Aston Martin Db9 Volante Morning Frost White/sahara Tan Interior on 2040-cars

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Everybody's doing flying cars, so why aren't we soaring over traffic already?

"Where's my flying car?" has been the meme for impending technology that never materializes since before there were memes. And the trough of disillusionment for vehicles that can take to sky continues to nosedive, despite a nonstop fascination with flying cars and a recent rash of announcements about the technology, particularly from traditional automakers. Earlier this month, Toyota applied for an eye-popping patent for a flying car that has wheels with spring-loaded pop-out helicopter rotors. The patent filing says the wheels/rotors would be electrically powered, while in on-land mode the vehicle would have differential steering like tracked vehicles such as tanks and bulldozers. At an airshow in July, Aston Martin unveiled its Volante Vision Concept, an autonomous hybrid-electric vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) vehicle it developed with Rolls-Royce. Aston says the Volante can fly at top speeds of around 200 mph and bills it as a luxury car for the skies. Audi used the Geneva Motor Show in March to unveil a flying car concept called the Pop.Up Next it developed with Airbus and Italdesign. If the Pop.Up Next, an electric and autonomous quadcopter/city car combo, gets stuck in traffic, an app can be used to summon an Airbus-developed drone to pick up the passenger compartment pod, leaving the chassis behind. Audi said that the Pop.Up Next is a "flexible on-demand concept that could open up mobility in the third dimension to people in cities." But Audi also acknowledged that at this point it has no plans to develop it. The cash-stoked, skies-the-limit Silicon Valley tech crowd is also bullish on flying cars. The startup Kitty Hawk that's backed by Google co-founder Larry Page announced in June that it's taking pre-orders for its single-seat electric Flyer that's powered by 10 propellers and is capable of vertical takeoffs and landings. The current version can only fly up to 20 mph and 10 feet in the air and has a flight time of just 12 to 20 minutes on a full charge. The Flyer is considered a recreational vehicle, so doesn't require a pilot's license. Uber says it plans to launch its more ambitious Elevate program and UberAIR service in 2023. "Uber customers will be able to push a button and get a flight on-demand with uberAIR in Dallas, Los Angeles and a third international market," Uber Elevate promises on its website.

Aston Martin Brough Superior AMB 001 starts testing, shows off new color

Aston Martin announced last fall it would be dipping a toe into the motorcycle world with the help of bike builder Brough Superior. The first bike is the AMB 001, and it's finally undergoing track testing and development. The turbocharged 180-horsepower motorcycle is shown on video powering around a race track. It offers a good look at the bike's double-wishbone girder-style front end in action, a signature of Brough Superior bikes. Aston Martin Brough Superior AMB 001 View 5 Photos Besides a look at the bike on track, the two companies showed a version of the bike with dark red tinted carbon fiber panels. It also has some spiffy red brake disc spokes. We also get a close look at the instrument display, which actually appears to be on a smartphone that fits in a slot on the tank. Not many other details have been revealed. The companies announced they would only build 100 examples of the AMB 001. Each one will cost 108,000 Euros — or just shy of $120,000 — and they'll be delivered at the end of the year. Related Video:

TAG Heuer and Aston Martin drop special edition DBS Superleggera

Look the race-spec Aston Martin Vantage GT3 dead in the eyes, and there's a good chance that, at least for a subconscious second, the brain is going to redirect to watches. Watches and high-end cars are a long-standing natural fit. Craftsmanship, quality, precision, attention to detail, etc., make for an easy pairing, and prolific watch advertising in motorsport helps cement the connection. The most often result of such teams is a special-edition watch, but TAG Heuer and Aston Martin wanted to do more on the heels of their partnership announced in fall 2018. The deal is not solely for the track, however, as the two have announced the limited-run Aston Martin DBS Superleggera TAG Heuer Edition, which will come with a unique watch. The details are limited, but Aston Martin did drop a few photos of what the car will look like. As all examples are a fixed specification, every car will feature a Monaco Black paint job with carbon fiber aero pieces. Red accents, such as Pirelli color edition tires that match red brake calipers add a bit of flare. The guts match the skin, as red stitching, red piping, and red bits are seen throughout the black cabin. Triangular quilting is seen on the seats, the center armrest, and the door panels, and TAG Heuer logos embroidered into the seatbacks. Aston Martin did not release cost for the special-edition ride, but it will surely be pricey. Only 50 examples will be built. We also haven't seen what the watch itself will look like, but we've asked Aston Martin about it and will update this post when we hear more about it.