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Amphibious Encyclopedia · ATVs and work machines

Gibbs Quadski

The Gibbs Quadski is a single-seat amphibious all-terrain vehicle that drives like a quad bike on land and, after its wheels fold up, rides like a personal watercraft on water [3][6]. Gibbs Sports Amphibians presented it in 2012 as the first of its High Speed Amphibian designs offered for sale to the public, and about 1,000 were built in Michigan before production ended in 2016 [1][3][4].

  • ATVs and work machines
  • 2012 to 2016
  • United States

History

The Quadski came out of the High Speed Amphibian research that New Zealand entrepreneur Alan Gibbs and engineer Neil Jenkins had pursued for about 15 years. At its launch the company said more than $200 million had gone into the technology [1][2]. Gibbs told Powersports Business that the idea began with the need to cross a tidal area on his New Zealand farm [2].

In September 2012 Gibbs announced it had bought a 54,000 sq ft (5,000 square meter) factory in Auburn Hills, Michigan, able to build up to 20 Quadskis a day, with production due to start in mid-October and dealer sales in November [1]. The machine sold through powersports dealers for about $40,000, and the company planned 1,000 sales in the first year [2]. A two-seat Quadski XL with a larger hull followed in 2015 [5].

Production ended in 2016. The maker says just over 1,000 Quadski and Quadski XL units were built and all were sold [3][4].

Design and how it works

The Quadski has an aluminum frame, a composite hull, independent suspension and disc brakes at all four wheels [5]. Its engine is a marine-adapted version of the 1.3 liter four-cylinder from BMW's K 1300 motorcycle, driving the rear wheels through a six-speed gearbox on land [2][5]. A Gibbs water jet provides thrust on water, and the rider steers by turning the handlebars, which aim the jet nozzle [3][6].

To go from land to water, the rider drives in and presses a button. The four wheels swing up into the body and are disconnected from the drivetrain, a change the maker says takes under 5 seconds [3][6]. The hull then planes in under 3 seconds, according to Gibbs [3]. Approaching land, the wheels are lowered again so the rider can drive straight out [1].

Reception and legacy

autoevolution judged the Quadski more successful than the earlier Gibbs Aquada car, while naming its high price and rear-wheel drive, which limited grip in mud and sand, as drawbacks [5]. In a 2014 episode of the BBC series Top Gear, Jeremy Clarkson raced a Quadski across Lake Como in Italy against Richard Hammond in an Alfa Romeo 4C [5][6].

The Quadski is no longer made, by Gibbs or under license [6]. Gibbs Amphibians in New Zealand supplies parts and technical support, and its Quadski website says work on a next-generation high-speed amphibian continues [3][4].

Sources

  1. GIBBS Acquires Auburn Hills Factory to Build Revolutionary Quadski (Gibbs press release), PR Newswire (2012-09-13). prnewswire.com/news-releases/gibbs-acquires-auburn-hills-factory-to-build-revolutionary-quadski-169610236.html
  2. An ATV? A PWC? Actually, it's 'fun squared.', Powersports Business (2012-11-28). powersportsbusiness.com/top-stories/2012/11/28/an-atv-a-pwc-actually-its-fun-squared
  3. Quadski, Gibbs Amphibians. gibbsamphibians.com/platform/quadski
  4. About (Gibbs Quadski), Gibbs Quadski. quadski.com/about
  5. The Gibbs Quadski Was a Revolutionary Amphibious Vehicle That Deserves To Be Remembered, autoevolution (2022-08-29). www.autoevolution.com/news/the-gibbs-quadski-was-a-revolutionary-amphibious-vehicle-that-deserves-to-be-remembered-197204.html
  6. Gibbs Quadski, Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibbs_Quadski

Last reviewed November 2026. Spotted something to correct or add? Tell us and include a source.

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WaterCar has designed and built amphibious vehicles in Southern California for more than 25 years. We keep this encyclopedia so anyone curious about vehicles that cross between land and water has one place to start, with the sources listed for every fact.

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