Melbourne: James Bond’s amphibious Lotus Esprit plunging into the Sardinian sea could now be a reality by 2040.
Two futuristic concept vehicles, the ASQ and Hydron, which can travel on both land and water, are being touted as the vehicles of the future where climate change has altered the landscape, reports the Age.
South Korean transport design graduate Juyoung Kim envisaged that by 2040 his ASQ vehicle - it combines a car, a boat and a submarine - would be needed by “a world where the worst-case global warming predictions have materialised and the sea levels have risen dramatically due to the melting of the polar ice caps”.
He claims the car will be ideal in a world where flooding will become commonplace.
The ASQ switches to a water-jet propulsion system similar to a jet-ski when under water.
The three-seater Hydron, designed by Belgian engineer David Cardoso, has watertight electric motors in each wheel, which becomes a propeller when in the water.
He claims the Hydron is different from other amphibious vehicles as it will be equally comfortable on land and sea.
Audi Australia's Sean Poppitt said the company had given the student designers of the ASQ and the Hydron permission to use its brand name and styling from various late-model Audis as the basis of their concept cars, but they were not official Audi designs.
ANI
First Published: Sunday, June 19, 2011, 21:26