Jalopnik
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flying cars
Israeli Flying Car Nears First Test Flight
In early 2007, Urban Aeronautics announced it'd have an "air jeep" flying car dubbed the X-Hawk ready for flight by 2009. The future's now, and while the X-Hawk isn't quite ready, the test mule almost is, and this is it. More » -
concept cars
Ferrari X-Racer Concept: A Balls-Out, Flying Grand Prix Car
You saw the grim future of a budget-capped Formula One. Forget that. Let's dream big: all the way to Mach 2. Designer Vincent Montreuil’s flying Ferrari concept comes with twin turbos—turbostator engines, that is. More » -
traffic
Driving On Cairo’s Congested Roads
The BBC’s Christian Fraser reports from the back seat of a dilapidated Fiat taxicab to describe a city of utter traffic mayhem. More »
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By Peter OroszComment by leavethegun-takethecannoli: You really want to see a bunch of idiots driving? Go visit Boston-- fargin' massholes everywhere. 7 Responses | Other threads
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flying cars
Terrafugia "Flying Car" Makes First Flight
This morning it's official — the future is now. The Terrafugia Transition, the first plausible "flying car" (or more precisely, a "roadable aircraft"), took its first official flight earlier this month. Full gallery and video below. More »
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By Ray WertComment by Ash78: Cool. But I wonder if the compromises are going to be so large (on both fronts) that it will suck... 14 Responses | Other threads
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flying cars
DARPA Looking For Someone To Build Flying Cars
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is looking for a few inventive companies looking for cash to develop the holy grail of automotive awesomeness — flying cars. As part of a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) proposal, DARPA is looking for actionable plans for a military vehicle able to hold two or four people, drive up to sixty miles per hour, fit it inside an eight and a half by seven by twenty four foot box, then take of vertically and fly for two hours at 150 MPH. The obvious application is reconnaissance and evacuation with transportation in a large cargo plane, but fold these babies into the NASA SATS program and blamo — air cars for everyone! Complete proposal details and program specifics below. More »
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By Ben WojdylaComment by Rock517: Hell, I'm still waiting on this, so I'm not holding my breath for a flying car anytime soon. 3 Responses | Other threads
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concept cars
Audi Calamaro Flying Concept Car Takes Future Design Competitions To Higher Level
This futuristic take on a flying car was designed by Hungarian design student Tibor for a design contest run by his native Porsche distributor. Inspired by the “bone of a cuttlefish,” the Audi Calamaro does a good job of looking kind of like its name suggests while still adapting current Audi design themes — check out the ‘beard’ air intake — to a product clearly intended for the distant future. We can spot no obvious means of propulsion, so can only assume it uses a Mr. Fusion. More »
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By Wes SilerComment by OldeEnglishD: So the future of transportation is a Dirt Devil handheld? WTF? 4 Responses | Other threads
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flying cars
Reality-Defying Futurama Flying Car For Sale On Amazon For A Mere $50,000!
Good news everyone! A recently-launched merchant on Amazon — named Jetson — is offering the "Futurama Flying Car" for the bargain price of only $50,000. Although the seller makes no promises or claims, other than an artfully updated image of the Guigiaro B.A.T. 5, the reviews on this product offer stunning insight into the performance of this revolutionary, yet totally fictional, vehicle. More »
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By Ben WojdylaComment by Ze_Ben: That $#!+$ gay, I wouldn't pay $50 for it. 3 Responses | Other threads
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flying cars
Moller Planning Flying Ferrari 599 GTB For Russian Businessman
We love flying cars, and apparently so does a Russian businessman who contracted Moller to design a flying car based on the Ferrari 599 GTB. Moller is the leading authority on flying "cars", but as far as we can tell this is the first time they're seriously designing a flying machine based on an existing automobile. They call it the Autovolanter — catchy eh? To catch you up on their previous creations, there's the Moller M200 flying saucer, and the M400 Sky Car which has graced the covers of many a buff book over the 200 years it's been in development. Despite being the best in the flying car business, Moller never really got either of those to work out. We hope things are different with this flying Ferrari, but it's not too promising thus far. More »
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By Mark ArnoldComment by 71rivnut: The biggest problem with flying cars is where the debris goes after the inevitable mid air collision. My guess is... 2 Responses | Other threads
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meadow brook concours d'elegance
Aerocar To Be Displayed At 2008 Meadow Brook Concours, Land In Our Dreams
What would a car show be without a flying car? Frankly, we don't want to know, which is why we're glad the Meadow Brook Concours d'Elegance, taking place Sunday, August 3, is playing host to the Taylor Aerocar. Built in 1956, this is perhaps the most successful flying car of all time. That's right, despite our fascination with flying cars, the best one was probably built more than 50 years ago. If you're on hand at the Meadow Brook event on August 3rd you can see one up close. More »
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Comment by microcars: @YetAnotherVariant: really? he bought it 3 years ago? Which one of the 6 known to exist did he buy? The Model... more » | Other threads
