World’s fastest water car debuts

The world’s fastest Jeep-style amphibious car has been designed. The vehicle made by a California, United States-based motor company, Panther, can be driven straight from the land into the water and goes from a car to a boat in just 15 seconds.


The vehicle named after its maker, the Panther, can reach water speeds of up to 45mph, almost as fast as an average speedboat and is fitted with a custom-made 3.7 litre V6 engine, fibreglass hull and lightweight chromoly steel chassis. It is also capable of reaching speeds of 80mph on land.

James Bond, played by Sir Roger Moore, famously drove an amphibious Lotus Esprit from the land into the sea during the 1976 film, The Spy Who Loved Me.

According to the maker, water car partner, 66-year-old Fred Selby, from Newport Beach, California, spent 11 years fine-tuning the machine before he felt ready to put it on the market.

The Panther’s design is based on a Jeep CJ8 Scrambler, while its lightweight chassis is made of chromoly steel, designed to slip into a fibreglass hull similar to those used on Formula 1 cars. 

Once in the water, the Panther is remarkably stable for a boat that is only 15 ft (4.6 m) in length.
The hull is also filled with closed-cell styrofoam to help the car stay afloat.

The engine for the Panther is the latest-generation Acura 3.7-liter VTEC V-6 engine, custom-fitted with aluminium parts, an overhead camshaft cylinder head and 24 valves.

Both intake and exhaust valves are controlled by Acura’s Variable valve Timing and lift Electronic Control (VTEC) system.

This engine produces 305 horsepower at 6,300 rpm and on land the Panther can reach speeds of around 80mph.
It needs to be travelling at around 15mph to enter the water and can then reach top speeds of almost 45mph.

To drive the Panther in water, the driver must put the four-speed gear changer in neutral, pull a knob to switch the transfer case to ‘jet drive’, hydraulically lift the wheels and tyres out of the water, and start boating.

This entire process, according to its maker takes less than 15 seconds.

The Panther price starts at £49,800 ($76,000) for a “Rolling chassis,” £70,000 ($106,000) for a “Turn-key minus” version, and £89,000 ($135,000) for a complete Panther.
The Rolling chassis is a kit and additional components can be bought off the shelf.
The Turn-key minus version doesn’t come with an engine.
Source: Tribune