Underwater Lotus
Rinspeed working on submarine Elise
The open roof was starting to let the water in
And apparently boss Frank M. Rinderknecht had a eureka moment while settling down to a bit of ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’ and came up with this – the sQuba.
This is the world’s first ‘diving car’ and takes inspiration from the classic scene where Bond’s Lotus Esprit turns into a submarine.
But Esprits are probably a bit leaky now so Rinspeed has gone for what looks like a facelifted Elise.
Handy for getting to Le Mans if you missed the ferry the sQuba is an electric vehicle that can cruise 10 metres underwater thanks to two powerful jets in the bowel.
On land the car has an electric motor driving the rear wheels and is zero emissions.
Mr Rinderknecht said it had been a dream of his to recreate a car like Bond’s Esprit.
‘Thirty years later this amazing - yet at the time animated - film sequence materializes and becomes reality, in today's world,’ he said, leaving us slightly confused.
The car converts into an amphibious vehicle at the touch of a single button and the occupants are supplied with air by a self-contained onboard system.
From the pictures though it looks like the roof is open so perhaps what they mean is hold you breath and drive into the sea.
Rinspeed promises to unveil the concept at the Geneva show next year and Mr Rinderknecht confirms it will be ‘Attention Guaranteed’.
I'm surprised no kit car firms have come up with an amphibious car that looks like a '70s Esprit. The market for it would be huge. Dutton could do it easily - a take on the Amphijeep, but based on, say, an MR2. Could work and loads of people would want one.
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