For the longest time they have been seen in movies, dreamt about in song, doodled in illustrations by young and old children. There are no limits to imagination. The flying car however is a prevailing image.
But now the dream is on the verge of reality.
On the road, the Firenze Lanciare will tap into two electric Tesla engines, totalling 1,000 horsepower and, according to the proposed engineering specifications, will be able to out-accelerate a Lamborghini by managing 0 to 60 mph in less than four seconds.
But then comes the magic.
With a projected £1.5billion mass production certification, once the Firenze Lanciare gets both literally and figuratively off the ground, the lucky driver-come-pilot will be burnin' through the sky with 2,000 pounds of thrust from two Williams FJ-33 jet engines travelling at a maximum air-cruise speed of 520 mph and across a range of 850 miles, thanks to a 300-gallon fuel tank. That’s about London to Porto, with some juice left over.
Transforming from a road car, with a width of 90 inches, into an aeroplane, fully deployed it will possess a 27.3 ft wingspan. Retractable tires combined with the suspension of off-road trucks allows rough-strip landings, while the jet thrust and carbon-fibre brakes means that the Firenze would only need 2,500 feet of runway.
It will offer all the comforts of a casual, classic road trip, with space for four people allowed to relax, drive, and fly with leather backed with sound-insulating foam, while laminated polycarbonate windows combine strength and sound dampening.
Flying will be easy and comfortable but won’t be cheap. When it does arrive, the Firenze Lanciare is currently expected to cost between £3 - £5million. Be prepared to take flight.
