t time travel; it’s turning the sky into a racetrack. The championship, called the AirSpeeder International Series, was created by Australian entrepreneur Matt Pearson, founder of Alauda Aeronautics. The concept brings together teams from various countries to compete using electric aircraft capable of vertical takeoff and landing. Unlike traditional racing, these vehicles aren’t confined to a ground-based track; they navigate three-dimensional circuits by passing through electronically defined virtual gates, creating an entirely different kind of challenge.

Beyond speed and acceleration, teams must contend with altitude, stability, directional changes, and systems designed to prevent mid-air collisions. DeLorean will oversee the United States team, which is set to debut in November 2026. There is, however, an important caveat: the company has not yet built its own flying vehicle for the competition. For the first season, all teams will use the standardized MK3C model developed by Alauda Aeronautics, meaning DeLorean’s primary role will be managing the visual identity of its aircraft.

The plan is to expand this involvement during the 2027–2028 season, when the brand intends to collaborate with engineering students from U.S. universities—including UC Berkeley and Georgia Tech—on the development of new vehicles. Airspeeder is not starting from scratch; in 2022, the organization held an experimental competition in Australia featuring remotely piloted electric aircraft. One of the earlier models, the Mk3, was approximately 4.1 meters long and equipped with a 96 kW electric propulsion system, with a projected speed exceeding 120 km/h.

It should be noted that these figures refer to the previous Mk3 model and are not confirmed specifications for the new Mk3C. The organizers intend to use these races as a laboratory to refine motors, batteries, control systems, and safety technologies—much like the role Formula 1 played in developing technologies that were later incorporated into consumer road vehicles.

Perhaps this is the most compelling part of the story. Nearly four decades after cinema depicted a DeLorean flying between the buildings of a futuristic city, the brand is preparing to take part in an actual aerial competition. While this may not yet be the "flying car" one could park in a home garage, it serves as further evidence that the industry is exploring ways to turn a long-held fantasy into real-world technology.