The Fun Factor

One person can unfold the Icon A’s Wings in only two minutes, so pilots can cut clouds in no time.

Icon A5

Head up, up, and away in the seaplane that acts like a Miata

The Jetsons may have promised a future of flying cars, but that just isn’t going to happen. Here’s the next best thing: the Icon A5,
a carbon-fiber seaplane that costs less than a Ferrari and is probably easier (and safer) to control. Priced at around $200,000,
the A5 is the brainchild of former fighter pilot Kirk Hawkins, whose company is building this two-seat sports car for the skies
in Napa Valley. The A5 is classed as a no-frills Light Sport Aircraft that requires only 20 hours of training to pilot. Powered by
a 100-horsepower Rotax engine spinning a rear-facing propeller, the A5 has a top speed of 138 mph and can fly for up to 450
miles on a tank of pump gas. Takeoffs and landings can be done from water or runway thanks to retracting wheels, and the
wings fold back so it can be towed home on a trailer. Lunch in Bimini, anyone? (iconaircraft.com)

Polaris Slingshot

Transformers meets Star Wars in this part-motorcycle, part-sports car

There are many ways to get from point A to point B, but the craziest means might just be behind the wheel of the Polaris Slingshot. Classified as a three-wheeled motorcycle (you’ll need a motorcycle license and a full-face helmet), it packs all the thrills of a big Harley with the safety and stability of a Lotus Seven two-seater. A GM-sourced, 173-horsepower, 2.4-liter Ecotec four-banger mated to a five-speed stick powers the single rear wheel. And no surprise here: It’s quick, lunging from zero to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds and hitting a top speed of 130 mph. With no windshield to speak of, that feels like 300 mph. Drivers sit semi-reclined, elbows seemingly inches from the blacktop. Weather protection? If it rains, head for the nearest underpass. But if you’re looking for a fun vehicle for a Sunday morning spin, the Slingshot is tough to beat. And with pricing from $21,999, it won’t break the bank. (polaris.com)

Mercedes-Benz G550 4×42    

Mr. Schwarzenegger, your Mercedes monster truck is ready

Having trouble clearing those pesky speed bumps in your gated community? Boy, do we have a vehicle for you. Feast your eyes on the Mercedes-Benz G550 4×42—as in 4×4 squared. It’s the most-capable G-Class ever, which, considering the amazing capability of the standard G, is saying something. By jacking up the suspension by nearly 8 inches, this G-Squared now has 17.7 inches of ground clearance and can ford streams almost 40 inches deep. Want to be the first to drive to the top of Mount Everest? Not a problem in this beast. And it certainly has the muscle to get there, courtesy of Merc’s latest 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V-8 that packs a 416-horsepower/450 pound-per-feet punch. Its sticker price is almost as high as its ground clearance—a whopping $226,000. Stepladders to climb into it are sadly not included. (mercedes-benz.com)

Singer Porsche 911

An old school favorite that drives like a modern machine

For sports cars aficionados, the classic Porsche 911—with its air-cooled motor—ranks as the Holy Grail of driving nirvana. But they’re all getting on in years; the last air-chilled 911 came out of the factory in 1998. So what if you really want an old 911 but need it to drive like a new 911? Well, you call the crew at Singer Vehicle Design in Sun Valley, California, who, for around $500,000, will restore, revive, and painstakingly transform any 1989 to 1998 911 into a masterpiece of bespoke, handcrafted awesomeness. Every component is improved, honed, and updated with a laser-like attention to detail that is simply breathtaking. Founded back in 2008, Singer has thus far delivered around 50 reimagined 911s to wealthy enthusiasts around the world and has orders for another 80 in the books. Get in line now. (singervehicledesign.com)

At home in any posh setting, the Buggati Chiron sports a two-tone exterior and an interior fitted with aluminum alloy, fine leather, and a hand-crafted center console.

