History Main / WeDontNeedRoads

* ''WesternAnimation/MASK'' featured several cars that could turn into planes, and motorcycles that could turn into flying vehicles as well. Some of the other cars could deploy different types of craft (usually either a boat or a plane), leaving behind the main vehicle as a shell, and still others could convert from street cars into tank-like battle vehicles.

->''"Roads? Where we're going [[TropeNamer we don't need . . . roads]]."''

* On ''WesternAnimation/WackyRaces'', the Mean Machine, Crimson Haybaler, Convert-A-Car and Creepy Coupe can go airborne where necessary.

Cars in fiction tend to be [[CoolCar pretty awesome]]. Some just look cool and go fast. Others have [[WeaponizedCar weapons systems]] and [[InvisibilityCloak active camouflage]] built into them. And then there are these cars, which can transform in order to traverse terrain meant for other vehicles. Like boats. Or ''planes''. There are practical reasons for this to be the case, of course; after all, you wouldn't want to have to give up chasing the villains because they planned a water escape that you didn't account for. The primary reason, though, is the RuleOfCool. Because being able to drive off a pier in a sports car, transform on the way down, and hit the water in a speedboat is just plain {{badass}}.

* The upcoming sequel to ''VideoGame/SonicAndSegaAllStarsRacing'' will have everyone's racers convert between car, aircraft and boat depending on the terrain.

* The Gadgetmobile in ''GadgetAndTheGadgetinis'' and ''InspectorGadget2015''. The earliest model had a plane mode in "Inspector Gadget Saves Christmas," but only to set up a "Go-Go Gadget Plane" joke.

* ''{{Superfriends}}'' (1973/74) episode "Too Hot To Handle". The aliens have a fire truck that can convert into a rocket ship and fly.

[[AC:{{Anime}} and {{Manga}}]]

[[AC:{{Film}}]]

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]
* ''Film/ChittyChittyBangBang'' might actually be the UrExample of this trope. The major premise was basically "Check out this car: it can fly."

[[AC:TabletopGames]]

* ''{{Champions}}''. Vehicles can have any form of movement super characters can, including flight, swimming, tunneling and even teleportation. They can also have the power of ShapeShifting so they have an appropriate form for the movement mode they're in.

[[AC:VideoGames]]
* The ''SpyHunter'' games are probably one of the best examples of this. In addition to being able to transform into a CoolBoat, if the armor takes too much damage, it will be shed to reveal a motorcycle (or a jetski) underneath). In the sequel, it can optionally convert into an off-road mode, where the ground clearance is raised, wheels widened and the tyres have spikes come out of then, which reduces speed but significantly improves handling when offroad.
* One of the more expensive mods you can add to your car in ''StreetsOfSimCity'' is a flight modification which, well, [[CaptainObvious allows you to fly]]. Why is this useful, you ask? Dude, you can make your car [[Franchise/BattlestarGalactica frakking]] fly. Who needs a reason?

* The upcoming sequel to ''SonicAndSegaAllStarsRacing'' will have everyone's racers convert between car, aircraft and boat depending on the terrain.

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

[[AC:RealLife]]

* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'': Both the Batmobile and GreenArrow's Arrowcar can transform into planes. The Batmobile can also turn into a GiantMecha.

-->--'''Doc Brown''', ''Film/BackToTheFuture''

* At the end of ''Film/BackToTheFuture'', Doc Brown travels forward to 2015 and gets some pretty major work done on the Delorean, including a "hover conversion" that's really more of a "flight conversion". At the end of ''Back to the Future III'', he does the same thing to a ''[[CoolTrain locomotive]]''.

* In ''BluesBrothers2000'', the updated Bluesmobile could function underwater.

* Many James Bond examples.

** ''DieAnotherDay'''s Colonel Moon uses hovercrafts to cruise over the Korean demilitarized zone (which is littered with mines). Bond destroys his base, and Moon is forced to go underground and build a giant sunlight-reflecting satellite to destroy the minefield, instead. (Which had to be more expensive than simply buying more hovercrafts...)
* ''TheLastStarfighter''. Centauri's car is also a starship.
* In ''[[Film/TheBluesBrothers Blues Brothers 2000]]'', the updated Bluesmobile could function underwater.

* DangerMouse has a car that can also become an airplane. In fact, it's seen up in the air more often than not.

* ''RaceForTheYankeeZepher''.

* Certain Cybran Nation warships in ''SupremeCommander'' can deploy ''legs'' and turn into a [[SpiderTank Spider Ship]], walking out of the sea and onto land to support their ground forces when assaulting a shoreline.

* ''ChittyChittyBangBang'' might actually be the UrExample of this trope. The major premise was basically "Check out this car: it can fly."

->--'''Doc Brown''', ''Film/BackToTheFuture''

* ''SpeedRacer'''s car can become a sub.

* One of the more expensive mods you can add to your car in ''StreetsOfSimCity'' is a flight modification which, well, [[CaptainObvious allows you to fly]]. Why is this useful, you ask? Dude, you can make your car [[BattlestarGalactica frakking]] fly. Who needs a reason?

* The ''WallaceAndGromit'' short "A Close Shave" features a motorcycle sidecar that doubles as a plane.

* The ''TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles''' van could become a hovercraft of some sort.

* The RobertHeinlein novel ''Literature/ThePuppetMasters'' has "triphibians": cars that can drive on land, fly through the air and travel on water.

->''"Roads? Where we're going [[TropeNamer we don't need . . . roads]]."''
->--'''Doc Brown''', ''Film/BackToTheFuture''

Cars in fiction tend to be [[CoolCar pretty awesome]]. Some just look cool and go fast. Others have [[WeaponizedCar weapons systems]] and [[InvisibilityCloak active camouflage]] built into them. And then there are these cars, which can transform in order to traverse terrain meant for other vehicles. Like boats. Or ''planes''. There are practical reasons for this to be the case, of course; after all, you wouldn't want to have to give up chasing the villains because they planned a water escape that you didn't account for. The primary reason, though, is the RuleOfCool. Because being able to drive off a pier in a sports car, transform on the way down, and hit the water in a speedboat is just plain {{badass}}.

Less drastic modifications can be expected as well for different terrain on land, like retractable tire studs for driving on ice and other slick surfaces. Any weapon systems the car is equipped with will sometimes inexplicably change in order to fit the new environment; rather than missiles, the car will have torpedos.

The GadgeteerGenius is almost certainly the one who made all these awesome modifications. A subtrope of CoolCar and a SuperTrope for FlyingCar, HubcapHovercraft and AmphibiousAutomobile. Often overlaps with CoolBoat and CoolPlane, for obvious reasons.
----

* Possible example (depending on how loosely you define "car"): The ''Terror'' in JulesVerne's ''Master of the World'' functions as an aircraft, boat, submarine and automobile.

* Hovercraft, though not the miracle originally hoped for, are effective ferries and possibly the only 'surface' vehicle that can cross minefields safely.

* ''[[{{Traveller}} MegaTraveller]]'' ''Referee's Companion''. At Tech Level 8 vehicle transportation includes triphibians, which can travel on land, in the water and through the air.

* In ''[[DuckTales Double-O-duck]]'', Launchpad [=McQuack=] is given a car that can turn into a boat or an helicopter.

* ''BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'': Both the Batmobile and GreenArrow's Arrowcar can transform into planes. The Batmobile can also turn into a GiantMecha.