Yep, you read that headline correctly. I wrote about this yesterday over at Gadling, but definitely thought it was worth posting about here too. According to this story from the BBC, British adventurer Neil Laughton was scheduled to set out today from London on a journey to Timbuktu, in Mali, in a car that can fly.
The Skycar was specially designed for journeys such as this one, and is actually a dune buggy outfitted with a parasail and a large fan attached to it's rear end. In less than three minutes the vehicle can go from cruising along on the ground to being airborne, where it can reach altitudes of 15,000 feet, although it typically flies in the 2000-3000 foot range.
The plan is to drive the vehicle for much of the journey, but Laughton will kick it into flight mode to cross the Pyrenees, the Strait of Gibraltar, and the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. He hasn't ruled out flying at other times as well, but for now, those are the planned flight stages.
While on the ground, the car can reach speeds up to 108mph and is designed to go off road, which will come in handy in the Sahara Desert. You'll be able to follow the entire journey on the official website, where they also have more info about the Skycar. The designers hope to eventually sell the vehicle to the general public. It is street legal, burns a biofuel, and is expected to cost roughly $75,000.
Hmm... maybe they'll send me one to test drive. :)
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