Police pulled over the Aska 5 flying car on its way to Monterey Car Week. The officers simply had no idea what they were dealing with and had to check why it was wearing a motorcycle license plate.
It is not every day that you get to see a flying car just driving like any regular car out there, on the road, alongside Toyotas, BMWs, or Lamborghinis. So a freaking-looking vehicle with folding wings, roaming the roads of California, was surely a sight that shocked police officers. They turned the flashing red and blue lights on and asked the driver to pull the vehicle over. Surprising for them, Supercar Blondie herself was behind the wheel, learning how to drive it. Not fly it, though. Otherwise, pulling over a flying car mid-air would have gotten a bit complicated.
CEO and co-found Guy Kaplinsky told Alex Hirschi, the Supercar Blondie channel owner, that the vehicle is road-legal, so it can drive wherever space allows it. And regulatory approval, too. The Aska 5, still a pre-production prototype, is capable of both vertical and traditional takeoff.
The police stopped the flying car not only because it looked strange, but also because it was wearing a motorcycle license plate. The Aska team had to explain to the police officers that the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) had classified it as a motorcycle. That is what they do when it comes to unconventional four-wheel vehicles. They label it as four-wheel motorcycles, the Aska reps explained.
The model doesn't exactly look like a car, either. During the Supercar Blondie footage, the flying car passes by a Lamborghini Urus, and it is obvious that it towers over the super-SUV. So there was no way it could keep a low profile on public roads. This particular prototype was completed in December 20222. The cabin is still very basic for the moment. But Aska is planning to build one of luxury. "Basically the same as Rolly-Royce," they claim.
The Aska flying car sports six independent propellers, with four of them being able to rotate from vertical to horizontal orientation. There are also a gasoline engine and a 100-kWh battery pack, plus an electric motor for each of the wheels, all integrated into a hybrid system that controls flying movements. They take it to an air speed of 150 mph (241 kph) and provide it with a flight range of 250 miles (402 kilometers) and a cruising speed of 150 miles (241 kilometers).
It takes one minute for the Aska 5 to switch from flying to driving configuration, folding the large aerodynamic wings over the fuselage. The flying car can seat four (one pilot and three passengers) and sports a ballistic parachute, just in case.
The Northern California-based company claims they have already received $50 million worth of pre-orders, which translates to 100 prospective buyers. The model should have its market launch in 2026, with pricing starting at $789,000. The company is planning to slash prices when launching the second and third editions of the flying car. The model is mainly designed for companies willing to use these vehicles as rentals or taxis.
Aska exhibited the prototype at Monterey Car Week. Fifty experts have worked on it for the past six years. The prototype has recently received a certificate of authorization and a special airworthiness certification from the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration).
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