The concept cars Gibbs aquada Sports Cars, now a very real version of an amphibious car has been released in the UK. The Gibbs aquada high-speed amphibian (HSA) is capable of speeds up to 100mph (160kmh) on land and 30mph (48kmh) over water, taking just six seconds to transform from road going sportscar to a jet powered marine vessel. The Concept Car - Gibbs aquada Amphibious Sports Cars Concept is powered by a 175hp, V6 engine with 4 speed automatic transmission that's linked to the fully-enclosed jet propulsion system when on the water.
Doubtful, as the Concept Car - Gibbs aquada Amphibious Sports Cars Concept has been a bust in Europe since its 2003 debut there, but that's likely missing the major impact of Gibbs Technologies marriage of auto, marine and propulsion technologies. With three amphibious vehicles, the car-like Aquada, the military-esque Humdinga and the personal-sized Quadski, Gibbs is poised to build or license their high-speed amphibious technology to whoever can use it.
Gibbs didn't set out to make a swimming car, but rather integrate land and marine technology to form a unique classification, the amphibian. Gibbs has sunk, so to speak, more than $100 million into the program, with over 60 patents pending in nearly every aspect of the vehicle design.
To meet its lofty speed goals, the Aquada uses a carefully shaped outer body supported inside by a metal space frame. In this is conceptually similar to integrating a NASCAR racer's rollcage into a load-distributing unibody structure as used in a typical sedan.
Propulsion in the ten Aquada prototypes currently testing in Michigan is from a 2.5-liter 160-horsepower engine. Gibb's press materials are careful not to specify precisely which engine this may be, but we assume a turbocharged four cylinder would provide the necessary combination of power and weight (a 175-horsepo
A take-off from the transmission powers a carefully designed water jet for marine propulsion; Gibbs says the compact jet produces nearly a ton of thrust at half the size and a quarter of the expected weight. It's enough for the Aquada to have set a 32.8 mph record speed run, and sufficiently reliable for Sir Richard Branson to break the amphibian speed record across the English Channel by four hours. More prosaically, Gibbs demonstration video shows the Concept Car - Gibbs aquada Amphibious Sports Cars Concept pulling a water skier.
While we have not piloted an Aquada, it's clear that its driver-center, three-across seating, no doors and Bimini top will have practical considerations, or at least provide numerous conversation starters. On land we'd assume the Aquada would deliver more than acceptable road handling and middling performance given the moderate power and 3,225 lbs. weight.
"Our plans for North America are ambitious, aggressive and achievable," Gibbs has said, stating, "Aquada could generate annual sales volumes of 100,000 or more within five years." Perhaps we should get our driving gloves and water skis ready now.
Concept Car - Gibbs aquada Amphibious Sports Cars Concept