What if you could combine boating with driving and a bit of off-road SUV flair? Well, this would be the perfect vehicle for you. Is it a Jeep Wrangler or boat? It’s both. This specialty SUV was build for off-roading on land and swimming at sea. You’ll have to agree it’s pretty diverse, right? Who wouldn’t like the option to go drive straight into any body of water they see and then just keep going?
It can go careening up sand dunes, drive on highways, and take off as your own private personal watercraft. The only difference in this situation is you don’t have to drive down a loading ramp and put your boat in the water. Nope, all you have to do is drive down the ramp into the water, or off the shore into the water, or any place there is a slight decline towards the surface of the water.
Evidently, it is quite a girl magnet, too. There are several short clips of ladies enjoying the watercraft with their gentlemen friends. Of all my favorite appearances, though, I have to say the brunette fishing off the back of the vehicle is my favorite. She seems to be enjoying herself and the day. Who can blame her?
(more…)
Read More
â¨So what is this exactly, and who are the people behind this brainchild of a vehicle? It is an amphibious vehicle made by the folks at Water Car. All manufacturing and produc
It’s Called the Panther, But It’s Amphibious
So what is this exactly, and who are the people behind this brainchild of a vehicle? It is an amphibious vehicle made by the folks at Water Car. All manufacturing and production is handled by their team of designers out of Fountain Valley, California. The particular model you see here is called the Panther, but the original idea was conceived in 1999. The design was based off of a current SUV, and looks very much like a Jeep. Each vehicle is hand-built. They all feature a 6 cylinder Honda engine with a 4 speed manual transmission. When in the water the wheels are lifted up by hydraulics to keep them out of the water. The wheel wells are completely sealed to prevent water from seeping inside. The entire body cavity is filled with coast guard approved closed cell Styrofoam. This makes the craft unsinkable. It runs on 9a octane fuel and has a top land speed of 80mph. At that time the desire was to build the world’s fastest amphibious-type vehicle to be entered into the Guinness Book of World Records. In January 2010, they succeeded. They broke the current record by setting a new one… 44mph. Then the attitude of the build team began to shift. It seems like they had gotten several inquiries during their quest to hit the top spot with Guinness. However, at the time they did not feel like they could manufacture something consistently and keep up with the product demand. They kept working, though. In 2013 they were finally able to create a vehicle that met their quality, maintainability, and reliability standards. This meant the Panther amphibious vehicle was available for the mass market. They bill it as “The Most Fun Vehicle on the Planet.”
What to Know Before You Buy One
Now, before you go running out to purchase one, check your local state regulations. While the vehicle looks impressive, it may not be street legal in your state. The reason being, the Panther comes in two different models. There is a Complete Custom model that is available for $155,000, and a Turnkey Minus model that sells for $126,000. The Complete Custom model can be outfitted with certain extras that do not make it street legal for some states. If that is the case, no worries, you can still purchase the Turnkey Minus model. It is the model that is street legal more often than not. Again, the key is to check your state guidelines. It would stink to pay all of that money for a tricked out amphibious vehicle only to find out you are not allowed to drive it in your state. Never fear, though, they have links to the DMV on their website. Also, you can give them a call to see what other advice they might offer. However, if you do live in a state where owning and driving one is legal, then one thing is for sure. This is going to be one of your favorite purchases, hands down! It is every guy’s dream to be able to drive their jeep into the water, hop into the back seat and go fishing. The only thing better would be if this thing came outfitted with its own personal toilet. Then, we might never leave the vehicle at all!
Read Less
