motor

Johns · 09-09-2003, 11:34 PM

In London, New Sportscar Doubles As Boat

By JACK GARLAND

(AP) A high-speed land and water vehicle drives on the River Thames Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2003. The Aquada...
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LONDON (AP) - Britain's newest sports car took a test drive Wednesday, zooming back and forth across the waters of the Thames River in pure James Bond style.

The Aquada can hit speeds of 100 miles an hour on land - and once it hits water, the wheels retract into the wheel arch, jets kick in, and the car is suddenly a boat.

Once waterborne it can reach speeds of 30 miles per hour, according to Gibbs Technologies, the British firm that designed it.

With a sticker price of about $235,000, the convertible has no doors in order to avoid leaks. Drivers and passengers must jump over the side to get into the car - just like a boat.

"With this you can have a really good car on the road, and an exciting toy that can tow a water skier, that you can commute to work with, that you can go to St. Tropez with and take two girlfriends," the firm's chairman Alan Gibbs told reporters at the car's test drive on London's Thames on Wednesday.

The car is part of the Aquada Bond series, but the company couldn't say whether that is a veiled reference to James Bond and the sports-car-cum-submarine that the superspy operated in the movie "The Spy Who Loved Me."

The vehicle can switch to cruising on water within seconds, and the drive mechanism switches to power a jet that propels the vehicle, according to the company.

"The design requirements for the Aquada were daunting, but the technology has delivered and demonstrates the quality of British engineering," said Gibbs, a New Zealand entrepreneur who built his first fast amphibian vehicle in 1995, before moving his company to Britain in 1999. He said the Aquada was the product of a seven-year development program and 60 newly patented technologies.

One hundred of the cars are being built and will sell at the end of this year.

AlienDB7 · 09-10-2003, 01:04 AM

Did you see the video with the car in action? Saw it on BBCWorld's "This Week" couple of days ago, it's simply amazing! I can see bond driving one for the next movie.

Imre · 09-10-2003, 02:44 AM

It`s supposed to be the fastest amfibcar(car-boat)

heath · 09-10-2003, 03:41 AM

what is it with kit cars using mazda mx-5 lights??? I hate those lights!!!!! :x :x :x

novass · 09-10-2003, 04:13 AM

i want one. i too, can be James Bond. except, i dont nearly pull as much ass as Bond

TT · 09-10-2003, 05:01 AM

I saw a pretty cool test on Italia TV this past week end.. this car is funny!!! LOL

gis · 09-10-2003, 07:02 AM

ah saw this on the news the other day,the car seems quite amazing

AlienDB7 · 09-10-2003, 07:09 AM

If you want to check out the car in action, I uploaded a video to draak666's webspace at http://users.pandora.be/draak666/Thi...orts%20Car.mpg

Thanks draak for providing the webspace!

TT · 09-10-2003, 07:31 AM

Thanks draak and thanks Alien!!

1zippo1 · 09-10-2003, 07:41 AM

Thanks AlienDB7 & draak666!

Damn, that thing is pricy 150.000 pounds, I would buy a way better car for that money.

160km/h that isn't much don't you think. My moms Yaris 1.0 69hp can go faster... and they call this a sports car? Don't think so.

sportVeloce · 09-10-2003, 07:55 AM

gimmick. Thats the word that comes to mind.

My idea of car and water -> I drive my nice Land Rover down to the water, unload my ski boat and have some fun.

I could some wanky french guys going out on the French Rivera. I think if i saw a car in water like that, I would laugh. It appeals to me about as much as dropping the soap in a prison shower block.

Johns · 09-10-2003, 01:17 PM

thanks for the video. this car is fuckin sick :shock:

09-10-2003, 01:36 PM

very cool car, you can take to the beach, have fun at the beach, splashing in the water, then leave without even having stepped foot out the boat/car thingamagig!! NICE!!

09-10-2003, 01:48 PM

Thanks AlienDB7 & draak666, just saw the vid and its great!