--- title: "Watch Two Flying Race Cars Compete in a Drag Race" description: "Alauda Racing, an Australian eVTOL startup, has officially started racing its electric flying race cars, pitting two cars against each other in a drag race." date: "2021-11-04" modified: "2021-11-04" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/flying-race-cars-drag-race" categories: - "Advanced Transport" tags: - "flying cars" - "race car" - "the digest" --- # Watch Two Flying Race Cars Compete in a Drag Race ![]() *\Image: Airspeeder\* ## 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. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgBegdGyUis ## 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]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()