A friend has a go-to phrase that encapsulates how it feels when youthful hopes of a brave new world are dashed by the reality of the now: I was told there would be flying cars. Oh, there have been plenty, just not ones that are practical or affordable for Joe or Josephine Six-Speed.

Now, swooping in from Slovakia, comes the AirCar prototype vehicle from Nitra-based Klein Vision (www.klein-vision.com). The gravity-defying mode of transport is made possible with lightweight “advanced composites”, and the vehicle recently completed a 35-minute flight from a runway in the company’s hometown to an airport in Bratislava before transforming back into a regular old car to tour the Slovakian capital (See video here).

Alas, as is the case with many of this car’s predecessors, no specific dates for production or prices were available. But hey, at least it runs on regular petrol…