FAST BEAUTIES: DREAM CARS, BOATS & PLANES

Got a fantasy wheels, wings, and water gift list? Wish there was something fast and fabulous that could carry you away in super-sleek style? We threw practicality out the window, took a devil-may-care attitude, and went (window) shopping to see what might make your heart beat a bit faster.

A plane that’s also a car? A car that’s also a plane? A supersonic jet? A diamond-covered yacht? A titanium supercar?  If they all sound like the stuff movies are made of, it’s true. But you could have them too, IRL. Either way, they could make Christmas, Chanukah, birthdays, whatever holidays you’re celebrating a lot more fun!

You don’t need to be James Bond or a royal, but you do need to be fairly flush, for sure. And some aren’t quite ready for delivery yet, but you can place orders!

Whether you’re ready to make one of these your own, give one as a megawatt gift, or are happy just to slip one or two into your dreams, enjoy the latest, most beautiful gifts that can get you from Point A to Point B like you’ve never been whisked away before. Check them out below.

SWITCHBLADE

Who hasn’t fantasized about having a car that could sprout wings and fly you out of a traffic jam? Who wouldn’t love their very own plane that they could park in their garage and drive it down the street at whim? Impossible? Nope.

Architect Sam Bousfield, a aviation enthusiast, invented the Switchblade, a 3-wheeled, carbon-fiber flying car, now in development at his company, Samson Motors.

Why is it called “Switchblade?” Well, because it looks and acts like a cool car until its wings are deployed with the mere push of a button --- they swing out from its belly of the vehicle like the blade of a pocketknife to get ready for wheels up and takeoff. Once landed, the wings swing back to disappear under its body. Based on the swing-wing design of an F-111 supersonic fighter bomber, the switch can happen in about 45 seconds.

It’s as easy to fly as it is to drive -- no complicated cockpit instruments to mess with.  

Switchblade with wheels on the ground can get from zero to 60 mph in 6.5 seconds and reach a top speed of more than 125 mph. In the air, it can cruise at 160 mph and reach a top speed of 180 mph.

When Switchblade is in car-mode, it can get up to  35 miles per gallon. In plane-mode, it burns 9 gallons per hour.

The Switchblade is a cute little number. At 16 feet, 9 inches long, it is slightly longer than a mid-size car. And it’s only 6 feet wide. It can fit in your garage!

You can get the base model, but as long as you’re going all out, go for the limited edition, with custom interior and unique exterior features.

You can place your order now and get the Switchblade delivered in time for next Christmas (2018).

SPIKE AEROSPACE S-512 SUPERSONIC JET

If you’re in more of a hurry than usual, the Spike Aerospace S-512 Supersonic Jet can have you cruising speed at Mach 1.6, or 1,100 mph -- about 450 mph faster than any other civilian aircraft.

It’s sonic boom is dampened so as not to disturb mere mortals on the ground.

A window seat on this plane is irrelevant… there’s no such thing. Instead, the panoramic “view” comes courtesy of high-definition screens, which span the windowless cabin walls, offering video feeds from exterior cameras. You can “see” the full horizon.”

You and up to 17 of your best friends can travel together up to 7,135 miles without a refuel. It can whisk you from New York to London in 3.3 hours and Los Angeles to Tokyo in 5.17 hours.

While Spike has begun test-flying scaled-down, subsonic drone versions, it won’t be able to deliver the full-size, full-speed S-512 under the tree until 2023.

OCEANO LUMEN

The Oceanco Lumen is a diamond-coated Superyacht. Why? Because it’s pretty, of course.

This 302-foot superyacht, designed by Adriel Designs, is sheathed in paint that is enriched with particles of ethically sourced natural diamonds. It shimmers and sparkles in sunlight and is positively luminescent in moonlight.

Is Sun King Diamond Coating was created by diamond specialist Jean Boulle Luxury together with paint specialist AkzoNobel. This over-the-top coating has also graced the  Rolls-Royce Ghost Elegance, the Bentley Azure, and the Bombardier Global Express jet.

Beyond its luminous exterior, the Lumen boasts swoon-worthy one-of-a-kind features like an atrium with a tubular glass and a stainless-steel elevator that extends five decks through the yacht’s center, all the way to the sundeck, surrounded by a floating spiral staircase.

VULCANO TITANO

This beast is a beauty! The Vulcano Titano, by Icona Design Group, is a gorgeous supercar. Don’t let its sensual curves and luscious lines fool you -- it rocks like solid muscle on steroids.

The Vulcano Titano’s body is so beautiful, it prefers to go naked -- it wears no paint.

Titanium panels - and the carbon fibre tub

The design for the Vulcano was inspired by the world’s fastest plane, the Blackbird SR-71. The two machines share similar sharp and flowing silhouettes. It’s powered by a supercharged 6.2-litre Corvette-sourced V8, which produced from the old ZR1, here producing 670 - 1,000 bhp  (torque times the engine speed).  A 2.8-second zip gets you from 0 to 60mph. Once you’re flying, you can top out at 220 mph.

Custom orders only, FYI.

If you don’t want to wait for your dream ride, check out some crazy beautiful options available now. Or perhaps these dreamboats? Or perhaps a solar plane can inspire might be your speed

Read more about Beautiful Giving all this week on BeautifulNow.

And check out more beautiful things happening now in BN Mind/Body, Soul/Impact, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Arts/Design, and Place/Time, Daily Fix posts.

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IMAGE CREDITS:

1. Image: “The Switchblade.” Flying car. Courtesy of Samson Motors, Inc.
2. Image: “The Switchblade.” Flying car. Courtesy of Samson Motors, Inc.
3. Image: The Spike Aerospace S-512 Supersonic Jet. Courtesy of Spike Aerospace.
4. Image: Oceanco Lumen, designed by Adriel Designs. Courtesy of Oceanco Yacht.
5. Image: Vulcano Titano. Courtesy of Icona Design Group.
6. Image: Vulcano Titano. Courtesy of Icona Design Group.
7. Image: Vulcano Titano. Courtesy of Icona Design Group.
8. Image: “The Switchblade.” Flying car. Courtesy of Samson Motors, Inc.
9. Image: Oceanco Lumen, designed by Adriel Designs. Courtesy of Oceanco Yacht.