Behold Mansory's vision for a flying supercar

Of course this is a concept – we don’t even think it exists outside of the virtual world yet – and is simply a visual exploration of how Mansory can bestow its inimitable aesthetic on a flying supercar of the future. Naturally, the result is the sort of thing you could imagine the villain of a Bladerunner movie driving.

It’s the  typical supercar wedge – there’s something of an Enzo-esque shape hidden in that silhouette – festooned with fins, inlets, outlets, lights, carbon gills and other associated accoutrement. Of course, the rear wheels – yes there are wheels for road driving – are fared in, while the car quite literally does have wings because, well, it needs to fly. Or at least, we need to be able to look at it and half believe it could fly.

Now, has any work been done to investigate how this thing would actually leave terra firma? Of course not. Has any thought gone into how it’s to pass through the air? Not a bit of it. That’s an interesting conflict of interest, actually. If you think about it, Mansory and any aircraft are in ways directly ideologically opposed.

Airborne vehicles aren’t objects of style for style’s sake – have you ever heard of canards and spoilers fitted to a Boeing purely for visual impact? By contrast, superfluous bodywork is Mansory’s bread and butter. That one might be difficult to reconcile in the wind tunnel.

The truth is that Mansory hasn’t actually put a lot of thought into this thing. It’s a demonstrator, an object of shock impact and a statement of intent. That statement is that come what may, Mansory will be there for the terminally extroverted in the future, to assist in the mutation of personal premium transport beyond all recognition and conventional taste.

“What will it [the car] look like in the future? How will it be powered and how will it travel? What will be fundamentally new?” the company’s release reads.

“No one can say for sure at the moment – but one thing is already certain: there will always be cars and the desire for customised refinement from a renowned manufacturer.

“And how will it travel one day? The future will show us that too. Mansory was founded in 1989 and has built many breathtaking, extraordinary vehicles for over 30 years, delighting its customers all over the world and surprising them time and again. And this will continue to be the case in the future... whatever it may look like.”