Land-locked Swiss invent underwater car
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GENEVA - OK, so the Swiss have invented a car that runs on land and underwater. But did they REALLY have to make it a convertible?

It's called the "sQuba," and conjures up memories of James Bond's amphibious Lotus Esprit from "The Spy Who Loved Me." That fictional vehicle traveled on land and, when chased by bad guys in a helicopter, plunged into the water and became an airtight submarine — complete with "torpedoes" and "depth charges."

But "Q" isn't responsible for this one.

The concept car — which unlike Bond's is not armed — was developed by Swiss designer Rinspeed Inc. and is set to make a splash at the Geneva Auto Show next month.

Company CEO Frank Rinderknecht, a self-professed Bond fan, said he has been waiting 30 years to recreate the car he saw Roger Moore use to drive off of a dock.

The sQuba can plow through the water at a depth of 30 feet and has electrical motors to turn the underwater screw.

You'll have to break out the wetsuit, however.

The car has an open top, meaning that the two passengers are exposed to the elements.

"For safety reasons, we have built the vehicle as an open car so that the occupants can get out quickly in an emergency," said Rinderknecht, 52.

Passengers will be able to keep breathing underwater through an integrated tank of compressed air similar to what is used in scuba diving.

The sQuba's top speed on land is about 77 mph, but it slows down to 3 mph on the surface of the water, and 1.8 mph underwater.

Working with engineering specialists, Rinspeed removed the combustion engine from a sports car and replaced it with several electrical motors. Three are located in the rear — er, aft — with one providing propulsion on land and the other two driving the screw for underwater driving.

"We always want to do cars that are outrageous, which nobody has done before. So we thought, 'Let's make a car dive,'" said Rinderknecht, whose innovative company has made transparent, flying and voice-activated cars in previous attention-grabbing displays at the Geneva Auto Show.

The company calls the sQuba the first real submersible car. Unlike military amphibious vehicles, which can only drive slowly on a lakebed, the sQuba travels like a submarine — either on the surface or submerged.

The interior is resistant to salt water, allowing the skipper to drive into a lake or the sea.

"Many concept cars introduce important new technology," said John Cabaniss at the Association of International Automobile Manufacturers in Washington. "Anything to improve the efficiency of a vehicle, streamlining or reducing the weight of materials, while maintaining strength ... is put into concept cars first."

Cabaniss said the lithium-ion batteries in Rinspeed's car were "state-of-the-art" and added that the car industry in general would be looking for more ways to make things work electronically. But he was skeptical of the overriding idea.

"Other than some kind of a movie situation, for Bond-like stuff with lots of gimmicks, I can't imagine it will have any practical value," Cabaniss said. "Maybe people will need to go from land to water, and traverse a body of water, but underwater? Especially as it gets your suit wet."

Rinderknecht said it cost more than $1.5 million to make the sole sQuba in existence, and that it was difficult to make a car watertight and pressure-resistant enough to be maneuverable underwater.

"The real challenge, however, was to create a submersible car that moves like a fish in water," he added.

Rinspeed is in discussion with commercial manufacturers about making a limited number of the cars. The price? "It would be cheaper than a Rolls-Royce," he said. A 2008 Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe has a sticker price of more than $400,000.

Rinderknecht said it was unlikely that people would soon spot the sQuba tolling down the highway or popping up in your nearby lake.

"They might sell as toys for rich people, perhaps," he said. "I don't see mass transportation switching to cars that dive."

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This recent picture released by Swiss car maker Rinspeed shows people aboard Rinspeed's new model, the sQuba, the world’s first real submersible car that will be presented at the 2008 Geneva car show in March. The zero-emission electric sports car, with power supplied by rechargeable Lithium-Ion batteries, can perform a submerged stabile flight at a depth of 10 meters.
(AFP/RINSPEED-HO)

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galing naman nito, in reality na siya ngayon, dati-rati ay sa james bond movies lang ito makikita..

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I always arrive late at the office,
but I make up for it by leaving early..

parang james bond

Nabalitaan ko to nung nakaraang araw sa Umagang Kay Ganda... Hanep talaga itong kotse na to... Ginaya talaga nito ang concept sa isang James Bond Movie. Thumbs up talaga ako sa naggawa at naka-inbento nito...

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Wow asteeg yanpede ng mahabol c dyesebel

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galing naman....

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ano yan? kailangan mo pa ng diving suit para masakay? coz i can see in the picture na open ung roof. haggard ah. saka its just another eyecandy for those rich people who have nothing better to do than buy all those eyecandy.

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dare

dapat close yung sa loob para inde mabasa yung driver. kung makakagawa sila ng ganyan ok na ok yan. astig na kotse yan. yun nga lang sa atin dito inde pa gaanong pwede yan kasi puro basura mababangga ng kotse na yan baka masira pa.

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Don't STEAL. The GOVERNMENT hates competition. Good in english huh!? It doesn't mean your smart enough.
my other account: crad3r (i use this only if my account is bugged)

talo pa niya ang amphibian tank ng US...ang galing naman nito

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kung lahat tayo ay galing sa unggoy,bakit mukha kang kabayo?

Wow, astig naman.....

Madali na manghuli ng isda.... hehehehe.

Dugong, magingat ka na!!!!

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"I'll take your vengeance on your behalf"

nell_ said:
dapat close yung sa loob para inde mabasa yung driver. kung makakagawa sila ng ganyan ok na ok yan. astig na kotse yan. yun nga lang sa atin dito inde pa gaanong pwede yan kasi puro basura mababangga ng kotse na yan baka masira pa.

oo nga macontaminate lang sya sa ilog pasig.

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sometimes in order not to fall apart you have to let go what keeps you together.

Ayus yan, as long as the car wont do any harm sa environment.

astig ah, talagang papunta na tayo sa modernization ng mundo natin. yung mga nangyayari lang sa tv. ngayon nagiging tunay na. 75% rocks!

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ang galing naman! baka later on magkaroon na ng submarine na for public transportation!

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"WORK hard, PLAY hard, and see the difference in the morning!"
"Whatever plans I have in mind, Lord, I surrender them to YOU. I will do the best I can. But in the end, let Your will be done. Amen"

a very expensive car amen