Amphibious vehicle to go on sale soon in US

mlurp · #1 (**permalink**) 10-15-2012, 01:17 PM

At the price I think Hobby is a good place to place this...

Yet some people can afford it so I hope they buy several so people can find work.

Quote:

.Amphibious vehicle to go on sale soon in US

By DEE-ANN DURBIN | Associated Press – 23 hrs ago. Posted 15 Oct. 2012 ....

DETROIT (AP) — Amphibious vehicles could soon be zooming out of James Bond's garage — or pond — and into yours.

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. It's scheduled to go on sale in the U.S. by the end of this year for around $40,000. Michigan-based Gibbs Sports Amphibians Inc. hopes to sell the vehicle worldwide by 2014.

With its all-terrain tires and four-cylinder, BMW-supplied engine, the Quadski can drive up to 45 miles per hour on land. To take it into the water, the driver presses a button. In five seconds, the four wheels fold up and tuck into the sides. The Quadski can go a brisk 45 miles per hour in the water before a press of the button brings the wheels out again.

"You just drive straight into the water, quite fast, and keep on going. It's sort of magic," the founder of Gibbs Sports Amphibians, Alan Gibbs, told The Associated Press in a recent interview.

History is littered with attempts to make fast, long-lasting amphibious cars, from the campy German Amphicar of the early 1960s to current companies that rework sports cars by hand for $200,000 or more. But Gibbs, a former diplomat and entrepreneur from New Zealand, says the Quadski is the first land vehicle for sale that can go more than 10 mph in water. A lightweight, fiberglass hull and front wheels that rise mechanically when the vehicle hits the water are among the tricks the Quadski uses.

Gibbs, who has made everything from bras to television sets over a long career in New Zealand and the U.K., launched Gibbs Sports Amphibians 16 years ago after building his own amphibious car and wondering if he could make it on a larger scale. Since then, the company has spent $200 million, built nine prototypes and amassed more than 300 patents.

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Amphibious vehicle to go on sale soon in US - Yahoo! News

And 1,821 doubtful comments.

saltwn · #2 (**permalink**) 10-15-2012, 09:17 PM

O Jesus like men need another expensive toy.

mlurp · #3 (**permalink**) 10-17-2012, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saltwn

O Jesus like men need another expensive toy.

I am sure glad I grew a bit older and have lost the need for new toys.

faithful_servant · #4 (**permalink**) 10-17-2012, 01:39 PM

I just can't remember the last time I heard ANYONE say: "Boy, it sure would be nice to have an amphibious vehicle." With no real demand, my guess is that this will get a massive gov't check when it's revealed that it uses a part that's made in a solar powered plant (well not really solar powered, but they have solar panels on the roof to power the fan in the CEO's office and that's close enough).

saltwn · #5 (**permalink**) 10-17-2012, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by faithful_servant

I just can't remember the last time I heard ANYONE say: "Boy, it sure would be nice to have an amphibious vehicle." With no real demand, my guess is that this will get a massive gov't check when it's revealed that it uses a part that's made in a solar powered plant (well not really solar powered, but they have solar panels on the roof to power the fan in the CEO's office and that's close enough).

depends on how much money you have toss around. $40,000 ! maybe the price will come down later like microwaves

but they look pretty fun if you're already into 4 wheelers and water craft

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