The 2012 New York International Auto Show is flourished by monuments of eye-pleasing luxury cars and brand new concept models, but the one who could steal the show this year may a $279,000 funky looking two-seater that can move no faster than 70 mph on the ground. The one merit this car has that no one else does is the ability to “fly”.
A Woburn, Mass.-based company Terrafugia is known for making the “flying car” Transition® Roadable Aircraft. The Transition has four wheels and foldable wings, which allows the riders to drive on the ground as well as fly in the sky.
This year, the company decided to showcase their flying product in an auto show.
“Everyone has a dream of a flying car,” said the vice president of sales for Terrafugia Cliff Allen prior to the show.
“People in Times Square didn’t know one actually existed. This is the first time they were seeing one,” Allen added.
The company, whose name means “escape the earth” in Latin, has attracted interests from the aviation community, but it was relatively unknown in outside of the aviation world.
Anna Mracek Dietric, COO of Terrafugia, explained that the NY event will be the venue to show the “first practical street-legal airplane to the world while meeting the people who will be part of its commercial success in the years to come.”
This year’s auto show in New York commenced Friday, April 6 and continues until April 15. Being one of the most prestigious auto shows in the country, the event is a debut display for many vehicles from all around the world.
Show Director Alan Liebensohn said he is “thrilled” to have the flying car at this year.
“The Transition® is a truly unique vehicle that represents an enormous step forward in how we view personal transportation and individual freedom. We know it will be a huge crowd pleaser,” said Liebensohn.
The price tag of Transmission is at $279,000 and people can pre-order. Usually a down payment of $10,000 is required, but the special auto show discount asks for only $2,500 down payment.
According to the company’s statement, the first product is planning to be delivered within the next year. Recently, Transition has completed a first successful flight at Plattsburg, NY on March 23, flying 8 minutes while reaching the altitude of 1,400 feet above the ground.
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