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| Science & Technology |
| First submarine car to be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show |
| 2008-02-17 |
| Thankfully too late to save Ted Kennedy's presidential ambitions, this long-awaited James Bond sci-fi technology is finally here: GENEVA (AFP) - A car that can be driven underwater is set to be unveiled next month at the International Geneva Motor Show, the Swiss manufacturer of the prototype announced on Friday. The 'Squba' is like something out of a James Bond film and, according to the manufacturer Rinspeed, is the world's first real submersible car. Rinspeed's head, Frank Rinderknecht, is a James Bond enthusiast who has dreamed of making the amphibious vehicle come true. "For three decades I have tried to imagine how it might be possible to build a car that can fly under water," said Rinderknecht in a statement. "Now we have made this dream come true." The convertible sports car transforms into an underwater vehicle in which passengers breathe with the help of compressed air masks. "It is undoubtedly not an easy task to make a car watertight and pressure resistant enough to be maneuverable under water," said Rinderknecht. "The real challenge however was to create a submersible car that moves like a fish in water." Propelled by electric motors, the car can descend up to 10 metres (32.8 feet) underwater. Aesthetic appeal aside, the open-top design of the car is actually a safety feature that permits passengers to get out quickly during an emergency and avert the problem of excessive water pressure on the windows of a closed car. The invention will be presented at the car show in Geneva, which opens to the press March 4 and runs for the public from March 6 through March 16. Rinspeed was not available Friday to specify the sale price of the new model. Snazzy looking contraption, but more importantly I think you could stack 3 of them, at least 2 anyway, in a de-activated Trident missile tube. What kind of paint job would SEALs prefer? |
| Posted by:Atomic Conspiracy |
| #4 From the looks of it, it's best suited for ego trips. |
| Posted by: GK 2008-02-17 19:43 |
| #3 Paging Mayor Nagin: Your new school buses are here! |
| Posted by: Skunky Glins5285 2008-02-17 17:18 |
| #2 Great! I'll call my State Farm agent tomorrow and ... |
| Posted by: mrp 2008-02-17 09:27 |
| #1 nice try, Rinspeed, better if it wasn't a convertible. Awfully uncool to get out of your aqua car and shake the seawater and anchovies out of your pants |
| Posted by: Frank G 2008-02-17 06:01 |