Wouldn't mind having one of these.....

June 14, 2007

DETROIT — Gibbs Technologies, a U.K. firm, said it has two amphibious vehicles planned for U.S. introduction in 2009, including the Aquada, a vehicle described as combining "the handling of a sports car with an ability to travel at more than 30 miles per hour on water."

The second vehicle is the Quadski, an all-terrain vehicle that looks something like a Jet Ski in images released by the company. A spinoff company called Gibbs Military Amphibians is said to be developing high-speed amphibious vehicles for military use under an agreement with Lockheed Martin. A fleet of 10 Aquadas is currently undergoing tests in Southeastern Michigan.

The company acknowledges that amphibious vehicles have long been discussed but never have quite caught on with the public. Porsche built an estimated 5,000 Type 166 Schwimmwagens in the 1940s, and the U.S. produced thousands of amphibious vehicles during World War II — but they didn't go faster than 7 mph.

"A commercially viable high-speed amphibious vehicle has eluded auto manufacturers, entrepreneurs and inventors for more than 100 years," said Alan Gibbs, the firm's founder and chairman. "Recent developments in lightweight materials, engine technology and vehicle architecture, however, have enabled us to accomplish what many believed to be impossible."

Article Reference: Splish-Splash! Gibbs Amphibious Vehicles Bound for U.S. in 2009

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