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novelties
Rocket Powered Flying Citroen DS, All Our Memes Are Belong to Fantômas
We've never heard of what is a apparently a classic French character named Fantômas, but apprently he's a master of disguise and miscreant extraordinaire. More important to us though, in a 1964 flick, he drove a flying, rocket-powered Citroen DS. As we can see in this chase sequence between a Mini Moke and the DS in question, the transformation is brilliantly controlled through the HVAC controls and lets the creepy gray-faced anti-hero escape without a scratch. Let's just hope an underinformed passenger doesn't try to warm up the cabin in thick traffic. More »
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By Ben WojdylaComment by mzs: I saw this as a kid in either Austria or Poland at the age of 4 or 5 on a... more » | Other threads
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novelties
Russian Aerocar Promises All Purpose Travel - New Cold War
With the development of the Russian-made Aerocar, it has become radically evident that the United States is now embroiled in the midst of a flying car technology race. While we have the sleek and the supposedly in-production Moller M200G, it's only limited to flying at heights of only 10 feet. The Russians have developed a version of an ultralight which can fly at up to 160 KPH and reach heights of 4,000 meters while on road it can top out at 80 KPH. Certainly it's not as elegant a solution, but they're working on a new and improved version which will fly at speeds of 450 KPH and travel on land at 100 KPH. You heard it here first, watch out for a flying Vlad buzz bombing a quiet American town near you! [RussiaToday]
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By Ben WojdylaComment by oldraven: Would you really want to be 4,000M off the ground in something built by the same people who made the... more » | Other threads
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concept cars
LaBiche Aerospace FSC-1: Another Flying Car Just Around the Corner.
It's been a little while since we last had any flying cars (the hoaky Monster Garage created flying Panoz Esperante from the last BJ Auction comes to mind). Here's a nifty concept from LaBiche Aerospace called the FSC-1. Rolls right off the tongue doesn't it? The ambitious concept features something which actually looks like a car and does its best transformer act to become a multi-winged flying wonder potentially capable of 275 mph. Of course, they're just waiting for the funding as step one, step two is... something, and finally step three: huge profits. More »
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By Ben WojdylaComment by Dr.Danger is on the motherf**king internet: @workingonyourinvoice: @laxman15: LIES! more » | Other threads
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commenter of the day
Commenter of the Day: Gerard Manley Hopkins Edition
As we have learned through the harsh tutor of experience, you can give people the past, the present, and above all else the future, and no matter what, they will still demand flying cars. We're getting there! Closer every day! And not always safely. It's understandable, this earthbound contempt for beloved vehicles that can't fly yet. Even retro-tech of a highly prescient variety is no salve. And so, onward (upward?) to the commenter of the day. More »
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Comment by thatguy01: "Commander Ed Straker's 1980 car has a ROOF scoop for WHAT reason...? " Ventilation, just like Pat Moss' Big Healey rally... more » | Other threads
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flying cars
Cell Craft Flying Cars Will Be the Future, Once Inventor Does More Inventing
Gino d'Ignazio Gizio has a dream. A dream where the average person has access to his or her own flying car. A dream where long commutes are a thing of the past and people take to the skies at 350mph with the freedom and ease we currently enjoy in our land-based cars (as long as we don't live someplace where there's, you know, traffic). Gino wants his Cell Craft to facilitate that dream. The problem, he hasn't quite figured out how it works yet. More »
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By Wes SilerComment by DarkApplepolisher: One flaw I've always seen in flying cars... Standard land vehicles have a tendency to break down after how many... more » | Other threads
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barrett-jackson
Barrett-Jackson: Panoz Esperante Flying Car Takes Off for Only $45,000
Jalopnik still loves flying cars — it may still be part of our masthead, we can't remember — but here's a perfect example. It's the $100,000 Panoz Esperante converted by Jesse James of Monster Garage into an airborne vehicle whose first flight matched the success of the Wright Brothers. Seriously — they took it to Kitty Hawk where it actually flew in a straight line and then hit the ground just as hard as the Wright plane did. Here's the full description of the "Flying Car" from Barrett-Jackson, which just sold for a steal of a price at $45,000 (just under $55,000 with the auction fees): More »
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By Ray WertComment by kleinlowe: @smart42: Personal-PCH fishing at BJ? Classy. 1 Responses | Other threads
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flying cars
Moller Expresses "Substantial Doubt" About Flying Car Future
Oh Noes! Our dreams of owning a Moller M400 flying car may be in jeopardy. The company's deficit climbed to $40.6 million in the third quarter of 2007, with a quarterly loss of $81,071. Execs at the company say that a lot of capital is required of to continue the quest for the vehicle and that they have "substantial doubt" regarding the possibility of operations continuing. Shares of the company dropped to $0.81 with 1,700 shares being passed around. This is what happens when you fly to close to the sun...
