While some automakers are focusing on developing fully electric and self-driving cars, others are trying to turn the fantasy of flying cars into a reality in the not-too-distant future. Airbus and Italdesign have unveiled the flying Pop.Up concept, and Uber is planning to unleash a flying taxi service in Dallas and Dubai in 2020. Toyota has also placed an investment in Cartivator to create a flying car that will light up the Olympic torch in 2020. Now, Oregon-based company Samson Motors is joining the flying car bandwagon with the announcement of the Switchblade.

Due to take off in spring 2018, Samson is claiming that the Switchblade is the world's first flying sports car. Powering the two-seater, three-wheeled Samson Switchblade is a 190-hp, 1.6 liter V4 engine that drives a rear propeller. In the air, the Switchblade can cruise at an altitude of 13,000 feet and achieve a 200 mph top speed and 450-mile range. While in flight, it's 6.3 meters long and 8.2 meters wide, while retracting the tail and folding in the wings bring it down to 5.1 meters long and 1.8 meters wide for ground use. On the ground, the Switchblade can reach a top speed of over 100 mph while a five-speed transmission drives the wheels.

A full driving licence is required to operate the Switchblade on the roads and a private pilot's licence is required to fly it. Standard equipment includes a premium sound system with MP3 compatibility, a reversing camera, a digital instrument display and leather seats, while safety kit includes road-going roll-over protection and a vehicle parachute. The first public flight for the Switchblade is scheduled for next year before customer deliveries start before the end of 2018. It's expected to retail for $120,000, but there's a caveat – you have to build it yourself, unless you opt for Samson's building assist program for an extra $20,000.