The Pentagon's far-out research agency has unveiled more details of their plan to create a shape-shifting, multipurpose car.

Flying cars have been tried before, dozens of times. And a few of the efforts have even succeeded. But the Pentagon concept is several steps ahead of existing vehicles, like the Terrafugia Transition, which is more like a lightweight plane that can, by folding up its wings, operate on land. The Transition also needs runways for takeoff and landing, and can't fly in harsh weather.

And, in what could either mean revolutionary progress or massive failure, this initiative has out-there military agency Darpa behind it. In January, the agency, who has been toying with the flying car idea since at least 2008, hosted a proposer's day workshop for their new Transformer (TX) project. At the time, details were sketchy: Darpa wanted a "morphing vehicle body" that could operate largely autonomously, reducing the chance of human piloting error in high-risk war zones. Plus, the agency's initial documents noted, a hovering car would be able to cruise over obstacles and avoid areas rife with IEDs.

Now, Darpa's released a solicitation calling for prototypes, which they want to be testing in the air by 2015. The vehicles, which will have the all-terrain abilities of SUVs, should also boast a 1,000-pound capacity, and carry four fully suited troops or a stretcher and a medic – suggesting the agency hopes for a fleet of flying ambulances, too.

Darpa also wants a vehicle that can perform vertical takeoffs and landings (no runway required), and attain an altitude of 10,000 feet – and do it all while traveling 250 miles on a single tank of gas. That means less Humvee, more Prius: The agency suggests that proposals would be wise to include ideas like "hybrid electric drive, advanced batteries, adaptive wing structures, ducted-fan propulsion systems [and] advanced lightweight heavy fuel engines."

All that, and no pilot: Any troop able to drive a military road vehicle could operate a Transformer, because the vehicles will include "automated takeoff and landing," and be "fully autonomous" in the air and on the ground.

It's a lofty plan, albeit one with a relatively small budget: Darpa's allotting around $55 million to the development and testing of prototypes.

Photo: U.S Air Force