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Amphibious Car Can Drive Itself On Land or In the Water

by Ian Rowan on February 19, 2008 at 07:21 PM



Admittedly inspired by James Bond's amphibious Lotus Esprit in 'The Spy Who Loved Me,' the Rinspeed sQuba one ups the ante by actually working, and well.

To be announced next month by the creative genius and Rinspeed big boss Frank Rinderknecht at the March Geneva Motor Show, the custom-modded Lotus Elise is powered by three electric motors - two to power the twin screws and one to get the zero emission car up to speed on land.

While still on land, the car has another ingenious,Q-like function, which is that of driving itself. Now some might argue that the remote control self-driving feature belongs to the realm of 'Knight Rider,' but we stick with James Bond's techno-whiz Q.

DARPA-Challenge-tested technology is built into the sQuba's futuristic chassis, so that you can remotely guide your car safely to your location during getaway scenarios.

When said getaway demands an aquatic detour, all you have to do is drive into the water, engage the props, affix a mask and oxygen regulator, drive out into the water, and submerge. For maneuvering underwater, the vehicle has two rotating jet exhausts behind the front wheels, which are fed by jet drives that intake from the front grill (see gallery).

So put your waterproof tuxedo on and head to the island casino, 007.

From Autoblog





Tags: Future Tech, FutureTech

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