WaterCar

The WaterCar in this folder is a high-speed amphibious car that was being built and tested in secret in southern California in 2003. Its story reached the archive through a series of emails from Ron Costa, a boat designer. According to his sources the builder was a retired entrepreneur from the Newport Beach area. The builder wanted to stay anonymous until testing was finished, and at that stage the car had no name.

Design

The car is a red four-seater, about 15.5 ft (4.7 m) long with a 64 in (1.63 m) beam, rumoured to weigh about 3,000 lb (1,360 kg). It was said to have more than 300 hp. The wheels retract, and hydraulic panels then close over the wheel wells to smooth the hull. Hans Rosloot noted that the rear wheel arches had been the main obstacle for Gibbs Technologies' rival project. Costa thought the hull was close to flat-bottomed and suited to fairly calm water.

Trials

Sea trials began in April 2003, when the car was photographed at an estimated 16-18 knots. By May it was reported doing about 30 knots (about 56 km/h), against a target of more than 40 knots. Over 25-27 May 2003 it was shown off at Lake Havasu in what Costa took to be a run-up to a press release. The builder was said to have the financial backing for production and was considering either full production or a kit.

The folder also contains photographs of a later Jeep-styled model (see WaterCar Gator).