First submarine car to be unveiled in March

A couple driving a Squba. AFP

GENEVA, Saturday (AFP) - A car that can be driven underwater is set to be unveiled next month at the International Geneva Motor Show, the Swiss manufacturer of the prototype announced yesterday.

The 'Squba' is like something out of a James Bond film and, according to the manufacturer Rinspeed, is the world's first real submersible car. Rinspeed's head, Frank Rinderknecht, is a James Bond enthusiast who has dreamed of making the amphibious vehicle come true.

"For three decades I have tried to imagine how it might be possible to build a car that can fly under water," said Rinderknecht in a statement. "Now we have made this dream come true." The convertible sports car transforms into an underwater vehicle in which passengers breathe with the help of compressed air masks. "It is undoubtedly not an easy task to make a car watertight and pressure resistant enough to be maneuverable under water," said Rinderknecht. "The real challenge, however, was to create a submersible car that moves like a fish in water."

Propelled by electric motors, the car can descend up to 10 metres (32.8 feet) underwater. Aesthetic appeal aside, the open-top design of the car is actually a safety feature that permits passengers to get out quickly during an emergency and avert the problem of excessive water pressure on the windows of a closed car. The invention will be presented at the car show in Geneva, which opens to the press March 4 and runs for the public from March 6 through March 16.