@AnnaB 2012! Wait, 201...4. Nope? 2015? Umm ... but 2016. Yeah, definitely 2016. After we get that new engine into production, because there's only so many Geo Metro motors we can pluck from a junkyard.
I would totally buy one if they come out at their stated price point and don't totally suck. But I'm not anxious to put real money out for a non-existent product when I can drive 20 minutes across town and see that nothing is going on at that plant, yet.
@thismyusername This company and the others like them only exist to steal money from uninformed investors. (notice the largest button on their homepage is $INVESTORS) These companys are as close you can get to as scam and still be within the boundries of the law.
@ChunkyBitz A more modern term is "driveable plane". Mass market cars don't fly so much as plummet. Mass market airplanes can taxi around on the ground at the airport. So they already steer, and have brakes. The brakes are designed for stopping from a very high speed in a short distance, but only once per trip. Upgrading the brakes to something suitable for driving through the mountains, is just a matter of added weight. Likewise, the tires are designed to be used briefly at the beginning and end of the trip. Upgrading them for continuous duty is just a matter of weight. Getting power to the wheels is not a particularly hard problem, but it adds weight. Folding the wings reliably and automatically is hard. Some assembly and inspection may be required before and after each flight. Crash worthiness is really tough. Most prototypes can't be sold in quantity because they don't meet the crash worthiness requirements for a volume manufactured car. Any real solution will involve more weight.
Small airplanes already have 6 figure prices. Adding all that weight turns them into crappy airplanes, yet makes them even more expensive. All the compromises to keep them still flyable, makes them really crappy cars. Since aircraft maintenance screw ups lead to fatalities, there are a lot of rules, and they are extreme. It isn't cheap.
Assuming some space aliens gifted an inventor with a good design. It would cost millions to get the vehicle type certified as an aircraft. Several of them would need to be crash tested, to get it legal as a mass market car. It would probably cost $500k and require $30k maintenance every 5,000 miles of driving and/or 50 hours of flight. All that for a vehicle which would suck compared to other planes, and really suck compared to most cars.
@bluejester i was going to go flaming chariot. But then I thought, y'know, a lot of my clothes are flammable, and I really don't like heat that much, plus it's pretty much just for daytime, fair weather cruising, and you may as well just declare yourself an aging Boomer and buy a convertible at that point… So I'm leaning towards wild hunt, because if I'm going to be riding, why not make a party of it?
Tardis, as previously mentioned. But when I was a kid I was convinced I'd be able to have a flying car, with a 2,500 horsepower-equivalent turbine engine, and autopilot capability that could go cross-country at near supersonic speeds. That was before I realized that bean counters, car-hating bureaucrats, and the power-hungry EPA were going to have far, far more control of what we were going to be allowed to have than the car guys, flying car guys, scientists, engineers, and dammit, me. So, Tardis ;)
@jqubed Yes, but my dream turbine was straight out of a sci-fi book. While it wasn't spec'ed out and arduously defined the way a Weber book would have, it would not have the limitations of real world engines.
For me there is only one true answer. The Landmaster!
When you absolutely, positively, must cross the wasteland of the (optionally post-apocalyptic) American southwest in style. Bonus points - they really built it!
The ULTIMATE vehicle...the Subaru 360! Zero to top speed of 55 MPH in 37.5 seconds (using wind and a steep grade) Dealers couldn't give them away. I almost bought 2 of them for $200...ahhh, the words "cult" anything weren't really in use in the 60's.
This very small rear wheel drive minicar had a 2-stroke, 25 horsepower 356 cc engine (thus the 360 name), weighed under 1000 pounds, got 66.3 mpg, went 0-50 in over 37 seconds. and cost $1,297 + prep. It came in a few models: 2 door sedan, then the "Young S" 2 dr sedan, minivan, a truck version, and even a mini race car too. There may have been as many as 10,500 (8,300 sedan, 2,200 van) of these imported through 1969, though they weren't exactly a best seller.
Infinite Improbability Drive
An Elio. Can't wait until they start production.
@AnnaB 2012! Wait, 201...4. Nope? 2015? Umm ... but 2016. Yeah, definitely 2016. After we get that new engine into production, because there's only so many Geo Metro motors we can pluck from a junkyard.
@narfcake don't care. Don't rain on my (hypothetical Elio) parade
@AnnaB I'm kinda partial to this one "coming soon" http://litmotors.com/c1/ , but I like both concepts.
@AnnaB My hometown fictitious car maker!
I would totally buy one if they come out at their stated price point and don't totally suck. But I'm not anxious to put real money out for a non-existent product when I can drive 20 minutes across town and see that nothing is going on at that plant, yet.
@AnnaB You might be able to pull a prototype Aptera out of a dumpster in Oceanside...
@djslack My truck was built there. Showing its age, what with 255+k miles, but still working.
Tardis
@glindagw Yes now that would be fun...
I would drive my iPhone.
Easy decision. "The Homer".
Anything designed by Homer J. Simpson is destined for greatness.
@TireuxdeRoche Pick again The Homer is not hypothetical.
Why the hell not it's hypothetical
Where in the hell is my fucking flying car? They've been promising them for many decades, and they still can't seem to get it right.
@ChunkyBitz A flying one that can also be a boat.
@ChunkyBitz They always are "just a year or two away" every time you read about em :D http://www.terrafugia.com/ http://www.popsci.com/sxsw-2015-forget-self-driving-cars-future-self-flying-cars http://www.aeromobil.com/
@thismyusername This company and the others like them only exist to steal money from uninformed investors. (notice the largest button on their homepage is $INVESTORS) These companys are as close you can get to as scam and still be within the boundries of the law.
