Gibbs Aquada – The Amphibious Car That Almost Was

I recently heard about the Gibbs Aquada and, after a bit of research, thought it sounded like a vehicle that could have been something very special but, for whatever reason, it never reached anywhere close to its full potential!

Amphibious Cars

Amphibious cars have never quite worked out. If you look at the Amphicar, for example, they do indeed work on the road and in the water. However, they aren’t particularly impressive in either mode. That’s where the Aquada could have been the game changer.

Gibbs Technologies, based in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, was the brains behind the project that claimed to produce the world’s first high-speed amphibian (HSA), capable of over 100mph on land and over 30mph on water.

From the front, the Aquada had a look that could be compared to a beefed-up Mazda MX-5, largely because it borrowed its headlights from the MX-5. Inside though, it had a much more boat-like appearance. There were no doors, entry was boat-style, climbing over the side and the cockpit had three seats instead of the two you’re probably used to in a car. You could say it’s McLaren P1 style with the driver in a central position but that is probably taking it one step too far!

The Aquada was powered by a 2.5-litre V6 engine from the Land Rover Freelander which was positioned in the middle of the vehicle. It was rear-wheel drive and had a four-speed automatic gearbox, which delivered 175bhp, enough to get the Aquada from 0-60mph in around 8.5 seconds and up to a top speed of 110mph (on the road, obviously).

Even in the water, it wasn’t exactly slow – it could reach speeds of 30mph which, again, is much more appealing than most other amphibious vehicles.

Why The Aquada Didn’t Quite Make It

Despite its impressive design and capabilities, the Gibbs Aquada faced several challenges that, ultimately, would lead to its disappearance. Perhaps the main issues were in the build and production.

Building a vehicle that functions as both a high-performance car and a speedboat is no easy task, and the price tag reflected that. At launch, the Aquada was priced at over £150,000, putting it out of reach for most drivers.

On top of that, regulatory issues posed significant hurdles. As the Aquada had to meet both automotive and maritime regulations, the process of getting it approved for road and water use was complex and time-consuming. These challenges, combined with the high production costs, limited the commercial success of the Aquada, and production eventually had to be stopped.

The Future Of Amphibious Vehicles

While the Gibbs Aquada may not have become a mainstream vehicle, it does go to show that things that are said to be impossible can be done. What I find most exciting is that there are still some examples of the Aquada floating around (excuse the pun!)

To me, that means its journey might not be completely over and, at some point in the future, someone might try to finish the Aquadas story. If that happens, we still might see them out on the road and in the water.

Specifications of the Gibbs Aquada