Top Gear Technology Centre Ford Transit Hovervan review

For the most part it’s the traditional white van driving experience: steering wheel, some pedals, and unspeakable hand gestures.

In hover-mode, simply move to the passenger seat on the left of the cockpit, where you’ll find another steering wheel that apparently controls the rudder. All you need then is an optional Richard Hammond to sit in the middle and operate the auxiliary engines, which together make a class-leading 600bhp.

There are no brakes, no reverse, extremely haphazard steering and – if you cut the lift engine – the skirts will deflate and you’ll be adrift, but once you get the hang of things it’s completely fine. Thanks to some knotted rope and Top Gear maths, it has a confirmed maximum of 138mph, at which speed you’ll drain the two-gallon fuel tank in one minute, which makes it even more remarkable than a Bugatti Veyron.