There are two weird automotive niches that refuse to die, no matter how many times they don’t really work out: the amphibious car, and the flying car. While plenty of amphibious cars have been built, none have really sold in amazing numbers. As for flying cars, there are lots of literally sky-high concepts, but they’re seemingly always “just” two years away.
Back to the amphibious angle: Let’s say you’re in charge of the world’s next amphibious car project, but it’s like a Top Gear episode where your car-boat has to be based on an existing car. What car are you building your boat out of?
This subject popped up in my head while I was writing about the 2012 Sea Lion yesterday. There’s something a bit silly, a bit stupid, and a bit wonderful about making cars do things that cars don’t do. Jason Torchinsky and I are weirdly drawn to cars that float, even though most of them are sort of terrible as cars and worse as boats. So, let’s embrace this!
I’ve been thinking about this subject throughout much of last night. I would think that, ideally, you’d want your floating car to have some good positive buoyancy. If you don’t, you run the risk of everything going all pear-shaped like it always does for the old Top Gear trio. Shoot, some purpose-built amphibious vehicles (like the DUKW, below) sink like a rock the moment they’re swamped.
So, my car-boat would be something that’s good at floating, and maybe has a good bit of freeboard. I suppose that second one would be pretty hard, so maybe just really good door seals? Oh yeah, and then there’s the body. If you build your car-boat on a sports car, that’s a pretty tiny space to enjoy your vehicle. I could see a limo-boat being entertaining, and a convertible seems like it would be an obvious pick. Amphibious Chrysler Sebring convertible, anyone?
Alright, let’s do this. If I were building an amphibious car from an existing design, I think I’d make my boat out of a General Motors dustbuster van. I’d fill the voids in the body with tons of foam, and cut off the roof after the B-pillar. Maybe I’d strap a few pontoons to it and make it into a party barge. Or, I don’t know, maybe that’s a horrible idea!
For a crazy answer, maybe take an Autozam AZ-1, give it a Honda K20 swap plus a fiberglass hull, and have that engine run a pump jet system. Gullwing Jet Ski!
Admittedly, all of these are bad ideas [Ed note: ARE THEY? – Pete], and it’s probably a good thing I don’t have enough money to implement the ideas rattling around my head. If I did, my daily driver might be a Cessna 172 fuselage converted into a car.
But hey, it’s Hump Day, let’s have some fun and get a little weird. You’re making a new amphibious car based on a car (or truck, or van, or …) already in existence. What are you making your car-boat out of?
Top graphic image: BBC
Weinermobile boat w/ a sign that says “This is the wurst boat ever made”
I reckon the worst boat car would be a Polaris Slingshot, where nothing lives inside the body. Hell, the body doesn’t even extend far enough back to mount an outboard to it, and good luck finding somewhere to mount a propeller on that rear swing-arm with its chunky belt drive and huge wheel. Is the body even big enough to give the rest of the car positive buoyancy if sealed? I think you’d need pontoons, which would make ingress and egress even worse.
Also great: Any of the tesla SUV.
They may float briefly, once. Then make a pretty smoke and light show. And still the owner would absolutely love the car though.
Great: Citroen CX.
Adjustable ride height (high for going in or out of the water, low for hydrodynamics).
Flat underside for easy sealing and hydrodynamics.
FWD, but some offroad cred for getting up on the beach.
Most importantly: a nice and low car so it does not topple over on the first wave.
You would have to cut open the roof for safety.
Already done: https://youtu.be/0R6KzqhIEak?feature=shared&t=445
The obvious answer is probably a beetle or a thing. But many Volvo wagons and SUVs especially from the early to mid 90s almost have a Nordic marine thing going on with style. Xc70 fits the bill rather well.
The Type 4 and Brasilia I reckon are the models with the most Schwimmwagen-esque noses.
Terrible: Ariel Atom?
Fiat Barchetta. It has little boat energy.
Lincoln MKT(the ugly cousin to the Ford Flex)
Its already styled like an upside down boat. Just flip it over, cut the floor out and bam its a boat lol
I’m going to suggest the one car that is absolutely begging to be a boat: the third-generation “boattail” Buick Riviera. It’s got a little prow and everything!
SsangYong Rodius
Top Gear did mate one with a boat to make a yacht, but it wasn’t amphibious.
Submarine?
Looking at vehicles like the Amphicar, convertibles lend themselves better to boats having open tops, and you could possibly weld up the doors while keeping the cabin accessible (though the Amphicar had opening doors with a secondary locking/sealing mechanism for water use.
I’ve thought some smaller four seat convertible like an Audi TT could be made into an amphibious vehicle, especially if you could modify the Haldex AWD power take off and use that for the propellor drive (making it FWD).
1st gen Lotus Elan, since the body was made of fiberglass.
(would need FLEX SEAL sprayed in a boat-load of leak prone areas to work though)
The James Bond submarine car was based on a Lotus.
Youabian Puma. It’s so over-inflated it must already have positive buoyancy.
Imma answer this backwards – As cool as a 3,000 hp helicopter turbine is, an unlimited hydroplane would make a pretty awful car. My hot wheels one wouldn’t even get around a loop.
That said, Messerschmitt bubble car, but on aircraft style floats. That’d move decently on a 10 horse outboard.
Could also lift a 1980s pickup on 66×43s. Monster Trucks used to float pretty good.
Most late 70’s luxury sedans or coupes. Or an NC Miata.
The Nissan Armada – it’s in the name!
The dustbuster van would be great – inverted!
Nissan AquaCrossCabriolet. DO IT!!!
David’s getting his army Jeep, Torch needs his amphicar! David can figure some way to provide a PTO for the prop, Torch can propose some proposterous pontoons. Purchase 50 cans of undercoat spray and DONE!
The obvious choice is a 1954 Chrysler Imperial convertible. It’s as big as a whale and seats about 20.
Just don’t forget your jukebox money.
Speaking of Imperial, I saw an ad on FB for an “Imperial Star Destroyer”
It looks like it’s a Volvo wagon and they added stuff to it
https://www.facebook.com/share/15p2DAAbpF/
“Has new hypermatter reactor, engineering decks remodeled, ion cannons just replaced. Turbo lasers not working. Hyperdrive has just been overhauled. 98 Trillion Credits. No low ballers or if you’re Rebellion don’t even ask for a test drive.”
Chevy Astro with retractable pontoon sidings.
All the car to boat ideas always have issue with the engine causing one end or the other to sink. Toyota Previa to the rescue. Mid engine to keep a good balance, combined with more space to enjoy out on the water.
I’ll make the obligatory joke here: My Grand Marquis is already a boat, so it would be perfectly suited for marine duties.
I’m on board for the Dustboatster! It’ll be like an incredibly small yacht with the back roof lopped off.
Put the Bishop to work! Let’s see it!
This is a fascinating questions. I think the Top Gear guys were on to something with the Pickup Truck and Van. I feel that both could be developed into something that would actually work.
A Dakota Convertible would make a good candidate. easy in and out access to the cab. Big bed for hanging out. A couple of outboards on the back. I see nothing wrong with this plan.
Steyr Puch Pinzgauer or something with portal hubs. It would be a bit easier to maintain a little ground clearance when you build a boat under your car.