A flying car might light the torch at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo — if it doesn’t crash and burn first.
Cartivator, a Japanese startup backed by Toyota, tested its flying car prototype in the Aichi prefecture of Japan on Saturday, the company said in a statement. And although the group intends for the vehicle to light the Olympic torch in 2020, according to The Associated Press, video of the test proves the Sky Drive still has a long ways to go.
Clearly, the startup’s lofty aspirations aren’t off to a flying start. Cartivator conducted a few additional tests for the vehicle, but the trial eventually was halted after the Sky Drive suffered damages to its propellers, according to the AP.
Still, with the help of a reported 42.5 million yen ($386,000) courtesy Toyota, the group plans to have its first manned flight in 2019.
“I always loved planes and cars,” Tsubasa Nakamurahe, the project’s leader, told the AP. “And my longtime dream was to have a personal vehicle that can fly and go many places.”
Considering the vehicle reportedly never reached higher than eye level during testing, it might be a while before it can go “many places,” let alone the top of an Olympic stadium. In its current state, Sky Drive doesn’t hold a candle to other flying vehicle concepts.