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Comment by Elhigh: "I told you so." This has been complete vaporware since day one, back in the 80's, on the cover of Popular... more » | Other threads
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flying cars
Mean Automakers Deny Existence Of Flying Cars
We understand why Onion News Network anchor Brandon Armstrong is arguing so passionately for the existence of flying cars and it may seem mean for GM, Ford and Toyota to dash his hopes so stupendously — but Brandon's barking up the wrong tree. If Brandon covered the cult of cars as obsessively as we do, he's know all too well there aren't any flying cars in the secret labs of GM, Ford or Toyota. It's Honda that has all of them. Silly Brandon Armstrong — such an auto industry n00b. (Hat tip to Tony!)
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By Ray WertComment by Novaload Misses Murilee: @xNissan.Freakx: Darwin would weed them out very quickly.God bless the Onion! more » | Other threads
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flying cars
PAL-V Flying Car Nearing Production! We're Totally Serious! No, Really!
It's a Carver. Wait, it's a gyroscope. No, it's both. It's called the PAL-V and it stands for Personal Air and Land Vehicle and it's supposedly going to be built very soon by a company named PAL-V Europe BV. What we think is it looks like it's the next flying car nearing production we fear will never end up being built. Based on the Carver One tri-wheel car, the PAL-V supposedly will use the same Dynamic Vehicle Control (DVC) system that keeps the Carver going straight and true in turns. That system automatically adjusts the tilt angle of the cockpit to the speed and acceleration of the vehicle enabling what the folks behind this device-to-never-be call "a plane-like tilting before cornering." That's great and all — but how does it fly? Simple — all they need to do is drop a set of gyrocopter blades on top. Sure, why not? Jeez — why do we continue to follow this dream... More »
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By Ray WertComment by Marc Mancuso: This would still be great if it works as stated. I live in Los Angeles and going from the OC... more » | Other threads
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jalopnik loves flying cars
World's First Flying Car Enters Production
In a moment we've been waiting for since the first time we saw The Jetsons, the first flying car has finally gone on sale. Just like the car George uses to drop off the kids, the Moller M200G Volantor is shaped like a saucer. To avoid the need to pass FAA regulations, the civilian version of the Volantor is restricted to heights of 10 feet, but can travel as fast as 50mph and fly for up to 90minutes. Military or rescue versions could be unencumbered by such limitations. Depending on the number of orders, prices could be as low as $90,000. Video of the Volantor in action after the jump.
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By Wes SilerComment by Hello_Newman: If the payload is 250lbs you're not going to be rescuing anyone with that thing, you'll still need a helicopter... more » | Other threads
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flying cars
Flying Car, Sort of: First X-Hawk Could Be Ready By 2009
It sure is tough to find flying-car news these days. (C'mon, Moller, we are you shipping?) But the Seattle Times comes through with a profile on Rafi Yoeli, the Israeli conceptualist behind the X-Hawk urban rescue vehicle, which broached our radar range back in 2004. Apparently, Yoeli's gotten a basic prototype to rise three feet, and says a marketable version could be in play by 2010, with a price tag of $1.5 million. Not quite the Volkswagen Beetle of flying cars, but any progress is good progress. More »
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Comment by Nightwing: Like Dr. McCoy I wouldn't trust one of those things scrambling my molecules all over the place. How do I... more » | Other threads
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retro
Transport Revolution! The Great Hoverchair of San Pedro!
Despite what y'all think, we at Jalopnik to do not spend our days tearing around in Torino Talladegas playing the Angry Samoans at high volume, outrunning the Los Angeles Police Department and California Highway Patrol, mowing down sidewalk fruit stands and supping on the finest lobster bisque at sunset on the beach with Jodie Kidd on one arm and Sabine Schmitz on the other as the sun drops behind Catalina. We haven't even illicitly airbrushed a Viking mural on the side of an Isuzu I-Mark in nigh on three months. No, mostly we just sit around and look for things to write about. Now and then, to clear our head and purchase a refreshment and/or snack, we walk the half-block to the bodega. This afternoon, we stumbled upon it: The Great Hoverchair of San Pedro, a previously-thought-mythical device designed to ease Angelenos' commuting woes somewhere in the early 1990s. More »
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Comment by .: FYI, keep it away from your maglev settee, unless you want a couple thousand megajoules doing a superstage in your... more » | Other threads
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news
Moller Skycar on eBay!
