sQuba - Rinspeed's New Underwater Car
Movie audiences gasped when Roger Moore’s 007 took his white Lotus Esprit for a surprise dip to evade the enemy in the film The Spy Who Loved Me. The famous scene, shot using a model, triggered the imagination of countless gadget-lovers, who wondered if such a car could be made.
Well, it can and it has been. Rinspeed will present its new sQuba, the worlds first diving car, at the Geneva Motor Show March 6-16. The car is not only able to drive on roads autonomously (without a driver, passenger or further assistance) with a push of a button, it can also transform into an amphibious vehicle which can be submerged in water up to 33 feet (10 meters). An electric motor with powerful torque drives the rear wheels, while the propulsion on the water is ensured by two propellers in the stern and two powerful jet drives in the bow propelling the vehicle under water while diving. When underwater, the driver and passenger are enclosed in the vehicle thanks to light weight body components made of futuristic Carbon Nano Tubes and are supplied with fresh breathing air by the self-contained on-board system.
Q would have been proud - 30 years after James Bond disappeared under the waves in his specially adapted Lotus, car designers have done it for real! More…
Doug
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Reader Comments (8)
The Bond character looks a little "soft" but the Bond girl is HOT!
The car is typical Rinspeed; cool but impractical. But it does demonstrate what automobile companies could do if they were willing to. 70mph in an all-electric car is great!
Pretty cool. I remember the Rinspeed "Splash" that scooted over water. Tried to set a new record for English Channel crossing but only was able to best the record for a "ski" type vehicle due to rough water and some mechanical problems. Seems like Rinspeed has a lot of bucks for these concept cars.
Seems a little silly unless you are Bond and need to travel at 2mph underwater in a Florida grotto. Watch out for aligators!
I cannot see myself driving along in an open cockpit car underwater. And how would you know where to drive back ashore? Seems like you would need a boat launch ramp.
This would have been better without the fat Bond character. Bond would never let himself go like that.
Silly. Great technology but silly application.
How can you say that? They demonstrated a car that drives itself, at home on land, on the water or under water. All electric! They showed what could be done. Wake up, Detroit!
You need 1. clear water without any turbulance, 2. a boat ramp, 3. some way to know where you are underwater so you can find your way to the boat ramp.
Not practical anywhere I can think of, but cool tech!!