Spaceship-style flying race car unveiled

By Dean Murray via SWNS

A spaceship-style flying race car has been unveiled.

The Airspeeder Mk4 is described as the first crewed version of the vehicle, which is designed to hold ultra-fast races.

Adelaide company Alauda Aeronautics claims the model is the world's fastest electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

They explain: "Capable of reaching a top speed of 360 kph (225 mph) in just 30 seconds from a standing start, it’s designed to set the bar for performance and technology in the radical new sport of piloted Airspeeder racing."

The new aircraft is a development of the remotely-piloted Mk3, which Alauda say has successfully completed more than 350 test flights and taken part in two Airspeeder demonstration races in South Australia in 2022.

The speeder is powered by a 1,000 kW (1,340 horsepower) Thunderstrike Hydrogen Turbogenerator, which offers a range of 300 km (188 miles).

The firm says so-called "Artificial Intelligence Gimballed Thrust" technology produces handling qualities of a Formula 1 car or a fighter jet.

Flight testing is underway in South Australia, with the first crewed races scheduled for 2024.

The Mk4 is due to be publicly unveiled at the Southstart innovation festival on March 9.

Matt Pearson, CEO, Alauda Aeronautics, explains: "We, and the world, are ready for crewed flying car racing.

"We have built the vehicles, developed the sport, secured the venues, and attracted the sponsors and technical partners.

"Now is the time for the world’s most progressive, innovative and ambitious automotive brands, OEM manufacturers and motorsport teams to be part of a truly revolutionary new motorsport.

"In unveiling the crewed Airspeeder Mk4 we show the vehicles that will battle it out in blade-to-blade racing crewed by the most highly-skilled pilots in their fields."

Matt Pearson, CEO, Alauda Aeronautics, adds: "You will see these technologies on the racetrack. However, eVTOLs are already a trillion-dollar industry and we see a very substantial market for private flying cars emerging in the near future.

"In conventional aerospace, there are about as many private jets as there are commercial jets in operation. We believe it could be the same with flying cars one day, with a roughly similar number of commercial taxis and private cars initially.

"Once we can sell you a flying car for the same price as a Tesla, you’ll quickly see the balance shift. Today, private cars outnumber taxis by about 300 to one, so the potential for people to own and drive their own flying car one day is absolutely enormous. It’s a very exciting time."

Team entries are now open for the Airspeeder crewed racing series.