It’s been a pipe dream for 30 years but now the world’s first fully available flying car is set to hit the roads next year. Ever since the Back to the Future movies lit up our screens in the 80s, designers have dreamt of an automobile that could take to the skies at the push of a button. And now qualified pilots can order their very own Terrafugia Transition ‘roadable’ plane for just £127,000, with delivery planned for late next year.
Flying car

The Terrafugia Transition ‘roadable’ plane can be kept at home, with wings folded up, in your garage. The ‘light-sport airplane’ promises to bring more ‘flexibility and convenience to your flying’. The plane, which has fold-out wings that span 27.5ft when extended, has an airborne range of 460 miles and can cruise at 115mph.

Fuelling the 19ft long plane couldn’t be simpler – you just drive it into a petrol station and fill it up with unleaded. It is powered by a 100 hp, Rotax 912S, four-stroke engine. The 19-foot-long plane has an airborne range of 460 miles and can cruise at 115mph.

A spokeswoman for designers Terrafugia, based in Woburn, Massachusetts, USA, said: ‘You can keep your Transition in your garage. ‘Then you simply drive to your local airport, fly up to 460 miles, land, convert and drive directly to your destination. You’ll always be ready to drive or fly.’

A series of simple commands made from the cockpit convert the white craft from plane to car and vice versa. But the wings only fold out if the correct key code is entered by someone with a pilot’s license.

The ‘roadable’ plane can be filled up at the local petrol station with unleaded. Unlike many ‘flying car’ concepts which use thrusters to take off vertically, the Transition needs a short runway to take to the air. The spokeswoman added: ‘Never let questionable weather cancel or endanger your trip again. ‘You can simply divert and continue on the ground until the weather clears.’

You can secure your very own Transition aeroplane by simply paying a deposit of £6,500. Pilots will be able to drive to the local airport, take off and then fly for up to 460 miles (740 km)

The firm’s website, ‘Terrafugia.com’, says of prospective owners: ‘Your deposit doesn’t just reserve your very own roadable airplane, it gives us proof that today’s pilot community is ready for this dream to finally become reality.

‘There’s no risk to you – only the chance to be the first at your home field to unfold your wings and fly into the future. ‘Production schedules are filling up quickly.’

More Information: Terrafugia.com

The motorboat maker is famous for epitomizing the Dolce Vita style. Priced at about $500,000, the Aquariva Super pictured above is a 33-footer combining elegant and sinuous lines, precious woods and supreme attention to detail in carpentry, chrome, lacquer-work, leather, and fittings.

Over this past summer, Riva also launched a collaboration with Veuve Clicquot champagne. The company first captured the attention of movie stars and the international jet set in the ’50s. Its classic wooden craft, which inspired the Cruise Collection, have been owned by the likes of Brigitte Bardot, Richard Burton, Sophia Loren, Aristotle Onassis and Prince Ranier of Monaco.

Available from: Riva Yachts

“The F3DM is the world’s first hybrid car that is not reliant on specialized electric charging stations. It is the cutting-edge product to the global green auto industry,” said president of BYD Wang Chuanfu.

The car can run up to 100 kilometers on its electric engine and shift to a gasoline engine when it runs low on power. It has beaten hybrid cars from Toyota and General Motors that can run just 25 km before recharging.

The car’s battery can be charged in nine hours from a regular electrical outlet or within an hour at BYD’s charging stations. The battery can be recharged up to 4,000 times.

The new model’s retail price was less than 150,000 yuan (US$21,428), about the same as many home-made mid-sized sedans.

It was welcomed by governments and state-owned banks. The city government of Shenzhen and China Construction Bank have pledged to buy some of the cars in support of the project. The provincial government of Guangdong also said it would “help accelerate promoting BYD’s hybrid car project”.

Analysts said the new car would need more government support to keep its feet in the market because its price was much higher than the company’s current F3 mid-sized sedan, on which the new vehicle was based.

Zhang Xin, an auto analyst with Shanghai-based Guotai Junan Securities, said BYD had chosen the right way to gain a leading position in the global market, but it would take some time before consumers accepted the new car.

BYD is a private company based in Shenzhen. It started out as a battery maker and now is the world’s No. 1 supplier of Nickel-battery, cellphone used Li-battery and keypad. In 2003, the company bought Tsinchuan Automobile Company Limited to begin its auto business.

US investor Warren E. Buffett has a 9.89 percent stake in the Hong Kong listed company.

Powered by a 736-kilowatt (1,001 PS/987 hp) W16 engine, it can reach 408.47 km/h (253.81 mph).  Believe me 1000 PS is not a joke, that’s redefining engine technology, and the 400+ speed has to defeat not only the road’s friction but also air friction. At top speed the engine uses about 1.33 gallons (5 liters) of gasoline per minute.

The car reached full production in September 2005, and is handcrafted in a factory Volkswagen built near the former Bugatti headquarters in Château St Jean, Molsheim (Alsace, France).  The Bugatti Veyron is named after French racing driver Pierre Veyron, who won the 24 hours Le Mans in 1939 while racing for the original Bugatti company.

The engine requires 10 heat exchangers, but is still left uncovered to dissipate as much heat as possible, there are three coolant radiators, two intercoolers, two air-conditioning condensers, two oil-coolers and one engine-oil cooler.

From a standing start you can attain 100Kmph in 2.5 seconds and in another 15-16 seconds, you will be traveling almost at the speed of sound.

The Veyron, in reverse gear will out-accelerate the McLaren F1.

At speeds above 400 Kmph, the tyres will last just 15 minutes.

At 408 Kmph, the Bugatti Veyron is even faster than a jet taking off.

Check it out at: Bugatti

It’s so easy to operate- just twist and go- no shifting or clutch- stop by squeezing the handlebar brake levers like a bicycle. Our unique braking system automatically controls front and rear brakes so there’s no room for error, just powerful disc braking. Fun for all ages, the Scootcoupe has only hand controls, allowing handicapped users to rediscover the joy of scootering! ScootCoupe.. The Coolest Scooter you’ll ever own!

There is a 50cc model for $6299 and a 150cc model for $6599. What do you think?  Would you buy one of these?  Comment below.

Available from: scootcoupe.com