Watch Two Flying Race Cars Compete in a Drag Race

Is this the future of motorsports?

Flying Drag Race

Australian startup Alauda Racing has officially started racing its Airspeeder electric flying cars.

The company set two teams against each other in a drag race in the Australian desert — the first of many events still to come, it says.

The slick, aerodynamic cars, both the Airspeeder Mk3 model that was unveiled back in June, sped along a predetermined path and reached speeds of over 96 mph during the video.

While the cars were still being controlled remotely by pilots back on the ground, it's an exhilarating demonstration and a small taste of what's still in store: honest-to-goodness, human piloted flying car racing — which could very well turn out to be the future of motorsports.

 

Racing League

Alauda Racing is now looking to organize an entire tournament called EXA, pitting several teams against each other, as seen in a flashy teaser video.

The company is also hard at work developing the Mk4, its first human piloted racing car, which is slated to make its debut some time next year.

The cars can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in just 2.3 seconds, which is hypercar territory. They also only weigh 220 pounds apiece thanks to a carbon fiber fuselage.

To ensure human pilots don't get hurt, Alauda Racing is looking to use LiDAR and other radar technologies to create "virtual forcefields" around each car. The technology could also allow "really close quarter motorsport action," according to a recent explainer video.

The race is only starting to heat up, and we'll be at the front of the line as soon as the league really starts kicking off, so stay tuned.

More on the Airspeeder: Startup Unveils World's First Flying Racecar