by “Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads.” These words by Doc Brown from the movie “Back to the Future” are becoming a reality – next year, the first serial flying car, the AirCar, will appear at the price of a good Lamborghini.
We have been following the development of this project for five years and have seen its successful flights. However, creating a prototype is one thing, but setting up serial production is quite another. Now the Slovak company has presented images of the finished model, which will go on sale in 2025 for approximately 800 thousand dollars.
Compared to the test sample, the serial version has a lengthened windshield, which visually shortens the front overhang. The headlights are now placed at the front, and the side vents have taken on a serrated shape. The overall outlines, massive rear wing, and centrally located propeller have remained almost unchanged. The design resembles a mix of a 1980s race car and a Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter.
As Klein reports, the updates affected the power plant. Instead of a 1.6-liter BMW engine, a South African-made unit with a capacity of 280 hp is now used, with options for 320 and 340 hp. The structural weight is 800 kg, allowing it to reach 200 km/h on the road and 250 km/h in the air.
Transforming the 5.8-meter coupe into an airplane with an 8.2-meter wingspan takes about two minutes. The flight altitude is limited to 3050 meters due to the lack of a pressurized cabin, which is only slightly lower than that of the popular Cessna Skyhawk for a similar price. But then again, a Cessna won’t drive on the road after landing, will it?
Although the AirCar seems like an exotic toy, Klein Vision predicts that the air mobility market will reach 162 billion dollars by 2034. They expect their product to interest not only wealthy enthusiasts but also taxi fleets. Of course, such trips will be expensive, so the first clients will be representatives of the upper class – a true “Uber” for the elite.
