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Commercial Amphibious Vehicle Is Part ATV Part Jet Ski
Hugh Pickens writes "The Washington Post reports that a new vehicle could soon be zooming out of James Bond's garage — or pond — as the Quadski, a one-person all-terrain vehicle that doubles as a personal watercraft, is being billed by its makers as the first high-speed, commercially available amphibious vehicle. Scheduled to go on sale in the U.S. by the end of this year for around $40,000, the four-cylinder, BMW-supplied engine can drive up to 45 miles per hour on land and do a brisk 45 miles per hour in the water (video). 'You just drive straight into the water, quite fast, and keep on going. It's sort of magic,' says Alan Gibbs, the founder of Gibbs Sports Amphibians. The company is also preparing to introduce the Phibian, a 30-foot long, 6.5-ton model, and the Humdinga, a 22-foot, 3.5-ton model, which are both intended for the military and first responders. The company plans to produce 20 Quadskis per day with 150 employees when the plant is in full operation and expects to sell around 1,000 Quadskis in the first year. 'We'll respond to how the market develops,' says Gibbs. 'We wouldn't be doing it without being very confident people will love them.'"
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-57532892-48/gibbs-demoes-atv-jet-ski-mashup/
http://www.gibbssports.com/quadski
locked out of this slashdot account for 10+ years... Im back
Enclose the cockpit, add some seat belts and safety features and that would be a heck of a commuter car for people who live someplace like Seattle. No more ferry lines!
That's our life, the big wheel of shit. - The Fat Man, Blue Tango Salvage
Pffft, I had a car that had half that functionality 20 years ago. Driving OUT of the water though, that would be new for me.
You seem to regard science as some kind of dodge... or hustle.
Limited use, really. Sure, the video makes it look great, but it has a much wider wheelbase than your typical ATV (more like one of those utility side-by-side vehicles) and looks like it doesn't have great ground clearance.
Well, rednecks don't make enough money to afford one, and real rich people don't do actual outdoors stuff where you get wet/dirty, which means the only other people who will buy it are geeks.
Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
... Out of a large one.
Alan Gibbs is a kiwi rich-lister who is monomaniacal about amphibious vehicles - typical for otherwise uncreative people who think they have had a good idea. Most engineers I know probably have a more viable commercial idea every month or two.
He has squandered probably in the region of $100 million on developing amphibious vehicles, but to date the world has yawned, because there is almost no one who could or would actually have a use for such an expensive and high maintenance folly with compromised performance on both land and water.
I saw this in the news yesterday and contacted a friend who worked there for a while. He said the company is a billionaire's toy shop and nothing has ever come to final production. He thought this project was shelved and told me to not hold my breath.
If it gets up on a plane, 45mph on water is entirely believable - 45mph limit on land is likely for safety, not lack of power to go faster. I took an ATV up to 50mph on a backwoods trail once - was great fun as a branch whizzed past my head... decided that was enough fun for one lifetime and I keep the ATVs under 30 in the woods now.