Cadillac announces flying vehicle

[Chuck Swanson]

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-tech-ces-general-motors-flying-car/look-up-in-the-sky-its-a-flying-cadillac-gm-unveils-futuristic-vehicle-idUSKBN29H2NC
Chuck

[J. Skelly]

It's about time for this!  I've been waiting impatiently since The Jetsons in 1962.

[59-in-pieces]

I want one - NOW.

No, not the toaster - the one that can fly.
May need some after-burners for the more full figured enthusiasts - as myself.

Have fun,
Steve B.

[Abe Lugo]

Unfortunately it looks like vehicles for prison to prison travel. 
We can’t get our house in order.  Flying cars are the largest thing on list. 

Where the Cadillac styling?

Then need to make some really nice electric vehicles before diving into this. 

It seems this is a fad like all the self driving cars of 5 years ago.  A lot of those investors are moving on seeing that self driving is taking longer than planned.

[cadillac ken]

My guess is the "suits" in charge of such things will deem this a liability nightmare.  It'll never get off the ground. 

PR project like the old Motorama cars used to be.

[StevenTuck]

It's a CONCEPT. It was never intended to go into production. It is out there to test the waters and see how much interest there might be in this mode of transportation. There was a time before cars, trains, planes and helicopters. Inventors presented their ideas to the public in much the same way, sans today's technological messaging. We all have thought about flying cars or seen movies about the future. Now Cadillac shows us it is possible.

[R S Steven]

My wife wants to know if there will be a kit that can be retro fitted to make her 59 Coupe fly.

[bcroe]

Nearly a century ago, Henry Ford pursued the idea of a cheap airplane for
all like his model T.  After the chief developer was killed in the work, Ford
dropped the idea. 

The general public is only marginally able to safely handle cars, aircraft NO. 
Bruce Roe

[TJ Hopland]

Isn't the new ever delayed version of the Tesla Roadster supposed to have some sort of thrusters sourced from SpaceX on it?   There has been lots of talk about em since Elon 'leaked' that info but I have never heard what they were supposed to actually do.    Its not like that car needs to be able to go any faster.    Maybe its like that 5th wheel spare tire parking deal that lets the car move sideways for parking?

[Big Apple Caddy]

Back in the mid-1950s, U.S. auto executives were predicting that the industry would be building family vehicles for space travel and trips to the moon within 50 years.  Anyone take their Cadillac to the moon yet?  For a few spins around the earth?

[D.Yaros]

Well, at least (for now) it looks different than any other vehicle on the road; which is far more than one can say about the present-day offerings from Cadillac!

[jaxops]

Your money will "FLY" out of your wallet!

[cadillac ken]

And where and how do you park it?  Like to see it navigate a parking garage.  How about the drive through at the bank. I could go on, but I won't. 

[Cadman-iac]

How about the drive through at the bank. I could go on, but I won't. 

 Lol, that's when banks will begin installing rooftop ATM's.

[Ralph Messina CLC 4937]

I have great respect for dreamers, innovators and futurists who forge progress.

I have a 1960 issue of Motor Trend that predicted flying cars by 1970. So far we’ve gotten twaddle on Twitter and that freakin’  Facebook.

There are safety concerns about the public’s driving ability. Have you seen people walking down the street, so fixated by their phones, that they bump into other pedestrians and light poles, not to mention stepping into traffic? Do we really trust them with six degrees of freedom to crash into anything at any altitude?

If I’m wrong, make mine a “Flightwood” with optional cloaking device to avoid speeding tickets.

[Joe G 12138]

Actually, GM's been working on this for years. In 1956, Chuck Berry had a Brand new AirMobile; It was a custom-made Flight De Ville. It had a powerful motor, and Highway wings".      "You can't catch me" 1956   I'll try putting up a link to a video.     Joe Gibeault            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jKrHzps0XM

[59-in-pieces]

Dave,
You are spot on.
If GM wants to excel - they know how to design - so loosen their grip - turn their designers loose.
BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME - Gr8 design, never fails - and it fuels imagination, desire, and sales.
I WANT ONE - could be the new tag line for GM.

Have fun,
Steve B.

[Big Apple Caddy]

Well, at least (for now) it looks different than any other vehicle on the road; which is far more than one can say about the present-day offerings from Cadillac!

People, especially older generations and classic car enthusiasts, have been complaining that modern cars of their time "looked too much alike" and/or "lacked style" for ages and have largely had disdain for modern cars of their time for ages.  These sentiments have been expressed generation after generation after generation.  It's nothing new to today's times or today's cars.

I think if the original classic car enthusiasts had their way, we'd all still be driving cars like the (Ford) Model T and Model A instead of cars more like the (Tesla) Model 3 and Model S -- or the Cadillac CT5 and XT6 or upcoming Lyriq and Celestiq (to keep the topic at least somewhat Cadillac-focused).

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

People, especially older generations and classic car enthusiasts, have been complaining that modern cars of their time "looked too much alike" and/or "lacked style" for ages and have largely had disdain for modern cars of their time for ages.  These sentiments have been expressed generation after generation after generation.  It's nothing new to today's times or today's cars.   

The only way to get makers to build cars with style, flair and general good looks is to get rid of the Computer equasion in the designing, and get back to human input.

When a computer is fed the Federal Government requirements, i.e fuel consumption, crashability, occupant protectiveability, size and wind resistances, etc, then the computer is going to spit out virtually identical designs.

The Stylists can't add odds and ends, as these will mostly not be allowed because of safety concerns, especially for pedestrians.

What i would like to know is how are these flying cars going to deal with pedestrian involvement or parking?   At the moment, anything flying has to have a clear area to land/take off, without hitting anything.

Fly a winged vehicle to a friends house, and find out that the "plane park" is full, and the closest landing spot is three miles away.   By the time you got there, to enjoy the dinner, it would all be over.   Oh, and refuelling would be a killer as there would be no gas station at the emergency area.   And speaking of that, when a flying car breaks down, and manages to get safely on the ground, who is there to tow it to the dealer?

Bruce.

[Big Apple Caddy]

What i would like to know is how are these flying cars going to deal with pedestrian involvement or parking?   At the moment, anything flying has to have a clear area to land/take off, without hitting anything.

Fly a winged vehicle to a friends house, and find out that the "plane park" is full, and the closest landing spot is three miles away.   By the time you got there, to enjoy the dinner, it would all be over.   Oh, and refuelling would be a killer as there would be no gas station at the emergency area.   And speaking of that, when a flying car breaks down, and manages to get safely on the ground, who is there to tow it to the dealer?

Based on today's aviation and safety technologies, infrastructure, etc. it doesn't seem likely that flying cars would ever see any sort of widespread use but who knows what the future holds.  It's civilian and commercial drone regulations, safety, and security issues that are still having to be worked out now.