ReaderBennyAnni-FridAgnethaBjorn tipped us off to the fact that Moller has the M400X Skycar prototype up for bid on everyone's favorite clearing house of H sker D test-pressings and macrame Spiro Agnew effigies. The Davis, California-based company's currently looking at a cool $1,776,800.00 with a week to go, but the airborne conveyance has yet to to hit reserve. We're betting on Susan Powter for the win. More »
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Comment by Ideapimp: Wow. one fuzzy picture, no assurance that the seller is ACTUALLY the manf. Could be anyone posting a picture and... more » | Other threads
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news
GM's Flying Car Virus
Throw up an Angelfire page, complete with conspiracy-theory and Chomsky namedrops, then post some videos of airborne GM vehicles that look, unlike the lighter-than-air Vauxhall Astra VXR once seen on Top Gear, like they're the product of digital effects rather than remote-controlled floating cars, and well, you've got a semi-neat viral campaign. [Thanks to Josh for the tip.] More »
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Comment by Nalts: Brilliant viral campaign, and nice synergy with the ads surrounding them on this site. Hats off from www.willvideoforfood... more » | Other threads
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news: weird news
See, Flying Cars Do Exist! Honda Accord Flies 150 Feet Into Side Of NY House
We've been telling folks for years flying cars existed —but who knew proof would come to us from the sleepy little town of Coram, NY? That's where this morning the owner of a Honda Accord took a 150 foot jump off a dirt hill and flew into the the side of a two-story house. So maybe it's not so much proof of flying cars — but it sure as hell is entertaining. Although normally we prefer our entertainment without death and dismemberment. [Hat tip to Steven!] More » -
flying cars
Flying Cars? Streetable Aircraft? What Do You Mean They Won't Work?
Whatever m you call them, our nerdy, tech-obsessed sibling Gizmodo knows an expert that says you won't be getting a hover conversion on your El Camino any time in the near future, much less by 2015. There are a few very real problems, one of which is that airplanes make for crappy cars and cars make for crappy planes. And then you have to deal with the complexity of flying. Do you really think all of the idiots on the road can deal with stall speeds and crosswinds? So for now, the flying car is a pipe dream and we're still stuck following Casey Kasem's advice to keep our feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars. More » -
flying cars
Gimmie My Flying Car Already: The LaBiche Aerospace FSC-1
When it comes to flying cars, it's hard to tell the legit developers from the kooks. Ever since we hung our bald-headed shingle in 2004, we've been getting e-mail from teams of self-described aerospace engineers who assure us they've mocked up the vehicle that'll have us Jetsoning around town like past futurists promised us we'd be. All they need, most say, is a sugar daddy to make it all come to pass. Not to belittle the work of Labiche Aerospace, who've informed us of their plans to build the FSC-1 (pictured), but frankly, we're somewhat jaded by the lack of progress in this area. Still, any hope is good, and the Labiche people say they plan to offer a kit for $175,000, and even talk buyers through the building and flying of it (at an estimated 275 mph). Sure it's outlandish, and, sure, the missing pieces in the car's story outnumber the non-missing ones. But think of it this way: What if you didn't find out until your neighbor rolled one out of his garage? You'd want to kick our asses, right? More »
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Comment by TokaStyle: Looks like a 3D rendering of the cars I would doodle on my notebook in the second grade. more » | Other threads
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news
A Flying Transformer-Car-Jet! We're Waiting For The El Camino-ization
Terrafugia's moved up the work on this George Jetson play-toy. Although it may look like it's totally coming straight from a Spacely Sprockets airstrip, it's not. This MIT-designed flying car is called the Transition, and they're gonna try building a prototype in the next two years for a mere $150,000 a unit. Also, it's meant to undergo a metamorphosis on the runway, with the tail folding down, the wings flattening and — excuse me — we've been told the Transition's not a "flying car" but rather a "driving jet." Our mistake. Well, since they don't want to call it a car then I guess we won't cover it. Fuck 'em — we didn't like it anyway. More »
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By Ray WertComment by Steve Downing: When they finally make a "Transtio-mino", I hope they put one of those net things in place of the tailgate... more » | Other threads
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news
Unsafe at Any Altitude: Corvair-Powered Plane Crashes
Avalanche looms overhead/Airplane flies overhead/Important man sits by the window/Sucked out of the first class window
-H sker D More »
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Comment by wannabewannabe: What the hell caused the crash? Corvair engine or shoddy workmanship? more » | Other threads
