A group of daredevils set sail on the ultimate magical childhood dream adventure today, traveling in a flying car for a 42 day journey from London to Timbuktu — a place that's had a mystical, "middle of nowhere" reputation for decades. The 'Parajet Skycar' can change from ground to flying mode in a mere 3 minutes, and will make the epic 3,600-mile (5,800-kilometer) journey by both land and air.The “world’s first road legal bio-fuelled flying car” is essentially a 1,000lb (480 kilo) dune buggy with a fan motor and paragliding wing attached. It can reach altitudes of up to 15,000 feet (4,570 meters), with a normal cruising height of 2,000 to 3,000 feet (600 to 900 meters), and a flight range of 185 miles (300 kilometers).
Skycar runs on the ground on a biofuel-powered 4-cylinder, 1,000cc engine, accelerating from zero to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds flat, has a top speed of 110 mph (180 km/h), with a range of 240 miles (306 kilometers), and an independent 4-wheel suspension to cope with the toughest terrain.
A special nylon wing is unpacked from the trunk before unfurling the parachute on the ground to the rear and takes barely 3 minutes to convert into an aircraft.
Its powerful rear fan’s thrust propels the buggy forward and provides enough lift for the “ParaWing” to take off at just 45 mph (70 km/h), from any “airstrip” longer than 650 feet (200 meters), and once in the air it can fly at speeds of up to around 70 mph (110 km/h), cruising at 600-900 meters with a paraglider-style canopy holding it aloft.
Once airborne, the driver uses pedals in the zero-carbon vehicle’s foot well to steer it by tugging cables that change the wing’s shape. Should something go wrong, the pilot can launch an emergency parachute, which should allow the buggy to safely drift gently back to ground, the descent slowed by the wing.
The 2-seater Skycar was designed by engineer and inventor Giles Cardozo, from Dorset, in just 18 months.
Led by pilot Neil Laughton from West Sussex who served in the SAS, the team took off in the vehicle that can “drive like a car” and “fly like a plane” from Knightsbridge, London to begin its journey. 
The expedition will travel through France, Spain, Morocco, Western Sahara and the desert city of Timbuktu in Mali, with plans to drive the Skycar where there are roads, and fly over the Straits of Gibraltar, the Atlas mountains in Morocco and the trackless wastes of the Empty Quarter of the Sahara.
Their goal is to reach Timbuktu on February 20th, with a supporting group of up to 13 people following on the ground in all-terrain vehicles and motorbikes.
“Clearly the reliability of the car is crucial. We’re going to have to cope with wind chill temperatures as low as -30C (-22F) and blistering heat up to 50C (122F). But it’s been fully tested at a secret location and it 100% works.”Laughton said he was particularly looking forward to visiting villages in West Africa.
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