@ChunkyBitz A more modern term is "driveable plane". Mass market cars don't fly so much as plummet. Mass market airplanes can taxi around on the ground at the airport. So they already steer, and have brakes. The brakes are designed for stopping from a very high speed in a short distance, but only once per trip. Upgrading the brakes to something suitable for driving through the mountains, is just a matter of added weight. Likewise, the tires are designed to be used briefly at the beginning and end of the trip. Upgrading them for continuous duty is just a matter of weight. Getting power to the wheels is not a particularly hard problem, but it adds weight. Folding the wings reliably and automatically is hard. Some assembly and inspection may be required before and after each flight. Crash worthiness is really tough. Most prototypes can't be sold in quantity because they don't meet the crash worthiness requirements for a volume manufactured car. Any real solution will involve more weight.
Small airplanes already have 6 figure prices. Adding all that weight turns them into crappy airplanes, yet makes them even more expensive. All the compromises to keep them still flyable, makes them really crappy cars. Since aircraft maintenance screw ups lead to fatalities, there are a lot of rules, and they are extreme. It isn't cheap.
Assuming some space aliens gifted an inventor with a good design. It would cost millions to get the vehicle type certified as an aircraft. Several of them would need to be crash tested, to get it legal as a mass market car. It would probably cost $500k and require $30k maintenance every 5,000 miles of driving and/or 50 hours of flight. All that for a vehicle which would suck compared to other planes, and really suck compared to most cars.
@hamjudo You might enjoy this read - http://www.thebaffler.com/salvos/of-flying-cars-and-the-declining-rate-of-profit
Doc Emmett L. Brown's time traveling DMC Delorean. No question.
How is flaming chariot not winning this poll? Who's the scapegoat of the month? It's their fault!
@bluejester hey I voted for flaming chariot
@bluejester My vote too. What in the hell is more bad-assed than a flying flaming chariot?
@bluejester @Kidsandliz @irishbyblood Right? Because a flaming sky chariot is only the chariot of God. Stupid fucks (I mean those other guys).
@bluejester i was going to go flaming chariot. But then I thought, y'know, a lot of my clothes are flammable, and I really don't like heat that much, plus it's pretty much just for daytime, fair weather cruising, and you may as well just declare yourself an aging Boomer and buy a convertible at that point… So I'm leaning towards wild hunt, because if I'm going to be riding, why not make a party of it?
I choose the option for hoverbike, but I really want a speederbike.
Barring that, the Incom T-65 X-wing.
@WilhelmScreamer I'd go for a classic T-16. Look out womp rats!
Tardis, as previously mentioned. But when I was a kid I was convinced I'd be able to have a flying car, with a 2,500 horsepower-equivalent turbine engine, and autopilot capability that could go cross-country at near supersonic speeds. That was before I realized that bean counters, car-hating bureaucrats, and the power-hungry EPA were going to have far, far more control of what we were going to be allowed to have than the car guys, flying car guys, scientists, engineers, and dammit, me. So, Tardis ;)
@duodec 2500 horsepower doesn't come cheap, and turbines suck at acceleration anyway. Awesome top speed, though!
@jqubed Yes, but my dream turbine was straight out of a sci-fi book. While it wasn't spec'ed out and arduously defined the way a Weber book would have, it would not have the limitations of real world engines.
The fabulous flying car short...thanks to Kevin Smith.
@margot Plot twist the flying car uses a plutonium power source therefor the flying car has no value.
@caffeine_dude Give a call to Iran, I hear they're getting rid of their plutonium, you may get a deal
For me there is only one true answer. The Landmaster!
When you absolutely, positively, must cross the wasteland of the (optionally post-apocalyptic) American southwest in style. Bonus points - they really built it!
Millennium falcon. Duh.
The Wonkavator.
@PocketBrain
Iron man suit.... Bar none.
I would cruise around on Angurius. And burn Harvard b school and Wharton
@cranky1950 Hopefully with a GoPRO attached so you could share this discriminate hell fire.
Hovertank.
Hovertub.
I've wanted a landspeeder since before I could drive a car.
Luckdragon.
Hovertoilet.
Heart of Gold. Spaceship in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy with the Infinite Improbability Drive.
I prefer the original BBC version.
Light bike from TRON
A Firefly-class freighter
@Sarahsda +1 !!!
The ULTIMATE vehicle...the Subaru 360!
Zero to top speed of 55 MPH in 37.5 seconds (using wind and a steep grade) Dealers couldn't give them away.
I almost bought 2 of them for $200...ahhh, the words "cult" anything weren't really in use in the 60's.
This very small rear wheel drive minicar had a 2-stroke, 25 horsepower 356 cc engine (thus the 360 name), weighed under 1000 pounds, got 66.3 mpg, went 0-50 in over 37 seconds. and cost $1,297 + prep.
It came in a few models: 2 door sedan, then the "Young S" 2 dr sedan, minivan, a truck version, and even a mini race car too. There may have been as many as 10,500 (8,300 sedan, 2,200 van) of these imported through 1969, though they weren't exactly a best seller.
Consumer Reports rating: not acceptable.
Here's some "hip" ads:
Check out the "groovy" dealer promo:
The 90-ton Timberwolf (Madcat) Omnimech was my first choice, but then somebody else mentioned the X-Wing. Now I'm not sure.
I would drive a steam engine with road wheels.
@Charcoalwolfman The first steam engine with road wheels may have been as early as 1672.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_steam_road_vehicles
All electric self driving car with induction charging from solar roadways. https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/solar-roadways
Bolo Mk XXXIII Continental Siege Unit.