Object of Desire: Scuba Drive
Bored of driving on roads? Take cues from James Bond and drive underwater.
Remember 007 and his spectacular gadgetry? Kid you not, one of those gadgets can be yours. Inspired by the Lotus Esprit submarine from the movie The Spy Who Loved Me, Swiss company Rinspeed developed a submarine sports car– Rinspeed sQuba. No offence to Mr. Bond but his submarine car was fake, the Rinspeed sQuba on the other hand is a reality.
This 2 seater, open-top car floats on surface water and submerges on the pull of a lever. The zero emission vehicle works on three motors. A 54 kW 160 NM electric motor to power the rear wheels on land. An 800W motor for the two propellers which enable the car to float on water and the third motor of 3.4 kW which powers the Seabob jets mounted behind rotating louvers in front of the car to provide steering once it is submerged. With an in board laser guarded sensor, it can move underwater autonomously and smoothly. Two built in scuba tanks and diving regulators enable the driver and passenger to remain underwater for an hour. It submerges till the depth of 10 meters, is impervious to fresh and salty water and has an open cockpit for emergency exits.
Concept submarine sports car may get better with technological advancements but for now, Rinspeed sQuba is your best chance to live the Bond life; a real one!
Specifications
Capacity: 2 people
Length: 3.8 metres
Height: 1.11 metres
Width: 1.9 meters
Weight: 921 kilograms
Top speed: 120 km/h
Price: $ 2 million
From the August-September 2018 issue of FHM India.
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