The content of the article:
- Interesting amphibious vehicles
All-passable equipment, capable of crossing both land and water, has traditionally been the prerogative of the military industry. Civilian amphibious vehicles to this day do not have mass distribution, although they are getting more and more interesting and effective performance.
Interesting amphibious vehicles
Gibbs Quadski
This is a unique combination of ATV and boat, developed by one of the most popular and influential companies in the field of this type of apparatus.
GibbsTechonologies owns the unique high speed amphibian technology to which the world owes unparalleled vehicles.
The water ATV combines the advantages of both devices:
- good speed of 72 km / h;
- transformation from one transport to another in just 5 seconds;
- a powerful motorcycle-type power unit with a water jet similar to a jet ski;
- lightweight construction for handling and maneuverability;
- tightness for deep "dives" and stability for overcoming off-road terrain.
All amphibians from this manufacturer have independent suspension with all-wheel torque. A smart protection system, thanks to a number of sensors, is able to determine which surface the machine is moving on and adjust the speed or throttle accordingly.
One or two-seater amphibians are multifunctional and economical, have fast acceleration and a wheel retraction system.
Amphicar 770
The creation of the German engineer Hans Trippel was released in 1961, although he began development in the 30s.
Since Trippel did not have a technical education and, by and large, was self-taught, all his research did not find a response either from experts or from consumers.
This continued until Hitler came to power with his militaristic inclinations. He found the amphibious vehicle an invention extremely useful and effective for military operations, and therefore commissioned the creation of a 4-seater apparatus, for the work on which the plant of Ettore Bugatti himself was allocated.
Despite being imprisoned for collaborating with the Nazis, Trippel's merits and talents were appreciated. At the New York Auto Show, the designer unveiled the Amphicar with a 4-cylinder Triumph Herald subcompact engine in the stern, a 4-speed Hermes transmission, a steel sealed body, a 4-seater cabin and even a trunk in the bow.
The amphibian developed up to 6.5 knots on water, which is equivalent to 12 km / h, and about 70 miles per hour on land.
Although it was inferior to some of its competitors in speed and power, it had an advanced design, reliable braking system and excellent hydraulic steering.
The model was developed for export to the USA, where 4000 models were sold. The Amphicar has established itself as one of the most successful amphibious vehicles in the world, and therefore particularly appreciated by collectors.
Rinspeed splash
The masterpiece of the Swiss company is amazing, because it is the only one capable of literally spreading its wings to move across the water surface.
The secret lies in the hydrofoil system that can lift the car 50 cm while maintaining the speed of 84 km / h.
True, in order for the wings to work, the depth must be at least a meter. Otherwise, the driver can use a propeller that will accelerate the amphibian to 50 km / h.
An unusual structure is attached to the car sills, hiding when not necessary, turning 90 degrees, and also performing the function of anti-wing and "landing" the rear of the car.
Weighing 800 kg, a 140-horsepower engine accelerates the vehicle up to 200 km / h on a normal road. Moreover, the power unit works on natural gas, thereby making the model not only unique, but also environmentally friendly.
Sea Roader Lamborghini Countach
After the first photos of this car, motorists got the impression that they were shown the results of Photoshop. The development of engineer Michael Ryan was too incredible and exotic - the legendary car, the most beautiful Italian supercar suddenly learned to swim.
This wasn't Ryan's first upgrade, and he boasted that he could make anything with wheels float.
It took a very large investment to turn a really beautiful, spectacular car into an amphibian. The result is an exact replica of the original car with a 4.0-liter 375-horsepower V12 engine, reliable waterproof glass worth $ 4.3 thousand and capable of switching to reactive transmission mode at the push of a button.
Hydra spyder
A retro cabriolet, sports car and powerboat all rolled into one - this is the HydraSpyder. Its bottom was made of light aluminum alloy, the body itself was made of plastic with a retractable roof.
