The car that thinks it's a powerboat: The 60mph amphibious car that rules the waves



The awkward styling is unlikely to tempt car-lovers away from their Ferraris and Porsches.

But then this £125,000 machine has a party piece to blow its competitors clean out of the water.

It is called the Python, and its makers claim it is the fastest amphibious vehicle ever sold.

It can hit 60mph on the waves - quicker than many speedboats - but is said to be equally at home on the road. All the driver has to do before leaving dry land is put the gears into neutral, engage the jet drive, then push a button to raise the wheels.



I'm off: The Python takes to the waves as easily as it travels on the road, hitting speeds of 60mph in the water



Where to park? The Python is at home among traditional sea-going vessels



When coming out of the water, the driver simply reverses the process.

The Python is powered on land by a V8 engine from a Chevrolet Corvette, which produces 640 horsepower and enables the 3,800lb machine to reach 100mph. On water, thrust is provided by its Dominator Jet, which gives around 500 horsepower.

It is the first time such a potent powerplant has been put on an amphibious car. It allows the Python to skim the tops of waves and travel at double the speed of its closest rivals.

The five-seat Python is built by the California-based company WaterCar.



The Python weighs nearly two tonnes, so power it certainly needs. It is 30mph faster than its closest competition - the Gibbs Aquada also built in the U.S. - and is 54mph faster than the Dutton Mariner which is built in Britain.

Fancy a race? The Python lines up next to two much larger boats



The Aquada has a similar power drive and also boasts retractable wheels, but Dave March, creator of the Python, says it is the hull design - which rides higher in the water than competitors' - allied to the Dominator Jet that gives his snake-named amphibian its bite.



'I noticed in the late 1990's that a number of design specifications between cars and boats were being shared,' he said.



'Boat manufactures were using lightweight high-performance automotive-type engines. Car manufacturers were incorporating light-weight marine-type composite and alloy bodies and chassis. It sparked the idea of developing high-performance cars that could be driven on the water.



'My vision was to see high-performance cars that were also high-performance boats.



'But I was not interested in previous amphibious vehicles that just float around. I was interested in designing a high-performance automobile capable of getting to plane on top of the water, to reach motorway-style speeds on the water.'

Back on dry land: The vehicle is driven easily back onto the ground



With the front end of a truck, the rear end of a Corvette, and the interior of a boat, this certainly is an awkward looking vehicle.



It has a truck-like stance on the road due to the lightweight hull on the bottom, so drivers must beware of speed bumps. The wheels tuck up into the hull when on the water, giving it more speed.

Ever since the Amphicar was manufactured in Berlin, Germany, from 1962 to 1967 - with most of the 4,500 produced commercially being sold in America at the then high price of £3,000 - car makers have sought to conquer the waves with machines equally at home on land.

Luxurious: The interior of the Python is in the style of a speedboat. Buyers with £125,000 to spare can choose from 60,000 shades of paintwork



But cost - the Aquada is £150,000 - has meant that they remain luxury items for luxury lifestyle individuals. Relatively few have been sold - and that will probably remain the destiny of the Python in these dire financial times.



On land it will easily hit 100mph while its 60mph top speed on water puts it near the high-end of luxury speedboats.



Buyers are given the chance of customising their vehicles and have a mind boggling choice of 60,000 colour shades for the paintwork to choose from, and 4,000 different colours for the interior.

