The Flying Car Meets the Olympics

The drone-like SkyDrive will light the Olympic torch in the 2020 Games.

There are plenty of reasons to look forward to the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Surfing, skateboarding, and Taekwondo are on the docket along with the usual baseball, swimming, and track and field events. One more item sure to build excitement—a flying car being readied to light the Olympic Torch that kicks off the games.

According to an article on Futurism.com, Toyota is working with a startup called Cartivator on something they’re calling the SkyDrive flying car. The car, which the article characterizes as drone-like, measures 9.5 feet and is designed to travel at maximum speeds of up to 62mph with an ability to rise up to 33 feet above the ground, the article said. The drone-like car is being designed so a non-pilot can control it and it can take off from a regular highway as opposed to a formal runway, the article said.

Toyota’s partner, Cartivator, is staffed by about 30 volunteers led by drone expert Masafumi Miwa, who hails from Tokushima University. Toyota is also putting its vast resources on the project, including access to many of the automotive giant’s mechanical engineers along with $353,000 in funding. There’s also a healthy crowdfunding resource providing backing for the project.

The team is scrambling to get SkyDrive in the air by next year and commercialized in time to be the torchbearer for the 2020 games.

Let the games begin.