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Amphibious Encyclopedia · Amphibious cars

Rinspeed sQuba

The Rinspeed sQuba is a one-off Swiss concept car that can drive on roads, float, and travel underwater to about 10 m (33 ft) [1][2]. Shown at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show and inspired by a James Bond film, it is listed by Guinness World Records as the first submarine car [1][2].

  • Amphibious cars
  • 2008 (one-off concept)
  • Switzerland

History

Rinspeed founder Frank M. Rinderknecht said the idea came from the 1977 James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me, in which a Lotus Esprit turns into a submarine, and that he had imagined such a car for about 30 years [1][6]. Rinspeed announced the sQuba in December 2007 [5]. It was developed in six months, with the Swiss firm Esoro as general contractor, and was shown at the Geneva Motor Show from 6 to 16 March 2008 [1].

Guinness World Records lists the sQuba as the first submarine car [2]. The Associated Press reported that the single car cost more than $1.5 million to build [3][4]. Rinspeed discussed building a small number with outside manufacturers, and Rinderknecht said any such car would cost less than a Rolls-Royce, but no production schedule was announced [3][6].

Design and how it works

The sQuba is built on a Lotus Elise and is fully electric, powered by rechargeable lithium-ion batteries [2][6]. Three electric motors sit at the rear. One drives the rear wheels on land, and two turn the propellers used in water [1][3]. Two Seabob jet units at the front help steer and lift the car underwater [1][2].

When driven into water, the car floats. To dive, the occupants let water into the cabin, and the car then moves under the surface like a small submarine rather than driving along the bottom [1][6]. The car is open so that its two occupants can get out quickly in an emergency, and they breathe compressed air from an onboard supply through scuba-style regulators [1][3][6]. Rinspeed calculated that a closed cabin holding about 2 cubic meters (71 cu ft) of air would need roughly two extra tons of weight to go under [1]. Without occupants, the car rises to the surface on its own [1][6]. The interior was made to resist water and salt, and Rinspeed's partners supplied biodegradable lubricants [1][6]. On land it can also drive itself, using Ibeo laser sensors [1].

Reported speeds are about 120 km/h (75 mph) on land, about 6 km/h (3.7 mph) on the surface and about 3 km/h (1.9 mph) underwater [6]. The Associated Press gave similar figures of 77 mph, 3 mph and 1.8 mph [3].

Sources

  1. Rinspeed AG - sQuba, Rinspeed. www.rinspeed.com/en/sQuba_30_concept-car.html
  2. First submarine car, Guinness World Records. www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/first-submarine-car
  3. Swiss create Bond-like underwater car, NBC News (Associated Press) (2008-02-15). www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/wbna23183588
  4. International Spys Beware: Swiss Create Underwater Car, Old Cars Weekly (2008-02-26). www.oldcarsweekly.com/news/underwater-car-squba
  5. sQuba: World's First Underwater Car, Phys.org (2007-12-20). phys.org/news/2007-12-squba-world-underwater-car.html
  6. Rinspeed sQuba, Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rinspeed_sQuba

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

About the Amphibious Encyclopedia

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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