Flying Cars - No, Seriously, I Do Mean Flying Cars

For those of us who have been crying out for a flying car while there's still a few drops of oil left in the world to fuel it... well, here's some progress... though I guess I'll concede it's more like a street-legal convertible airplane.

News via CNN:

Flying car production rolls forward

A highway-worthy airplane moves one step closer to production...
...
Going from plane to car "takes about the same amount of time as putting down your convertible top," and the transition takes place from inside the cockpit. After landing, a cockpit-operated system folds up the wings, and the pilot can drive away.

Transition is designed for trips of up to about 450 miles and can travel about 100 miles per hour in the air and "highway speeds" on the ground of "65, 70, [miles per hour] -- something like that," Dietrich said.

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Terrafugia anticipates the Transition will cost $194,000. The first delivery will occur in about 18 months, Dietrich said.

Of course, even if I had $194,000 to burn, it'd do me no good. The wife and I traded in our car for bus passes to be greener. Maybe they'll get a few Transitions at ZipCar? :) Not gonna happen... but if I'm lucky, I'll get a jetpack when I'm 90.

Anyhow, a thumbs-up to Terrfugia for making our Jetsons-inspired retrofuturistic dreams just a little more down-to-Earth.