"Don’t think of it as a car that flies. Think of it as a plane that drives."

For one thing, Terrafugia claims the four-seater could get airborne from a level clearing of as little as 100 feet, rotating its twin wing-mounted propeller motors to a vertical position. Airborne, they would rotate back to a conventional, forward position – much like the bigger Osprey flown by the U.S. military.

Once in the air, the TF-X is envisioned capable of reaching 200 mph and delivering a full 500 miles of range – plus reserves – enough for a quick jaunt from Washington, D.C., to Boston, or from Los Angeles to San Francisco.

The craft could be flown manually by a licensed pilot, or essentially flown on an advanced autopilot system requiring only minimal training. The computer network it would plug into, Terrafugia claims, would automatically sidestep crowded air lanes, as well as bad weather, and could land the craft even if the pilot were to become incapacitated. Should a more serious problem occur, the TF-X is outfitted with its own parachute.