LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Moller International's SkyCar, designed for speeds of over 300 miles per hour at altitudes as high as 36,000 feet would seat four people. The company says that they aren't trying to replace commercial air travel.

They also say they don't want their car to cater to only the elite hobbyist. Very few people have had the rare pleasure of riding in any iteration of the SkyCar.

The company intends to bring their "vertical take off and landing (VTOL) fast, low-cost personal recreational or utility vehicle" to the masses.

The SkyCar they say is an eye-catching alternative to the earthbound sports car.

Founder Dr. Paul Moller has recently said in a statement that he has persuaded a Southern California firm to offer up the hefty sum to speed his vehicles' path to the marketplace.

Athena Technologies, Inc. of Harbor City, California, is intended to pair the 30 years of technological experience backing Moller with Athena's affordable manufacturing capabilities overseas in China.

The $80 million is just the tip of the iceberg is only the beginning. The companies are projecting an eventual $480 million investment into several varieties of the car-plane hybrid, which includes the "Neuera" vehicle, basically a flying saucer powered by high-velocity fans.

The company's Web site boasts the Neuera "can operate up to 10 feet above any surface: land, water, sand, snow, swamp or grasslands...combining the capabilities of a boat, hovercraft, ATV, snowmobile or other off-road vehicle."

It will be awhile before you can hop into the SkyCar anytime soon.

Production on the vehicles wouldn't begin until at least 2014. The agreement between Moller and Athena is not yet official.

"The formal agreement is expected to be approved by both parties within weeks' Dr. Moller, said in a statement. Moller expects a working test vehicle by the end of 2013.

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