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news
Flying Car Spotted in Australia! Redux
You, staring for hours at Google Earth! Back away from the monitor and keep your hands where I can see them. Ok, so we have no jurisdiction over GE surfers, but we do wish they'd find another hobby — like GPS caching of something. Following on last month's cyber "sighting" of what looks to be a hovering car on a Google satellite map of Australia, another such vision has materialized. A new image, taken of parkland near the shores of Coogee Beach — which is 50 miles from Swackermackadoodle Junction, just to the right of Arse Over Tit highway — appears to show some sort of vehicle, shadowed as if it were high in the air. Is it a flying car, or just a blob on the screen? Only the Grilled Cheese Virgin Mary knows for sure. More »
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Comment by twoback: This has got to be one of those cheap attempts to make a sign or "landmark" by putting a car... more » | Other threads
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jalopnik emissions
Jalopnik Emissions: Flying Car Edition
• This is going from the world of silly to the world of serious. There are patents now from respectable companies like Pratt & Whitney and Moller to build flying cars. [Sacramento Bee]
• Volkswagen: Arriba! Arriba! Andel ! Andel ! [BrandWeek]
• We used to worry about people driving at the age of 71. Then we realized our mother was approaching said age, and we really don't want to drive her around. [News24]
• The Cars poster is up online. We think we can make out Optimus Prime in the back. [Ain't It Cool News]
• Louisiana is finally going to do something with all of those waterlogged cars. No, they will not be trying to sell them to you. Well, is "Brownie" running this one? [Reuters]
• GM is betting on midsize cars to boost sales in India. They're gonna sell 'em Chevy Tahoes. [Hindustan Times]
• A married couple seeks a world record by circumnavigating the globe using as little gas as possible. Words fail us. Especially because it's sponsored by Shell. [PRNewswire, FuelChallenge.com [
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news
The Latest in Automotive Predictin' from the 818
Reader DannyBoy, who comments from glen to glen and down the mountainside, tips us to this look into the future of oughtamoblilin', noting: More »
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Comment by monkeywrench: That paper had an ad up on LA CL for writers. They wanted to pay peanuts, so it looks like... more » | Other threads
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concept cars
Tech Start-up Planning Flying Car
A technology start-up company founded by MIT graduate students could have a flying car to market as early 2009, according to CNet. The company, Terrafugia, is working up a SUV-cum-aircraft that will be able to carry two people and luggage on 100- to 500-mile jumps using a tank of premium unleaded gas. A working prototype is expected by 2008, but the company will display a scale model of its Transition Personal Air Vehicle at the EAA AirVenture Conference in Oshkosh, Wisconsin this July. Book your flight now, Oshkosh is murder in the summer. [Thanks to Chris and Jeff for the tip.] More »
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Comment by weatherman: I don't care what the rest of y'ouns say, I want a flying car. For those who can't afford the... more » | Other threads
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news
Flying Car Spotted in Australia!
We must get ourselves to Australia, posthaste. According to the Register, this shot of Perth from Google Earth indicates a vehicle "at an altitude of three of four metres and doing about 80 knots." Which means the only remotely probable explanation is that "the Aussies have developed a gravity-busting hyperdrive, have bolted it into a second-hand Holden, and are seen here in the split second before their X-Motor made the transdimensional leap to hyper light speed." Could it be done with a GTO? Might stem the car's less-than-stellar sales. Listening, Lutz? [Thanks to Adam for the tip.] More »
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Comment by ecmuller: When it strikes 88Mph it'll go back in time Does this mean we should plot a trip to the outback to... more » | Other threads
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news
Neiman Marcus to Sell Flying Cars For Christmas!
Lexus schmexus! The real news in Needless Markups' annual Christmas Book is that they're offering up limited slots to buy yourself or someone you love a M400 Skycar including the prototype. We know we've been slacking on the flying car news, and for that Denton has lashed us to the oars and forced us to row him back and forth across the Delaware River as he makes like Washington (he's even got a custom wooden grill gold teeth are so 2003, after all) until somebody came to our rescue. And that rescuer is our old friend CTE. CTE, if we were Denton instead of us, we'd buy you a Skycar for Christmas on the condition that you don't drive it like your Focus, pal. More »
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