Gibbs Quadski Preview

Amphibious machine coming to market by year's end

We’d imagine just about every PWC enthusiast would love to hit the water without the need of a tow vehicle. While waterfront living isn’t in the cards for the majority of us, a new amphibious vehicle called the Gibbs Quadski promises to go from land to sea at the push of a button.

Due to hit U.S. retailers before the end of 2012, the Quadski transforms from an off-road four-wheeler to a personal watercraft in just four seconds. And unlike amphibious vehicles of the past, the Quadski promises reasonably high speeds of 45mph on land and on water.

“Quadski represents an investment of more than $200-million and two-million man hours of work over a period of 15 years,” says Gibbs Sports Amphibians Inc. founder Alan Gibbs. “With the introduction of Quadski next month, our dream of providing high-speed amphibian transportation to consumers will become a reality.”

The Gibbs Quadski is ready for water or land use in seconds.

The most notable feature of the Quadski is its wheel retracting system built into the suspension. While the suspension is said to provide “superb ride and handling” on land, it retracts at the push of a button on the water. When you want to go for a spin on the lake, you simply ride in and push the retract button and in four seconds you’re ready to go.

The Quadski features an innovation suspension that allows the wheels to retract in four seconds for water use.

Powering the Quadski is BMW’s K1300 engine. On the water the engine is coupled with Gibbs’ water jet propulsion system. Gibbs says its jets are lighter and more compact than traditional marine industry water jets and provide high levels of thrust and manoeuvrability on water. Gibbs water jet technology boasts the ability to propel the Quadski to planing speed in seconds. The engine produces a claimed 175 horsepower, which is slightly more than an entry-level PWC, but far more than any production ATV has ever seen. We’d imagine Gibbs has found a way to mute that power substantially for use on land, as attested by its 45mph top speed.

“We consider this engine to be the most technologically advanced, light-weight engine available today and ideally suited to power a High Speed Amphibian,” says Gibbs Chairman Neil Jenkins. “We are especially pleased to be working with BMW, a premium vehicle manufacturer known throughout the world for product quality and engineering excellence.”

Can you do this with your PWC?

Gibbs HSA technology is incorporated into the hull. According to Gibbs, the hull provides a stable planing surface and lateral grip for responsive handling on water.

“The hull is designed to be aerodynamic in road mode and hydrodynamic in marine mode,” says Gibbs. “The Quadski’s hull is strong, durable, light-weight and is manufactured from a single-piece mould using current composite technology.”

The hull of the Quadski resembles a normal PWC hull…except with wings.

A quick look at the dimensions (and photos) reveals that the Quadski is shaped a little differently than a traditional personal watercraft. It measures in at 126 inches long, 63 inches wide, and weighs in at 1,300 pounds. For comparison’s sake, the Kawasaki Jet Ski Ultra 300X is about six inches longer, 16 inches narrower, and weighs 260 pounds less than the Quadski.

While the Quadski won’t match the on-water performance of a traditional PWC, the ability to take it for an spin on the off-road trails is certainly interesting. Can you think of a better way to get to a hard-to-reach lake? However, this amphibious functionality comes at a cost – around $40,000. For that price, you would have no trouble buying the best PWC and the best ATV and have plenty of money to spare. Of course, you’d also need a little more room in your garage.

If you’ve got $40,000 burning a hole in your pocket, the Quadski will be available by the end of 2012.

The Quadski is made by Michigan-based Gibbs Sports Amphibians Inc. For more information on the Quadski, visit http://www.gibbssports.com/quadski.