This Could Be the Flying Car We've Always Been Promised

Looking around at all the technology that surrounds us, it is hard not to think that the future some imagined decades ago is finally here. We are wireless, automated, and connected in ways that were never before possible. But many on the Internet still have one nagging complaint: We were promised flying cars.They are popular in science-fiction stories, but the creator of the Aeromobil wants to make it a reality. The Slovakian company's prototype, Aeromobil 2.5, really works. On the road, it can do 99 mph. If you are in a rush,though, or you just want some altitude, you can extend the wings, and once you hit 90 mph, take off into the sky, reaching top speeds of 123 miles. With a full tank of gas, the car can even fly like this for 430 miles.

The vehicle debuted at AeroTech, an air show in Montreal. It immediately got attention from those fantasizing about beating the morning rush by cruising over the bottlenecks. Alas, though, there are no plans to mass-produce the 2.5, owing to legal and practical problems with adding hundreds or thousands of flying cars to the sky.

And it got us thinking, what are some futuristic advances in travel happening now? Here are some examples of what it could hold, ranging from practical, to insane.

First, let's look beyond the sky, into the stratosphere. That is where a couple of companies want to send adventurous travellers, and soon.

There's also the solar plane, which just became the first to fly around the world.

And this one is insane, but if Elon Musk is to be believed, possible: the Hyperloop.