Forget about putting the top down -- the sQuba, designed by Rinspeed Inc. of Switzerland, lets you put the whole car down, down about 30 feet underwater. An integrated tank of compressed air enables passengers to continue breathing when submerged. The sQuba was designed as a convertible to let passengers escape in an emergency.
The sQuba is powered by several electric motors, one propelling the car on land and two others driving the screw underwater -- one if by land, two if by sea? The sQuba tops out at only 77 mph on land, but comes nowhere near that speed on the water: just 1.8 mph submerged.
Want to take one for spin, er, swim? Be patient -- only one sQuba exists so far, though Rinspeed is talking with manufacturers about building a limited number of the cars. In the meantime, start saving your pocket change: the prototype cost $1.5 million to build, although the sQuba's creator says sale models would be "cheaper than a Rolls-Royce."
Source: AP
The sQuba is powered by several electric motors, one propelling the car on land and two others driving the screw underwater -- one if by land, two if by sea? The sQuba tops out at only 77 mph on land, but comes nowhere near that speed on the water: just 1.8 mph submerged.
Want to take one for spin, er, swim? Be patient -- only one sQuba exists so far, though Rinspeed is talking with manufacturers about building a limited number of the cars. In the meantime, start saving your pocket change: the prototype cost $1.5 million to build, although the sQuba's creator says sale models would be "cheaper than a Rolls-Royce."
Source: AP
