This BMW-engined flying car is now officially certified to fly

The future has finally arrived! This time next year, we’ll all be driving flying cars and we’ll have to change our name to Maverick. Oh no wait, that one might already be taken. 

Perhaps we're getting ahead of ourselves a little, but the Slovakian AirCar has now been issued with an ‘official Certificate of Airworthiness’ by the Slovak Transport Authority. That’s after completing 70 hours of flight testing and over 200 takeoffs and landings, all of which was apparently compatible with European Aviation Safety Agency standards. Exciting times.

Some stats? The two-seat AirCar is powered by a 160bhp 1.6-litre BMW engine. It can fly at up to 8,200ft and cruise (in the air) at 118mph. A new version with a more powerful engine is in the works too. That should allow for 186mph cruising and will be certified in 12 months’ time. The wings and tail fold away automatically for road driving.

The AirCar’s inventor Professor Stefan Klein said of the Certificate of Airworthiness: “AirCar certification opens the door for mass production of very efficient flying cars. It is official and the final confirmation of our ability to change mid-distance travel forever.”

Blimey.