AeroMobil to show updated flying car at 2017 Top Marques Monaco

The promise of flying cars has been around for decades, and Slovakia's AeroMobil will show us its closest interpretation of said promise in a few days.

Building upon its version 3.0 prototype unveiled in 2014, AeroMobil's latest design will show its face at the 2017 Top Marques Monaco which opens its doors on Thursday.

The company didn't provide many specifics regarding its updated, flying people mover but provided images which show a slightly reworked design over the 3.0 prototype.

As for technical information, we can only work with what we know was supposedly "production ready" with the previous 3.0 prototype. A Rotax 912 four-cylinder air-cooled engine provided 100 horsepower and a top speed of 124 mph in the air. A speed of 99 mph was possible on pavement.

The 3.0 prototype was also claimed to be relatively fuel efficient by achieving 35.3 mpg on the road and would sip 4 gallons per hour in the air. Whether improvements in the power and fuel consumption are present will likely wait until the debut in a few short days.

While the specs sound achievable, it remains to be seen if the Slovakian firm will actually be able to lift off into reality. AeroMobil has been promising a production, flying car for some time, but after a prototype crashed mid-flight in 2015, confidence has been anything but high. There are also a number of other companies trying their hand at creating flying cars and drones to carry passengers to and fro, the most recent being E-Volo with its 2X multicopter, which may also house autonomous capabilities.

For now, we'll stick to the proven ways of rubber meeting pavement for our daily transportation means.