In this year’s Best of the Best, we continue to honour the brands and people who have continued to create covetable products, even in the midst of a global pandemic. Here we have AeroMobil’s AM4 win ‘best flying car’ in the wings and water category
AeroMobil’s AM4 has the sleekest design and highest price tag of the top ‘roadable flying machines’. A two-seater that transforms from car to plane in under three minutes, the AM4 is heading for the first deliveries in 2023. The company says the fourth-generation vehicle is the result of over 300,000 hours of engineering and design and has completed 10,000-plus hours of flight testing. Its main rival, the Dutch PAL-V Liberty, is a tilting three-wheeler in ground mode, which has already won certification for road use. As a gyroplane, the PAL-V will require an additional flying licence and a driving licence.
The Slovakian AeroMobil, by contrast, has four wheels and is pitting the AM4’s style against sports cars from makers such as Aston Martin and Ferrari, with features like upward-hinging doors that reflect automotive’s racier end. But no Ferrari carries a ballistic parachute or has wings that swing forward for flight. The hybrid engine clocks statistics that include a cruising speed of 257km/h in the air and 161km/h on the road and, with one pilot, a range of 740km in the sky and 515km on land.
