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Toys Technology

A Camaro That Leaves A Wake 391

Posted by timothy from the grand-theft-wtf dept.
Artana Niveus Corvum writes "I came across this entirely at random, but it seems like someone with too much time on his hands has taken an old idea and improved on it... and come up with something truly unique and cool: a car based on a 2002 Camaro body with a Subaru WRX Turbo engine (300 horsepower) capable of going over 125MPH that doubles as a boat capable of going over 40MPH."
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A Camaro That Leaves A Wake More

A Camaro That Leaves A Wake

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  • Slashdotted already (Score:5, Funny)

    by PatrickThomson ( 712694 ) on Sunday May 02, 2004 @10:54PM (#9037827)
    2 below-threshold comments and it's down ... come on people, you're like the hand of a vengeful god of websites!

  • Well (Score:5, Funny)

    by ebob9 ( 726509 ) * on Sunday May 02, 2004 @10:54PM (#9037828)
    This will sure resolve all those commuter issues in Venice.

  • 40MPH? (Score:4, Funny)

    by Hatta ( 162192 ) on Sunday May 02, 2004 @10:54PM (#9037830) Journal
    40MPH? What's that in knots?

  • But what is the price? (Score:4, Interesting)

    by thing2b ( 683741 ) on Sunday May 02, 2004 @10:55PM (#9037832) Homepage
    Engine 2.5 Subaru Turbo
    Transmission Rancho 4-Speed Manual
    Jet Berkeley 12 JE
    Length 207"
    Width 75"
    Height 49"
    Weight 2775 Lbs.
    Wheelbase 100"
    Road Speed 125 MPH
    Water Speed 45 MPH
    Fuel Capacity 22 Gallons

    BUT WHAT IS THE PRICE?

    • Re:But what is the price? (Score:5, Funny)

      by Phsyco ( 188558 ) on Sunday May 02, 2004 @11:01PM (#9037877)
      Does anyone know of a mass produced land/water capable vehicle past or present? I wonder if there would be a market large enough to justify an assembly line for these things.

      Unless of course the make amphibious SUVs, the exhaust contributes to global warming, which raises the water level, which makes them useful.

      Where do I get one?
    • Just to let you know, he actually is building more of them to sell, no price was listed that I could see. Although maybe its probably if you have to ask, its too much.
    • OK, maybe someone who has seen the actual site can tell me if the original car was a Camaro or a Z28, seeing as the 2002 Z28 puts out 305HP on its own, and gets well past 125mph at its top speed (I believe the computer limits it to 147mph without mods, and I know I've been to 122 in my 2002 SS with plenty of room to spare). Maybe the modifications that allow it to float interfere with higher speeds?

      • Re:But what is the price? (Score:5, Interesting)

        by Afrosheen ( 42464 ) on Sunday May 02, 2004 @11:17PM (#9037967)
        I'm guessing they chose the Subaru engine for packaging. The Subaru STi engine they're using is a turbocharged 2.5 liter flat four (opposing cylinders) boxer engine. The layout and size of the engine is ideal for a watercar. The Camaro v8 is a monstrosity compared to this engine, and it is quite tall in comparison.

        Liter for liter, the Subaru engine is better for this application.

      • Re:But what is the price? (Score:4, Insightful)

        by Anonymous Coward on Sunday May 02, 2004 @11:44PM (#9038085)
        Maybe they want it to last for more than 10,000 miles? Just guessing.

      • Re:But what is the price? (Score:5, Informative)

        by Hadlock ( 143607 ) on Monday May 03, 2004 @01:30AM (#9038379) Homepage Journal
        The car's engine has been moved to the rear, effectively making it a mid engine. Using a Subaru engine, which is relatively short, allows them to fit it in the trunk, and use the transaxle that comes bolted to it (just wield together the spidergears providing the power to the rear wheels to make it provide power to what would have been the front wheels in the Subaru and are now the rear wheels in the Camaro). By putting the engine in the rear, it allows for proper weight ratios of a powerboat and allows it to hydroplane properly. It also makes for a nice, neat package, and in all honesty, you don't need more than 300 hp for a powerboat, good torque curve or not.

        Also the pictures of it show an air intake in the trunk. It makes more sense to delete the engine from the front, as you need a place to put the front wheels (which are shown as retracted in the boat-pics) while it's in the water. Just relocate the gas tank to the front. Problem solved.

