Flying cars to transport passengers between cities, cutting-edge technology?

Slovakia-based Klein Vision claims the AirCar – the world’s first mass-produced flying car – will go on sale in early 2026. Styled like a sports coupe, the bizarre hybrid has four wheels and two wings, accelerating down the runway before taking off into the air.

The two-seater AirCar can deploy its wings in less than two minutes for takeoff, then fold them back up when it lands. Klein Vision founder Stefan Klein said the AirCar has “realized his lifelong dream” of bringing personal aviation to the masses.

“With the launch of our production-ready prototype, we are taking another step towards changing the way the world moves – combining the road and the sky into a new form of personal mobility,” said Stefan Klein. Klein Vision expects the car to hit the shelves in Q1 2026, but it certainly won’t come cheap.

A company spokesperson told MailOnline that the car will start at $800,000 (£660,000) and could cost as much as $1 million (£750,000) depending on the configuration. For example, buyers can choose from a 280, 320 or 340 horsepower engine.

Following successful test flights , Klein Vision says the latest version – the AirCar 2 – is currently being developed and tested. New promotional images show what the AirCar 2 could look like when it makes its first flight in September.

The AirCar requires about 300m of runway to take off, can reach a top speed of 124 mph (about 200 km/h) on the ground and a steady cruising speed of 155 mph (250 km/h). The car uses regular gasoline fuel, can carry 2 people and fly at a maximum altitude of 18,000 feet (about 5,500m).

While it currently uses gasoline, the AirCar will switch to electric power once the battery’s energy density reaches a sufficient level, Klein Vision co-founder Anton Zajac told The Next Web. The AirCar will be suitable for personal recreational trips or an Uber-style aerial taxi service, according to the developer.

With the push of a button, the pilot can deploy the wings for takeoff in just two minutes, then fold them back into the body of the car upon landing. The first AirCar prototype has completed more than 170 flight hours and more than 500 takeoffs and landings by 2021.

In 2022, the Slovak Transport Authority granted the AirCar a certificate of airworthiness after 70 hours of testing and more than 200 flights, according to Flight Global. Last year, Klein Vision made its first passenger flight with French musician Jean-Michel Jarre as passenger.

In this unique hybrid vehicle, Jarre and the pilot flew more than 3km in 10 minutes at Piešťany airport in Slovakia. "One second you are talking to the driver, the next you are flying in the air – it's an amazing experience," Jarre shared.

Also last year, former Top Gear host James May visited Klein Vision and saw the AirCar on display at an international airport in Slovakia. “The AirCar has landed,” the famous presenter exclaimed excitedly. “It’s rare for me to be speechless, but this time I’m really speechless!”