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The Quadski: An ATV that Transforms into a Jet-Ski

By Rain Noe - October 19, 2012

in Cars

Alan Gibbs is an entrepreneur from New Zealand, and for years he's dreamed of mass-manufacturing an amphibious car. He knew it would work; he successfully built a one-off for himself, the Aquada you see below, nearly two decades ago. But after setting up a company to mass produce them, he ran into problems ranging from engine supply to U.S. automobile laws.

The American auto laws were the tough thing to get around, as they require airbags for passenger cars; while in the water, waves slapping harmlessly against the vehicle's hull would constantly trigger the sensors.

So Gibbs changed tack. By creating a smaller, ATV-like vehicle not subject to automotive laws, his dream vehicle was realized, albeit at a slightly smaller scale.

His new product is called the Quadski, and it's going on sale later this year. Here's Gibbs himself narrating a demo:

Pretty nuts, no? And even at $40,000 a pop, Gibbs Sports Amphibians expects to move 1,000 units in the first year of sales.

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Ken

12 years ago

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As I am sure everyone else is thinking, this makes so much more sense then a car that floats. It liberates the design from the fashion of the automobile world and allows it to become pure and thus functional. This vehicle has a very wide market, and can deliver on the expectations given the nearly identical preexisting form factors of each of its parent transportation solutions. Search and rescue just got easier and even more important cheaper as departments can resource a single vehicle and combine training programs. Launching personal watercraft just became old fashioned, "Sheesh, Bob can just drive right in...".

I am going to go out on a limb and say the thing could be the future of personal all terrain standards. Its compromise is in merely a transfer and water jet, the flotation is already acceptably stylish and can be made more or less sea worthy (vs lake or stream) depending on the market from the same chassis. This would make it more attractive to say the bass fisherman vs the Hawaiian lifeguards, from a single base unit. It has serious potential hope they pull it off.

One complaint is the prototype is slightly less of ether then I would like. The wheels sticking out make a hard turn sort of dangerous due to hydrodynamics (I have shaped the rail of a surfboard and then ridden it rather well, I have a bit of a clue on that). I would rather see it in a more rugged 'field and stream' getup to get the design up and running. That market is I suspect looking for this exact product a bit more then the models in the images here. ATV that one drive into the lake and then bass fishes from? CHACHING!
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