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CNN Live At Daybreak
A Floating Car?
Aired September 04, 2003 - 05:52 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Have you ever wanted to head to the beach and just drive right into the water, not to trash your car, but to actually float?
Our Bob Winstead tells us how one British car maker is making that happen, but, of course, it's at a price.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BOB WINSTEAD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tired of wasting time sitting in traffic? Well, if you live near a lake or a river, you may be in luck. A British company, Gibbs Technologies, has made it possible to take your commute from the motorway to the waterway with a high speed amphibious car, the Aquata.
ALAN GIBBS, GIBBS TECHNOLOGIES: Many more people will be able to enjoy getting to work without traffic jams.
WINSTEAD: Amphibious cars are not new. But what makes this one different is speed. It can drive up to 100 miles per hour on land and thanks to a jet in the rear, can go in excess of 30 miles per hour on the water. To achieve these speeds on water, certain problems had to be overcome, like wheels creating drag.
NEIL JENKINS, MANAGING DIRECTOR, GIBBS TECHNOLOGIES: So once the vehicle is fully afloat, the wheels retract and you then accelerate away from the klieg (ph) side and within another five seconds, you're going in the region of 30 miles an hour.
WINSTEAD: The way a vehicle handles in water is quite different from how it handles on the road. A car rolls on its wheels, but a boat planes over the water. The Aquata is designed to do both.
JENKINS: The vehicle is perfectly safe in rivers and in the inland waters, inshore waters.
WINSTEAD: The brainchild of Alan Gibbs, founder and chairman of Gibbs Technologies, the car not only navigates roads and waterways, but legal obstacles, as well.
GIBBS: Well, we've complied with all the regulations relating to boats and all the regulations relating to cars. So this vehicle, as of right, is legal on most waterways that we can ascertain anywhere in the world.
WINSTEAD: And the Aquata isn't just for commuters.
JENKINS: It has obvious military applications, law enforcement applications, rescue, all of those things.
WINSTEAD: This versatility doesn't come cheap.
GIBBS: These vehicles will be somewhere around what you'd currently pay for a high priced sportscar or perhaps for a small helicopter.
WINSTEAD: Whether or not these vehicles will become mainstream remains to be seen. But for some, the Aquata could turn traffic nightmares into smooth sailing.
Bob Winstead, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired September 4, 2003 - 05:52 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Have you ever wanted to head to the beach and just drive right into the water, not to trash your car, but to actually float?
Our Bob Winstead tells us how one British car maker is making that happen, but, of course, it's at a price.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BOB WINSTEAD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tired of wasting time sitting in traffic? Well, if you live near a lake or a river, you may be in luck. A British company, Gibbs Technologies, has made it possible to take your commute from the motorway to the waterway with a high speed amphibious car, the Aquata.
ALAN GIBBS, GIBBS TECHNOLOGIES: Many more people will be able to enjoy getting to work without traffic jams.
WINSTEAD: Amphibious cars are not new. But what makes this one different is speed. It can drive up to 100 miles per hour on land and thanks to a jet in the rear, can go in excess of 30 miles per hour on the water. To achieve these speeds on water, certain problems had to be overcome, like wheels creating drag.
NEIL JENKINS, MANAGING DIRECTOR, GIBBS TECHNOLOGIES: So once the vehicle is fully afloat, the wheels retract and you then accelerate away from the klieg (ph) side and within another five seconds, you're going in the region of 30 miles an hour.
WINSTEAD: The way a vehicle handles in water is quite different from how it handles on the road. A car rolls on its wheels, but a boat planes over the water. The Aquata is designed to do both.
JENKINS: The vehicle is perfectly safe in rivers and in the inland waters, inshore waters.
WINSTEAD: The brainchild of Alan Gibbs, founder and chairman of Gibbs Technologies, the car not only navigates roads and waterways, but legal obstacles, as well.
GIBBS: Well, we've complied with all the regulations relating to boats and all the regulations relating to cars. So this vehicle, as of right, is legal on most waterways that we can ascertain anywhere in the world.
WINSTEAD: And the Aquata isn't just for commuters.
JENKINS: It has obvious military applications, law enforcement applications, rescue, all of those things.
WINSTEAD: This versatility doesn't come cheap.
GIBBS: These vehicles will be somewhere around what you'd currently pay for a high priced sportscar or perhaps for a small helicopter.
WINSTEAD: Whether or not these vehicles will become mainstream remains to be seen. But for some, the Aquata could turn traffic nightmares into smooth sailing.
Bob Winstead, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
