Mar 12 2008
sQuba, world’s first swimming car!
sQuba, the swimming car came out of dreams!
Frank M Rinderknecht, the 52-year-old automobile visionary and boss of Swiss automaker Rinspeed manufactured the world’s first real submersible car that can ‘move like a fish underwater’. It can dive up to 32.8 feet (10 mt) below the surface of the water and can move at a sedate 1.8 miles per hour.
Rinspeed sQuba is the most exciting thing at this year’s Geneva Motor Show and is creating many a ripple.
The electric car is based on energy-saving LED lighting technology. Three electric motors propel the wonder car. This car is totally environmental friendly as it is declared a zero-emission car as documented by the rotating license plate in the rear. It produces no exhaust emissions.
The history of swimming cars included the first car named Quandt’s Amphibicar, built in 1968. Only 3,878 units of that were produced but not much successful attempt in water was recorded. Many are still being driven on roads. Then Gibbs Technologies came up with Gibbs Aquada in 2004 which Virgin boss Richard Branson used to break the speed record for crossing the English Channel.
These attempts are followed by the sQuba in 2008 which seems to be the most exciting of them all.
The sQuba is 3′785 mm long and 1”940 mm wide. Its height is 1′117 mm. It can be run with a maximum speed of 120 Km/h which changes to 6 Km/h under water. Its Power output is max. 54 kW at 4′500 /min
The sQuba is environment friendly and all factors are considered for safe drive also. It has an open cockpit for ’safety reasons’ so that people can get out easily anytime in case of an emergency. The occupants of the car have to breathe compressed air through built-in scuba masks.
The sQuba can be run on roads through a stainless coil-over suspension from KW automotive and large Pirelli tires mounted on custom-made forged light-weight wheels from AEZ with 17 and 18 inch diameters.’
