the closest thing youll see to a flying car

Subject: the closest thing youll see to a flying car Thu May 29, 2008 5:19 pm

And only $30,000!
Aptera's 3-wheeler looks as if it could soar

Wednesday, April 16, 2008
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An airplane-inspired car that costs $10,000 less than a basic Volvo and gets 300 miles per gallon? Not quite yet, but San Diego robot builder Steve Fambro may be onto something with the Aptera ("wingless" in Greek) vehicle, which he built out of an airplane kit (his wife thought it too dangerous to fly, so he didn't put the wings on).

The three-wheeled, 1,500-pound prototype has 2 1/2 seats, and when the vehicle goes into production in October, Fambro expects that it will have an acceleration rate of zero to 60 mph in 11 seconds (a second slower than the Prius) and retail for less than $30,000. The Aptera will come in two versions: an all-electric that is expected to go 120 miles on a charge and a hybrid that will have a 600-mile range on a full charge and full tank.

Unlike other three-wheeled cars that are technically motorcycles (thus skirting a lot of safety criteria), the Aptera's airplane-wide wheel base makes it stable. The fiberglass shell is reinforced with steel and aluminum, and there will be air bags in the seat belts.

What's not to like, unless, of course, you're the passenger in the half seat.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/16/HOP1103V8S.DTL

cool! i want one!lol

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