Flying cars have long existed in the realm of science fiction, occupying a space in the popular imagination that is both retro-futuristic and still unrealized. Indeed, it would seem many of the futurists of the rocket age got this prediction badly wrong as motorists are still earthbound and running on four wheels.
But what if these speculative theorists weren’t wrong, but merely off by a few decades?
A future sky filled with flying cars may not be too far off from becoming a reality if Porsche Sales Chief Detlev von Platen’s recent statements to German enthusiast and industry magazine Automobilwoche are any indication of the car company’s future plans.
Porsche is the German sports car division of the larger Volkswagen Group, a collection of brands that participate in nearly every automobile market in the world. Long known for their 911 sports cars and the popular Cayenne SUV, Porsche has morphed over the past decade from a purely motorsports-oriented make to a broader luxury marquee, joining corporate sibling Audi and the likes of rivals Mercedes-Benz and BMW in the competition for the luxury car market.
“That would really make sense. If I drive from (the Porsche plant in) Zuffenhausen to Stuttgart airport, I need at least half an hour, if I’m lucky. Flying would take only three and a half minutes,” von Platen told Automobilwoche.
