142

The World's Fastest Amphibious Car

Posted: March 11, 2014
The World's Fastest Amphibious Car
Check It Out

While I'd settle for the World's Second Fastest Amphibious Car...or any amphibious car my mama's up for purchasing...the World's Fastest Amphibious Car is definitely my #1 choice. This beauty earns its title, and its insane price tag, with speeds of up to 44 mph on water and 80 mph on land.

On-road, or off-road but still moving along solid states of matter, the vehicle is powered by a 300-hp Honda engine and operates like a standard 4-speed manual. Also handy for land use are the car's 4-wheel disc brakes, lights, turn signals, and folding windshield.

When water-faring, the amphibious quadruped recruits a built-in hydraulic retraction system to raise its wheels above the bottom of its composite fiberglass hull. A patented transfer case then redirects the engine's power to a Panther pump jet, and the steering wheel becomes the pump jet's vectored thrust controller. Water maneuvering is smooth and no more difficult than driving on land. At least the skiers getting towed through a lake by the equivalent of a Jeep hope so.

32 cubic feet of U.S. Coast Guard-approved closed-cell foam keep the car buoyant in water, and a long-travel off-road suspension supports its lightweight chromoly chassis and absorbs bumps both while coasting over waves and gunning up rough roads. A 26-gallon gas tank provides a 160-mile range. Hmmm, a car capable of seamlessly transitioning from highway to rugged mountain backroad to water (either fresh or salted). I wonder if this amphibian likes to cliff dive....

More Products You Might Like