With a weight of almost 1.5 tons, the car was known as unsinkable, since it had flotation foam in all the cavities of its hull.
On water, a 4-seater amphibian with a 400-horsepower engine accelerates to 85 km / h, and on land - to 201 km / h. The power unit is assisted by front-wheel drive, which, leaving the land, turns into a jet system.
Dobbertin Hydro Car
When the amphibious fashion took over the world, everything that moves was redesigned in them: cars, buses, motorcycles, even motor homes. But if all of them are primarily land vehicles, then the Dobbertin is a boat capable of moving on a solid surface.
This is one of the most sophisticated amphibians in existence, with no unnecessary features or missing little things.
The mode of movement on land with one key changes to water mode, the side protrusions on the ground serve as ordinary car fenders, while in the water they drop 20 cm, transforming the device into a boat.
For the body, the designers chose stainless steel, and in the "heart" they placed a rather gluttonous 9.4-liter 762-horsepower engine from Chevrolet, which develops as much as 100 km / h even on water.
Sea lion
Mark Witt has worked for over 6 years on the world's fastest amphibious car worthy of the Guinness Book of Records.
The device received a squat silhouette, reminiscent of the 24 Hours of Le Mans racing cars, as well as a lightweight aluminum body to reduce weight.
The extremely laconic interior made of unpainted aluminum with black seats can only accommodate the driver, and the side compartments of carry-on luggage, as well as the front and rear fenders, can be completely removed from the body.
The Renesis RX-8 power unit really allows you to set speed records - 201 km / h on hard surface and 96 km / h on water, and a specially designed gearbox raises the ground speed to 300 km / h.
Water car panther
Another curiosity in the rating is a waterfowl jeep, which was created by a company from Southern California.
The Panther is a combination of a Jeep CJ-8 with a modified 307-horsepower 3.7-liter "six" from Honda Acura and a fiberglass underbody. She is a direct competitor to the Sea Lion, just slightly inferior in agility: 70 km / h on water and 200 km / h on land.
But thanks to the off-road basis, the car is really capable of overcoming classic obstacles - mud, sand, country roads.
Although the prototype for the amphibious vehicle was the Jeep CJ8 Scrambler, its long wheelbase and chassis were too clumsy and heavy. Therefore, for "Panther" the traditional carbon material was replaced by more expensive, but also lighter chromium-molybdenum steel. And the bottom was covered with cells filled with expanded polystyrene to ensure the amphibian's buoyancy.
Viking 29031
The flagship of all Russian all-terrain vehicles, the new generation amphibian has tremendous functionality and is able to withstand both arctic frosts and desert sands.
For its merits and technical characteristics, the domestic development is the only one in the world that received the UNECE certificate of conformity.
On roads, the all-terrain vehicle develops a speed of up to 80 km / h, and moves through water with the help of a water engine at a speed of 12 km / h.
The unique snowmobile, swamp vehicle, amphibian and SUV received exclusively diesel power units, a carrying capacity of 850 kg and an interior space designed for 7 people.
In addition to being used for personal needs, this device is actively used in the oil and mining industry for the delivery of personnel, cargo and equipment to remote locations, in the regions of the Arctic zone as ambulance transport, for the needs of law enforcement agencies, as well as during search and rescue operations.
CAMI
The international manufacturer of cool amphibians, as the name of this American brand is translated, has won fame for amphibious touring buses.
The 30-passenger vehicle has been tested by the US Coast Guard and has been certified for its 1-meter wave travel certification.
The unsinkable V-shaped hull is made of light alloys and has foam-filled compartments for increased buoyancy and tightness.
The cockpit of the driver-captain is equipped with a large number of equipment, including a radio station and marine navigation devices for controlling the vehicle, both on a hard surface and on the water surface.
These specific devices strikingly combine the functionality of a wide variety of vehicles, which forces manufacturers all over the world to develop more and more interesting models, more and more fantastic combinations to overcome any natural elements.
