In the future of eleven years ago as imagined 37 years ago by the makers of the Back To The Future trilogy, cars can fly. As Doc Brown ominously said at the end of Part I, before embarking to 2015, “Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads.” So shocking was this that upon Marty’s arrival in the future, he didn’t even notice that his girlfriend was no longer Claudia Wells but was instead Elizabeth Shue.
The DeLorean time machine transitions to flight with exceptional elegance, it’s turbine wheels pivoting until parallel with the ground (90 degrees of camber, if you want to get technical) and becoming actual turbines to elevate the machine.
… Or maybe they were gravity-reflectors or something; the tech is never specified, though the film is quite specific about one where one goes to get a formerly land-bound car hover-converted, and what it costs. Just swing by Goldie Wilson III’s Hover Conversions, and he’ll fix you up for $39,999.99. Which seems not bad, really.
As seen in the topshot and below, baddie Griff has had his 1976 BMW 633CSi hover-converted, and the required gizmos are not incorporated into the bodywork at all, unlike the DeLorean. This must be one of the economy $39,999.99 jobs.
There’s also a brief appearance by a hover-Stang. It too is crudely converted integeration-wise, but painting the bits body color helps.
Later in the film, Old Biff takes a ride in a hover cab that is unmistakably a Citroen DS:
Though only on screen for a few seconds, considerable care was taken to determine how it would convert to flight mode while maintaining some of the DS’ suspension flavor. Here’s a full 20 minutes devoted to it, which is where the screen grabs below came from:
Another quickie: the flying Jeep YJ – does David Tracy know about this? – that descends just in time for Marty to escape Griff and his hoverboarding gang. The YJ appears to have no wheel-pivoting system and flies on thrust alone. Or maybe we’re to assume the wheels transitioned from flight mode to road mode before the shot, and we’re just seeing landing thrusters? The important thing is: flying Jeep!
Lots of fun for an Autopian Asks, don’t you think? You’re a Hill Valley resident of 2015 with at least $39,999.99 to spend giving an earthbound car the gift of flight. What cars would you bring to Goldie Wilson III?
Photos and screen grabs: Universal Studios
“Hover-converted Jeeps are the ultimate off-road vehicle”
– BTTF Jalopnik article by David Tracy
NC Miata has a UFO shape to it, especially the earlier NC1 iteration.
1989 Ford Probe. No way the creators of BTTF could see that one coming.
I can’t believe no one said 1986 Winnebago Chieftain. I can’t be the only one who watched Spaceballs.
1959 Cadillac coupe1961-1963 Ford Thunderbird (not just for the rocketship styling, you get so many chances to make Thurderbirds jokes)Any of the Alfa Romeo BAT conceptsChrysler TurbineLamborghini Countach, Diablo or MiuraFerrari TestarossaLancia StratosDe Tomaso PanteraStudebaker AvantiJensen Interceptor
I was gonna say Citroen DS, but it’s already been done.
A flying Toyota Hilux tactical with an autocannon, then?
Hyundai Ioniq 5 would be my choice.
James Bond’s submarine Lotus.
Land-Sea-Air vehicle all in one! The perfect one car garage solution.
first thing that popped into my mind as well!
Kia ioniq 5. seems pretty obvious.
a blue Ford Anglia 105E Deluxe.
… or K.I.T.T.
I will also follow the rule that the car should have been available in 1989, when BTTF2 came out.
In no particular order, I’d have a hard time picking between these contemporary models:
944
Prelude
R129 SL-Class
MR2
Scirocco
205 GTI
And these out-of-production models:
A310
X1/9
SM
S1 Esprit
I think for on-screen presence, the A310 takes it, but I’d personally fly anywhere in a Prelude, its design matches the vibe perfectly.
A chopped-and-channeled 54′ Cadillac with cassette-punk hover conversion greebles all over it just feels right. Goldie Wilson III’s ad actually shows a 50’s car (Edsel?) conversion, so I probably wouldn’t be the first.
Changli Freeman is the only answer.
Aston Martin Lagonda, it lookslike spaceship, even inside. An automated parachute system should be fitted at the same time as the conversion though.
’08 Alfa 8c. Fly in style.
…I have a certain vulpine man in a spaceship on the brain right now. I think maybe a VW sandrail dressed up to resemble an Arwing might be fun. Being light, it probably would be pretty zippy and wouldn’t need the biggest thrusters either.
Yes, I’m aware I’m a dork, thanks for noticing.
And yes, I know about the one car from GTAV.
Wrong movie, but a flying Kia K4 would absolutely look at home in the world of Blade Runner. Or even a regular one.
“This zone is restricted to ground traffic. What are you doing here?”
Ooh man, that DS Taxi. I had the Micro Machines of that as a kid – it speaks so well of the DS’ design that it wears the Memphis Group dressup so perfectly without disappearing into the greebles and patterns.
As for what car I would convert? VW Vanagon. Already looks like a shuttlecraft, let’s make it so.
Or a Honda Goldwing. For various reasons.
A DS flying is an obvious choice. Goddesses are supposed to fly.
A DeLorean is an obvious choice. Not just because of its presence in the movie, but because it’s just so science fictiony it’s kind of on brand.
A Beetle should fly. Beetles fly all the time.
A Honda Helix should fly. Like a DeLorean, they appear to be let down by the mundane reality of wheels.
An Opel GT looks right as a flying car.
Miatas, especially second-gen Miatas, look like they would have a blast as flying cars. They’re tickled pink to be doing anything, anywhere, but flying? Hell yeah.
An Inmotion V14 electric unicycle looks like it ought to fly. It’s just a short step from stepping onto one of those, to strapping rocket boots to your feet.
A SAAB 96, or perhaps a 900 Turbo, ought to fly. Let’s take Born From Jets to the next logical step, Crossbred With Jets.
A Checker Cab ought to fly. I want to be ready when Leeloo needs a Multipass.
I am ABSOLUTELY getting a flying Subaru SVX. It already looks like a fighter jet!
Or maybe an XT Coupe. That would also be super cool.
Well, is this 2015 as viewed from 1985 (so looking at 1980s cars dressed up to look futuristic), or reality 2015?
If 1980s cars in 2015, I’d say a 1985 Toyota Supra would look pretty cool, also a Mercedes W123 wagon or any Volvo wagon would look great hovering.
If looking at reality 2015, I’m sure there would be plenty of Escalades and 4Runners with them, but I’d like to see a real “Flyin’ Miata” (2015 would be NC, but I’d fudge and vote for an ND RF).
A firebird of any sort. It can actually be a flying screaming chicken phoenix now.
I was going to say third gen IROC… Fits the them well and what could be more bitchin?
I’d pick a Lancia 037. It can already fly, but with this it could fly even further.
A Lancia 037 or Delta Integrale were my first thoughts too.
Take your pick of any 80’s mid-engine car. A Fiero may be a good candidate for this.
Flying doorstop.
Ooh 1st gen MR2.
That would be cool.
Citroen DS was going to be my first choice, but this article already did that.
So, going to go with an Aptera 2e.
An Aptera can’t possibly fly, its name literally means “wingless.”
🙂
It looks like a sperm on wheels. Maybe it could swim?
I’m a fan of puns and irony.
The Aptera’s a good choice, because flying cars will be available when it finally comes to market! (crying on the inside)