        P.S. I have the mopar chip installed in my car (1994 1/2 beat to hell Dodge Neon) and have been to 135 and still have room to spare (drivetrain tops out at 152mph) :)
  • Comment removed based on user account deletion

  • WRX or STi? (Score:4, Informative)

    by Slack3r78 ( 596506 ) on Sunday May 02, 2004 @10:55PM (#9037838) Homepage
    Slight nitpick, but is it using the engine from a WRX or an STi? They're essentially the same car, but the WRX puts out around 230 horsepower whereas the STi puts out either 276 or 300, depending on where in the world you are.

    This is a really interesting project either way, neat hack.

  • Oblig. Deadmilkmen quote... BITCHIN CAMARO!! (Score:5, Funny)

    by drayzel ( 626716 ) on Sunday May 02, 2004 @10:55PM (#9037840)
    Wow, who would of thought THIS would ever be ON TOPIC?!?! Maybe he wasn't kidding?

    "Uh, how you gonna get down to the shore?
    Funny you should ask, I've got a car now.
    Oh wow, how'd you get a car?
    Oh, my parents drove it up here from the Bahamas.
    You're kidding!
    I must be, the Bahamas are islands, okay, the important thing now, is
    that you ask me what kind of car I have.
    Uh, what kinda car do ya got?
    I've got a
    BITCHIN CAMARO!....."

    (go find the MP3... legaly of course)

    ~Z

  • Google Cache (Score:4, Informative)

    by datastalker ( 775227 ) on Sunday May 02, 2004 @10:57PM (#9037854) Homepage
    Google Cache Here [64.233.161.104]

  • Bitchin Camaro (Score:5, Funny)

    by zazas_mmmm ( 585262 ) on Sunday May 02, 2004 @10:58PM (#9037857)
    Just because it's a speed boat doesn't make it any less of a Camaro.

    It's like a case mod made to look like a can of Hamm's [cox.net].

  • E-8 (Score:5, Funny)

    by TechnologyX ( 743745 ) on Sunday May 02, 2004 @10:59PM (#9037870) Journal
    Looks like we sunk his battleship.. err, server

  • Article Text (Score:5, Informative)

    by Splezunk ( 250168 ) on Sunday May 02, 2004 @11:01PM (#9037879) Homepage
    Dave March - Builder of the WaterCar
    WaterCar, Inc. is the brainchild of Dave March and his two sons. For over thirty years March has been an avid high performance car and boat enthusiast. His passion and desire has been for building and piloting fast planes, boats and cars. To facilitate his obsession for cars and boats he also developed a knack for repairing wrecked cars and boats. For the past twenty years March started and developed his collision repair business into one of the largest, most state of the art facilities in the world. He then took many of the systems and repair techniques that he developed and co-founded the Caliber Collision Center Franchise which currently has annual revenue of over 155 million.

    In 1998 March accepted an offer to sell his business and semi-retired. After putting the finishing touches on his large custom home he built on the golf course in Newport Coast above his 6,000 square foot basement garage/design center equipped with every conceivable tool and piece of equipment imaginable found himself with a lot of spare time and pent up creative juices. This is dangerous combination for Dave March. He was looking for a challenge when his youngest son began looking at amphibious cars. Together they found a 1964 Amphicar and restored it. After all the work, they were disappointed by its performance. It was fun to drive into the water, but once in the water, it was slow and not as much fun as expected.

    March threw himself into researching every amphibious vehicle in the world and discovered that amphibious vehicles are much more popular in Europe. And, to his astonishment, he realized that of all the vehicles ever built, no one had successfully built a true high performance amphibious vehicle.

    That's when it hit him- why not combine his love of high performance cars and boats into a single, high performance amphibious car? "Everything he needed was right here in Southern California". The best hydraulics are available from the low-rider crowd and the rear-engine drive technology from the high performance sand-rail market. Every drive train combination you could imagine is available for inspection at Glamis. The brakes, suspension and speed accessories come from the hot rod aftermarket industry which is booming in Southern California. The most important part, hull and jet configuration, from the performance- boat industry along with unlimited input from great boat people that are very willing to help. He started thinking he could build a high performance amphibious car from off the shelf parts.

    March wanted to build a four-seater, yet still keep the car sporty looking. The 2002 Camaro was the ideal starting point. He purchased a Camaro fiberglass funny-car shell body, added hundreds of labor hours and he had a great looking Camaro car/boat plug. He built the molds from the plug and proceeded to build the first parts.

    March built a lightweight stainless frame to mount the suspension and motor to and fit it to the body. The challenge was to make the wheels retractable. He attended a couple of low-rider shows to figure how to make the wheels retractable and settled on using parts from Homies Hydraulics. The motor and jet combo was another significant challenge, particularly getting it all to fit in the trunk area. March wanted the WaterCar to look as much like a stock Camaro as possible.

