The hovercraft concept is not a new one, having floated drivers across land, sand and water since the 1950s.
But 70 years on, now petrol heads finally have a reason to celebrate the vehicle, because what has been billed as the world’s first ever luxury sports hovercraft is set to go on sale for $100,000 (£73,400).
It may not be as quick as a supercar, with a top speed of around 60mph and 120 miles of range at 40 mph, but it’s the fastest amphibious vehicle yet.
And unlike a Ferrari, McLaren or Bugatti, this exciting new roadster travels on a cushion of air seven inches off the ground, allowing drivers to whizz across water and giving new meaning to the term off-road vehicle.
Designed by the firm Von Mercier, which is named after British engineer and founder Michael Mercier, the Arosa is said to ‘blend cutting-edge hovercraft and electric vehicle innovation’.
Innovative: What has been billed as the world’s first ever luxury sports hovercraft is set to go on sale for $100,000 (£73,400)
It may not be as quick as a supercar, with a top speed of around 60mph and 120 miles of range at 40 mph, but it’s the fastest amphibious vehicle yet
And unlike a Ferrari, McLaren or Bugatti, this exciting new roadster travels on a cushion of air seven inches off the ground, allowing drivers to whizz across water and giving new meaning to the term off-road vehicle
It has an open cockpit with a tandem seating arrangement like a fighter jet, hidden rear wheels and a digital dashboard.
The vehicle also features a hybrid-electric powertrain consisting of a petrol engine which powers three electric motors, while a buffer battery stores electricity for shorter bursts of speed.
It may look like it has giant wheel rims but those are actually rotors for the fan ducts — and are part of a system that VonMercier says will make the Arosa ‘the most maneuverable personal hovercraft in the world.’
Hovercrafts are notorious for being uncontrollable at times, but Von Mercier’s advanced directional control system promises superior maneuverability.
This allows the driver to stop, turn, reverse, and go forward with ease.
The Arosa also has side decks like a boat so that more people can be brought along for a ride in the hovercraft.
Von Mercier is making 50 models of its Arosa to begin with and is hoping to have them on sale by the summer.
Some 180 customers have so far ‘expressed willingness to buy the Arosa.’
Although it is priced from $100,000 (£73,400), the cost can rise if custom paint jobs, bespoke wood selections, fabrics or infotainment gear is requested.
As hovercrafts are typically classified as boats, the Arosa cannot legally be driven on public roads.
However, to begin with the company sees its creation as more of an attraction to big yacht owners who can pop onshore with their Arosa.
It has an open cockpit with a tandem seating arrangement like a fighter jet, hidden rear wheels and a digital dashboard
Designed by the firm Von Mercier, which is named after British engineer and founder Michael Mercier, the Arosa is said to ‘blend cutting-edge hovercraft and electric vehicle innovation’
The vehicle also features a hybrid-electric powertrain consisting of a petrol engine which powers three electric motors, while a buffer battery stores electricity for shorter bursts of speed
On its website, it writes: ‘VonMercier blends cutting-edge hovercraft and electric vehicle innovation with luxury, high-performance technology.
‘The result is the world’s first luxury sports hovercraft.’
VonMercier adds: ‘The Arosa sports hovercraft is an amphibious vehicle that can travel over land, water and a variety of terrain in between.
‘It does this by traveling on a cushion of air and essentially flying right above the surface.
‘The air cushion is suspended inside a flexible reinforced fabric skirt which helps compensate for changes in terrain and gives clearance for obstacles.’
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Trips in the craft will likely end up costing travellers around £5 to £10 per mile travelled – between that of a helicopter and a private car. Concept image shows a Virgin-branded aircraft, built by Vertical Aerospace, flying over London
A Virgin Atlantic fleet of flying cars that could reduce the travel time of short-haul journeys by more than two thirds is set to roll out in the UK by 2024, it has been revealed.
Vertical Aerospace, a Bristol-based firm, is working towards building the fleet of electrically powered vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, as part of a £2.8 billion ($4 billion) project.
Virgin Atlantic will purchase up to 150 of the aircraft, called VA-X4, to deliver a Virgin Atlantic branded short haul network around some of the UK’s busiest cities.
According to Vertical Aerospace, trips in the craft will likely end up costing travellers around £5 to £10 per mile travelled – between that of a helicopter and a private car – which they could book using an app.
Vertical Aerospace and Virgin Atlantic will seek to establish short haul, electric aircraft connectivity between UK cities and airport hubs starting with London Heathrow, Manchester and London Gatwick.
For example, reducing the 56-mile journey from Cambridge to London Heathrow to just 22 minutes, in comparison to a one hour 30 minute drive by road.
Read more: Virgin Atlantic and Rolls-Royce back £3 BILLION flying car rollout