While other motorists suffer through gridlocked traffic, you could be flying right over it — if you’ve got enough money.
Dutch company PAL-V announced on its website Tuesday that the Liberty, its two-seat, dual-engine flying car, will be ready for delivery late next year, and that interested consumers now can place deposits on the vehicle. The Liberty is available in Sport and Liberty editions, and both are going to cost you.
The sport model starts at $399,000, while the Pioneer edition — which comes standard with items such as power heating, carbon-fiber detailing and an electronic flight instrument system — Â will run you an extra $200,000. If you’re serious about owning a Liberty, you must write PAL-V a nonrefundable deposit check for $10,000 for the sport model, or $25,000 for the Pioneer.
The Liberty comes with two engines, one for driving and one for flying. Even still, PAL-V claims the vehicle has a dry weight of just 1,413 pounds.
As far as powertrain is considered, the details are scarce. While in drive mode, the Liberty is rumored to achieve 31 mpg, produce 100 horsepower and top out at 100 mph, according to Car and Driver. While in flying mode, which PAL-V claims takes between five and 10 minutes to convert to, the Liberty supposedly travels at 112 mph, produces 200 horsepower and can operate at a maximum altitude of 11,480 feet. While flying at approximately 87 mph, the Liberty has a maximum range of 310 miles.
So can you just take to the skies whenever you want? Unfortunately not, as the Liberty requires standard aviation qualifications. Owners must have both a driver’s and a pilot’s license to operate the Liberty in its two forms, and also must endure a required pre-flight inspection that lasts between 10 and 15 minutes.
We’d still be awfully surprised to look up in two years to see someone skirting rush hour in some newfangled copter-car, but consider us intrigued nonetheless.
