It’s built by Rinspeed, the Swiss concept car maker that always turns up to the Geneva motor show with something a bit wacky. In 2008 it was the Squba that was on display, with company chief Frank Rinderknecht grinning proudly as journalists gawped at his real-life recreation of James Bond’s The Spy Who Loved Me Lotus. How do you turn a Lotus Elise into a sea-worthy Rinspeed Squba?
With the help of one millions Euros. Rinspeed started with a Lotus Elise as a donor car, which they had to buy from their local Lotus dealer because Hethel wanted no official part in the project. And once the lithe Elise had been stripped down, Rinspeed sold the spare parts – including the Toyota engine – back to the same Lotus dealer.
Once the Elise had been pared back to its bare aluminium shell, six (pre-waterproofed) lithium-ion Seabob sea scooter batteries and an electric motor were slotted into the engine bay, so the Squba would run as a zero emissions car. On the road the batteries run in series to provide the highest voltage (equivalent to 72bhp and 118lb ft), and in the water they switch to a parallel set-up to power the two propellers, two water jets and the pump that drains the Squba’s cabin. All the electric bits and pieces were then sealed in a watertight box, every nook and cranny sprayed with foam to keep the Squba afloat, and then one very foolish journalist was invited to drive it. Let’s start with the stuff that’s safe for you – does the Squba still handle like a Lotus Elise on the road?
Not quite. A regular Elise weighs just 860kg, but the extra heft of the electric gear and means the Squba tips the scales at 920kg. The torque does a good job of hefting the Squba off the line, and Rinspeed claims a 7.1 second sprint to 50mph, plus a top speed of 75mph. It could have been faster, but that would require more (heavier) batteries – as it is, the Squba is still quick enough to keep up with most traffic.
The new coilover KW suspension does a good job of dealing with the extra weight, and the steering fluidity will still teach every mainstream manufacturer a thing or two a feel from the wheel. Ultimately it’s a few steps behind the Elise, but for a one-off concept car it’s pretty amazing.
Rinspeed Squba
Rinspeed Squba
Rinspeed Squba
Rinspeed Squba
Rinspeed Squba
