When the Gibbs people first floated the idea of an amphibious car that could go almost as fast in water as on dry land, I laughed.
It can’t be done I told them: The stuff it needs to make it go well on dry land will sink it when it tries to float, I said.
So they put me in one — and suggested I stop talking crap long enough to eat a little humble pie.
And I did — by the shovel-full — as I rolled from the safety of dry land to the murky waters of a very wet lake with the delicacy of, well, a duck in water.
The Gibbs Aquada is the ultimate amphibious car. It can reach speeds of 80km/h on water and more than twice that on land.
And amazingly, it handles almost as well in the water as on dry land.
I was the first Irish journalist to be treated to the opposite worlds of the Aquada. And my verdict after a quick test spin? Quite simply it’s the ultimate crossover.
It beats turning up in a Fjord Focus (groan) any day. It’s also better looking that a Volkswater Polo, a Citroen Sea 5 or a Suzuki Splash (OK, no more — I promise).
It’s Richard Branson’s favourite car. In 2004 he broke the record for the fastest amphibious crossing of the English Channel in one — though admittedly he did get soaked to the skin in metre-high waves.
Not unlike an MX-5 in looks, the Aquada has three seats — all in the front row with the driver sitting mid-car (or should that be mid-ships) and slightly forward of the passengers.
The engine is mounted in the rear and powers the rear wheels when on the road and belts out a massive one-tonne of jet propulsion when it’s in the water.
And converting it from car to boat requires the pressing of just one button and around twelve seconds as the wheels fold up into their bays.
After that, you simply press the go-pedal.
And there are two reasons to press it hard: the faster it goes the higher it lifts out of the water and the smoother it rides.
More importantly, as the steering is via the jet nozzles, the more thrust that goes through them, the more accurate the steering.
In short, figures of eights are far more accurate and a lot more fun at high speed.
So, great to look at, good to go. How much?
€100,000 would have got you any of the first 50 units, but now the UK manufacturer, Gibbs Technologies, say no more will be sold until they set up a US plant in the not too distant future.
After that, they expect to sell around 100,000 a year when production gets into full swing.
Whatever the price, the Aquada is certainly an acquired taste and won’t be everybody’s dream machine — but if it floats your boat…