Tesla boss Elon Musk wowed fans at an event in California last week, when he unveiled a shiny new electric sports car called the Roadster .

Capable of going from 0 to 60mph in 1.9 seconds, and with a maximum speed over 250 mph, Telsa claims the Roadster will be the fastest production car ever.

But yesterday, Musk revealed another intriguing detail. When the Roadster goes on sale in 2020, it could have a special flight option.

"Should clarify that this is the base model performance," he said, referring to the car announced at the event on Friday.

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Image:
REUTERS)

"There will be a special option package that takes it to the next level.

"Not saying the next gen Roadster special upgrade package *will* definitely enable it to fly short hops, but maybe...

"Certainly possible. Just a question of safety. Rocket tech applied to a car opens up revolutionary possibilities."

Tesla is known for issuing over-the-air software updates that unlock extra performance in its cars, so it is perhaps no surprise that the company is already working on making the Roadster even faster.

However, the suggestion that it could actually lift off the ground is pretty outlandish - even for Musk.

On the other hand, as chief executive of aerospace manufacturer SpaceX, Musk has plenty of access to rocket technology, and may well be looking at ways to cross-pollinate the two companies.

The tease comes after Volvo's parent company, Geely, confirmed its intention to buy flying car company Terrafugia last week .

Founded in 2006 by five award-winning graduates of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Terrafugia has spent the past decade developing a range of flying car concepts.

The company aims to deliver its first flying car to the market in 2019, with the world’s first vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) flying car being made available by 2023.

First announced in 2013, the TF-X is a hybrid electric vehicle with a 300 horse power engine, which will have the capacity to travel up to 500 miles with a cruising speed of 200mph.

Meanwhile companies including Google and Airbus are developing their own flying car concepts, and Uber recently hired NASA engineer Mark Moore to help develop its "Elevate" programme.

Uber's vision for "on-demand aviation" involves customers hailing electric helicopter-like vehicles that can take off and land vertically, in the same way they hail taxis today.