The world’s first flying car made its grand debut Monday at the Detroit Auto Show — wowing crowds just two months after gaining legal approval.<br /><br />California-based Alef Aeronautics unveiled its swanky Model A prototype, which closely resembles a standard sedan except for its UFO-esque bubble-like seating area big enough to fit two passengers with an affinity for soaring.<br /><br />The history-making vehicle was not flown at the annual event — Alef is still roughly two years away from starting production on the first flyable car.<br /><br />It’s still not the final consumer version, founder and CEO Jim Dukhovny told Robb Report.<br /><br />But at this point, it’s pretty close.<br /><br />When it hits the market, the Model A will come attached to a $300,000 price tag.<br />The flying car was awarded a Special Airworthiness Certification from the Federal Aviation Administration in June, meaning the company will be allowed to test it on both the road and in the air.<br /><br />Dukhovny, whose father was famous musician and poet Leonid Dukhovny, originally imagined that the flying car could help save time wasted in traffic, but said, “Every time I talk to somebody, people come up with new use cases.”<br /><br />The fully electric vehicle can be driven up to 200 miles on public roads, but it can also launch vertically into the air with a flying range of 110 miles.<br /><br />The cabin is engineered to rotate and stabilize the driver/flyer as they weave through the air.<br /><br />Plus, the car will offer “cinematic 180-plus degree views, the company said.<br /><br />The conveyance measures about 17 feet long, 7 feet wide and 6 feet high — similar to the dimensions of an SUV — and is designed to fit in any parking space or garage<br /><br />Because it is aimed at the general public, the Model A was designed to be easy to learn, especially considering there will be little air traffic to deal with while learning the ropes.<br /><br />I can teach you how to fly and drive this in about 15 minutes or less, Dukhovny told Robb Report.<br /><br />If you can tell the difference between the right, left, up, down, front and back, you can do this. It’s pretty much the only controls it has.<br /><br />#cars <br />#flyingcar <br /> #futuretech <br />#firstflyingcar
