You’ve probably heard the phrase keep it simple stupid. Honestly, there’s nothing stupid about this interesting amphibious car project from PeterSripol on YouTube. It is, however, blissfully simple in design and construction, and that could be the single reason why it works so damn well.
Of course, when we say works well, we mean the basic concept of an amphibious car being functional on both land and water. This, um, machine isn’t fast by any stretch of the imagination, nor is it remotely road-legal. It has no doors, no interior, no roof, no turn signals, and as far as we can tell, no brakes even. But, it does have a steering wheel controlling two wheels in front, and two wheels at the back are chain-driven by a gasoline engine. Under full throttle, it appears to reach a velocity similar to that of a modest jogger, but its tires carry it across the ground without issue.
In the water, the same five-horsepower engine that drives the wheels turns a propeller. It’s rigged up with a gearing system so it spins with enough force to move the craft through the water at a very leisurely pace, but still, it goes forward. It’s not what you’d call exciting to drive, that is, until you drive into or out of the water because let’s be honest. That’s the real fun in driving an amphibious car, and it seems to make the transition without any problems at all.
What makes this so brilliant? It’s basically a simple steel frame mounted to the bottom of an aluminum jon boat, where the built-in benches are used as wheel arches. Large go-kart tires give the boat just enough clearance for the prop to safely turn without hitting the ground, and since the wheels and prop are driven off the same chain, both turn at the same time. As such, there’s always propulsion regardless of the water depth, and the prop is always protected. A bit of welding and sealing on the boat was all it took to make this crazy idea work. The beauty is in the simplicity.
This may not be the end of the project, either. At the end of the clip, we’re told the idea could be revisited with perhaps a bigger budget and electric power. We aren’t sure about that last bit, given how water and electricity don’t always get along. But we’re certainly keen to see more simple solutions for complex ideas.
Time