Revolutionary Amphibious Car: The Gibbs Aquada

FLINT JOURNAL -- Gibbs Technologies, a British company, hopes to begin marketing the revolutionary amphibious car, the Aquada (pictured above), as early as late 2009. It has established a temporary tech center in southeast Michigan and recently announced plans to move into a permanent facility in Auburn Hills with the help of a $5.9-million state tax break.

The Gibbs Aquada is an amphibious vehicle capable of speeds up to 100 miles per hour on land and 30 mph in the water. Gibbs has won dozens of patents to make what it calls High-Speed Amphibian technology a reality. With about $100 million spent on its development, the Aquada is capable of 113 mph on land and 35 mph on water with the 175-horsepower engine used in the prototypes. Those top speeds are expected to rise to 135 mph and 40 mph once the vehicle is equipped with the 250-horsepower V-6 engine the company is planning to use for production.

The amphibious car is an idea auto enthusiasts have dreamed of almost since the first automobile took to the road. But before Gibbs, technological limitations stood in the way. One example was the 1960s Amphicar, which was capable of only 7 mph in the water.

Estimated price: $85,000