Bugatti Chiron

Everybody needs a 1,500-horsepower, $2.6-million hypercar

Few experiences deliver the mind-warping sensation of rocketing from standstill to 60 mph in just under 2.5 seconds. In lieu of calling Ringling Brothers and asking them to fire you out of a circus canon, we suggest spending $2.6 million on a new Bugatti Chiron. This supercar is the long-awaited replacement for the Veyron, which ended production in 2015 after 10 years and 450 examples. Whereas the final Veyrons made do with a mere 1,200 horses, the Chiron amps up the power from its 8.0-liter quad-turbo to a staggering 1,500 horsepower. Bugatti says it has restricted the Chiron’s top speed to 261 mph, but word on the street is it should be good for 288 mph. Now that’s hyper. (bugatti.com)

Made from stainless steel and marine vinyl, the Panther’s seats can withstand all water conditions.

WaterCar Panther

Is it a car? Is it a boat? No, it’s both.

Why battle traffic driving to your favorite waterfront watering hole when you can cruise there in a car that thinks it’s a boat? Welcome to the WaterCar Panther, an amphibian roadster that’s so much fun it should come with a government warning. Built by Fountain Valley Bodyworks in California, the four-seat, $155,000 Panther can hit speeds of more than 55 mph on land and splash through the water at an equally impressive 45 mph. Power comes from a rear-mounted Honda VTEC V6 cranking out 250 horsepower that propel either the rear wheels or a water jet. To float the boat, drive down a boat ramp or off the beach. Once in the water, pull a handle and the wheels retract into the glass-fiber body and the jet-drive engages—all in 15 seconds. (watercar.com)

Garia Mansory Currus Golf Cart

A hole in one to shame all other fairway rides

Forget about those mini Hummer look-alikes or blinged-out Caddy Escalades. If you want to fly along the fairway, and look fly at the same time, you need a golf cart with real pizzazz. Danish golf cart maker Garia teamed up with German car customizer Mansory to create the wild Garia Mansory Currus, a carbon-fiber roadster that looks like an extra from one of the Fast and Furious films. With its menacing matte-black body, black-painted wheels, cut-down windshield, and leather bucket seats, this is the cart Darth Vader would drive if he swung a club instead of a light saber. Powered by a 15-horsepower, 3-phase motor juiced by lithium batteries, it could hit a top speed of 37 mph if U.S. regulations didn’t restrict it to 25 mph. It can be yours for around $60,000. (garia.com)

Seabreacher

Think of it as the Ultimate Diving Machine

Ever wonder what it’s like to be Flipper? Then take a ride in a Seabreacher submersible. With its dolphin-shaped body and punchy 260-horsepower water jet, the California-built Seabreacher can zoom across the water at 50 mph. And here’s the cool part: It can hit 25 mph beneath the waves. Twin levers and foot pedals let you turn, twist, and perfect awesome trickery, like going vertical and doing 360-degree barrel rolls. It’s not a submarine, so you can only dive 5 to 6 feet for between 5 to 10 seconds. The good news is you don’t need a license and, according to Seabreacher, anyone who has tamed a jet ski can become proficient after a day or two of practice. Driver and passenger sit tandem beneath the watertight canopy, and (thankfully) the Seabreacher is unsinkable and self-righting so lifejackets aren’t required. Prices start at around $80,000. (seabreacher.com)

Lotus Motorcycle CO-1

Evel Knievel would have loved this two-wheeled rocket ship

When a Vespa scooter won’t cut it, consider the outrageous Lotus Motorcycle C0-1. Former Bugatti stylist Daniel Simon (the mastermind behind the Light Cycles in the movie Tron: Legacy) designed this limited edition, $130,000, carbon-fiber crotch rocket. German race car constructors Kodewa and Holzer Group are handling the build. Power, all 200 horses of it, comes from a 1,195cc KTM V-twin motorcycle engine mated to a six-speed gearbox with braking by Brembo. But it’s the 12-piece, carbon-fiber aero bodywork that sets the C0-1 apart. Just 100 will be built with most already accounted for. At the Mecum classic car auction in Monterey, California last summer, an unridden C-01 got a high bid of $190,000. Hopefully the Lotus acronym of “Lots Of Trouble, Usually Serious” won’t apply here. (lotus-motorcycles.com)

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