Aeromobil flying car goes from road to runway in style

Despite the best work of thousands of inventors around the globe, and a vision of every sci-fi movie, true flying cars have never caught on for a multitude of engineering, safety and practical reasons. So it's worth noting when a Slovakian designer reveals a new take on the idea that avoids one of the great pitfalls facing any such project: At least it looks good.

Called Aeromobil, the car was created by Slovakian engineer Stefan Klein, who's background includes work for Audi and BMW. Based on the outlines of a single-engine plane, the Aeromobil version 2.5 draws power from a 100-hp Rotax airplane engine, and can travel 430 miles on a load of fuel in the air or 310 miles on the ground. When not in use, the carbon-fiber wings fold solidly behind the two-person cockpit, disengaging the rear propeller.