Flying Cars

Cars are always a subject of high interest, whether it be the new Lexus and BMW collections, most iconic cars in films, or in this case, futuristic flying cars.

The luxury vehicle brand Lexus just unveiled a replica of the Skyjet, a futuristic pursuit aircraft created for the forthcoming sci-fi movie Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. The skyjet is designed with the support from Lexus designers and the Valerian team wanted the Skyjet to be grounded in reality, yet befitting the world of the adventure, set 700 years in the future. The film’s creatives collaborated with designers at Lexus to incorporate contemporary design cues, adapted from its current model range. The final design incorporates an adapted interpretation of Lexus’ signature “spindle” grille, and a similar headlight design to that of the hotly anticipated 2018 Lexus LC coupe, defined by an athletic and aerodynamic shape. What’s more, when designing the interior of the concept model, the Valerian creative team were inspired by the brand’s latest developments in AI and advanced HMI technologies. The narrative is also set to incorporate an imagined energy capsule of the future, inspired by Lexus’ work on innovative hydrogen fuel cell technology.

The film star Dane DeHaan said: “I have always wanted to work with (Valerian director) Luc Besson because he really hones in on every single detail in his films, bringing the narrative to life in the most imaginative way possible. The collaboration on the Skyjet is a great example of this. Valerian’s epic chase scenes with the Skyjet are to be some of the most exhilarating moments in the film.”

Watch the video of the reveal here:

But the Skyjet by Lexus is not the only flying car so far, because other brands and individuals also tried to create cars that are able to fly. Here are some examples of a few low flying cars:

A real approach towards flying cars is the ‘V.Bulgakov’, which is the work of former pilot Valery Bulgakov. It can fly 10 feet of the ground for a distance of only 600 feet. He modified a 1987 ZAZ Tavria car by replacing the doors and bonet with lighter materials and he also added wings to make it safer in the air. It takes around 20 seconds to reach flight speed and Bulgakov originally designed the creation to help train pilots to land and take off. Although the construction is not really made for the skies, there are some other cars that are designed to actually fly.

The American-designed Terrafugia Transition was cleared for use on both roads and in the air in July 2010. It was able to fly for 3,000 feet on its test flight in 2009 and it s designed to have a flight range of 787 km using either automotive premium grade unleaded gasoline or 100LL avgas. On the road it can drive up to 70 miles per hour with normal traffic. The Prototype is 2.02 meters high, 2.29 meters wide and 5.72 meters long and is designed to fit within a standard household garage. The maximum speed of the car is 185 km/h.
Can’t believe that this is actually working? Well, see yourself: