Amphibious Car Beats Urban Congestion

woodhouse writes "According to BBC News, a company in the UK have just tested a fully amphibious car on the Thames river. It can travel at up to 100 miles an hour on land, and its wheels fold up to allow it to speed across water at 30mph, propelled by a jet. The company responsible, Aquada, suggest it's a good way to avoid congestion."

Comments

Cool Car

[Bruha]

Can someone Loan me the $295,000 dollars to buy it?

Also I cant wait for one to be stolen in Los Angeles and the resulting police chase. I'd love to see the looks on the cops faces when it drives into one of the aquaducts and gets away from the cars at least. I'm sure the helicopter pioliot will be laughing at least.

Re:Cool Car

[AKnightCowboy]

Not to rain on your parade, but I've never seen the LA "aquaducts" even look moist. Much less with standing water.

Of course not. They're for Hollywood car chase scenes, not for carrying water. Every chase through LA must include one or more dips into the aquaducts... it's part of their contract.

Hmm

[rmohr02]

The concept for this car is pretty cool, but there's just something I like about riding in a converted WWII amphibious assault vehicle. They're for different markets, but I'd prefer the "Ducks" to this car.

This is all well and good...

[mrgoatCEO]

But when will the missle and torpedo options be available?

Re:Where will I enter/exit the water?

[Talthane]

According to The Spy Who Loved Me you can use a beach to get out, as long as you're accompanied by Barbara Bach.

Re:Empty rivers...

[dcollis]

I currently row on the river for my university in an 8 (one of the more stable rowing boats) and we already have problems being washed down by other boats. And thats at 6 in morning. During the day the problems increase. I'd say there was already plenty of traffic on the thames. If there is going to be more usage of the thames, then water bus/taxis should be the answer. In sydney this system works extremely well.

Re:pollution ?

[KDan]

It could. Back before they built the sewers in the 1850s or so, the sewage from two and a half million people went into the thames - which is a tidal river at that point. So you have 2.5mil ppl's crap going up and down the thames with the tide. They got outbreaks of cholera from that because the water companies just pumped that water and distributed that to people - drinking beer exclusively was a good plan in those days.

They finally decided to fund the sewers (a gigantic project, and very well done since the original sewers are still in use today) when the thames stank so bad that the MP's couldn't even get into the river-facing rooms of the house of parliament without choking from the awful stench (apparently comparable to the smell of a rotting body).

I'd say that was worse than now.

Daniel

Re:It's a convertible?

[jacquesm]

Just when the Thames is getting back to a more or less clean state. Yes! let's all jump into boats to avoid the congestion, congest the waterways and pollute them to the point where the only thing that wants to live there are 6 legged frogs...

Suggesting this could relieve congestion is just stupid.