Sci fi nerds, ready your engines: the flying car carved a space inside the American psyche long ago, but it looks like flying to work could soon become a reality. The newest prototype of the Transition flying car, built by Terrafugia, Inc., will debut at the New York Autoshow this week, according to the AP.
Upon our initial reading about the Transition, our first question was a Philosoraptor-esque one: how is a car with wings not the same thing as a plane? Oh, but we were so wrong. Except for the fact that it can literally zoom through the air, it also functions as a typical car does: the Transition can get up to 70 mph on the highway, and comes with wings that fold up, so it can fit in your garage. The whole thing is very Jetsons, minus the floor trap door (we hope).
According to the AP, the car “has two seats, four wheels and wings that fold up so it can be driven like a car. Last month, it flew at 1,400 feet for eight minutes. Commercial jets fly at 35,000 feet.”
With a price tag of $279,000, the trick is finding people both rich enough and brave enough to take the Transition for a spin. Apparently 100 people have already shelled out $10,000 each as a non-refundable deposit, and those numbers are expected to increase following the autoshow.
Considering this reporter alternates between popping Xanax and clutching her seat mate’s knee while distorting her face into a look that reads “We’re all going to die!” every time she flies, we probably won’t be testing out the Transition any time soon. But if you’re more rational than we are, you can plop down a deposit for the Transition here. Happy flying!