    The first time on the water, the vehicle performed beautifully, with only one significant problem: "It wouldn't plane out!" He made multiple trial trips back and forth to the lake, adding more boost for additional power and tinkering on the jet setup. After some additional work on the bottom, he was finally getting on plane easily and reaching 45 mph. Success at last!

    The newest version of March's handiwork drives just like a car on the road and actually handles very well with the Corvette suspension. "It has plenty of power from the Subaru 2.5 Turbo WRX motor. When you go in the water, you simply drive in, put the transmission in neutral, engage the jet, fl

  • Terra Wind (Score:3, Interesting)

    by scubacuda ( 411898 ) <<moc.liamg> <ta> <aducabucs>> on Sunday May 02, 2004 @11:04PM (#9037897)
    Yeah, but is it as cool as the Terra Wind [terrawind.com]?

  • Half the price (Score:5, Informative)

    by BrookHarty ( 9119 ) on Sunday May 02, 2004 @11:06PM (#9037911) Journal
    Pictures of Watercar and Aquada. http://www.jetski.com/article.cfm?id=433 [jetski.com]

    Nice to see that the watercar is 150K while the other Aquada [aquada.co.uk] is 235K.

    Now lets see something a slashdot reader can afford. :)

  • All they need... (Score:5, Funny)

    by NeuroManson ( 214835 ) on Sunday May 02, 2004 @11:07PM (#9037918) Homepage
    Is a scanning red light on the front, and they'd have Knight Boat!

    As long as there's always a canal, that is.

  • unique? no. (Score:4, Informative)

    by LuxFX ( 220822 ) on Sunday May 02, 2004 @11:08PM (#9037920) Homepage Journal
    and come up with something truly unique and cool: a car ... that doubles as a boat

    Maybe cool, but not unique! There was a story [news.com.au] about a sportcar/speedboat that came up a while back. True, it can only go 100mph on land and 30mph in the water, but I'd say it's close enough to say it's not unique.

    Oh yeah, and this site called Slash- something or other posted about the the same vehicle [slashdot.org].

    (note: not that I'm upset with the content of this news item, I think it's even cooler to have modded a car to do this than to create one from scratch -- I just have a problem with hype like saying something is new and unique when it's not)
  • A post about a car that isn't turned into a robot, Star Wars ship, or anime something or other!

  • I like the idea, but... (Score:4, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday May 02, 2004 @11:09PM (#9037928)
    ...geez, did it really *have* to be a Camaro?

    I mean come on, that's like spending tens of thousands on a high end stereo and on room acoustics, then playing the Beastie Boys.

  • Too much time on their hands? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by anon*127.0.0.1 ( 637224 ) <slashdot@NosPAm.baudkarma.com> on Sunday May 02, 2004 @11:14PM (#9037953) Journal
    As opposed to those people who build Lego models of the Deathstar, or memorize Pi to 15,000 digits.

    Say what you want about the guy, I bet he has no problem picking up chicks.

  • carboats are stupid (Score:3, Insightful)

    by GoClick ( 775762 ) on Sunday May 02, 2004 @11:17PM (#9037966)
    Car Boat crosses are neither original or good. They fail as cars and as boats.

    They generally have VERY poor on water performance especially considering for the price of building one of these monstrosities you could have a sports car and a sport boat. Considering the engine on that thing, the boat performance aspect of it is awful it's not even close to being fast for a water craft and it's not even the worlds fastest car boat cross either, not even close, try 80mph but I digress he gave it a good shot.

    Car boat crosses then to be very unsafe on land at higher speeds because the hull shape forces air down and builds a bow wave of air making the front end unstable causing at least poor searing response and at worst roll overs and swerving.

    This is just a waste of a good car and some boat parts and a whole lot of time. Considering no one's time is free even the cheapest moron with a car could buy a crappy boat working at McDonald's in less time and then he'll have a boat and a car and people won't laugh at him on and off water.

    Just FYI my Sea-Doo does over 40mph on water and seats 3 instead of two.
    • You seem to be somewhat less intelligent than the carboat... Camaros have 4 seats, not 2, and this carboat, which is a custom design and not a converted camaro, also has 4 seats.

      If you won't even look at the website before posting your trash talk, try some STFU instead.

      • You seem to be somewhat less intelligent than the carboat... Camaros have 4 seats, not 2, and this carboat, which is a custom design and not a converted camaro, also has 4 seats...If you won't even look at the website before posting your trash talk, try some STFU instead.

        He doesn't need to read the site to understand that a carboat is a technically lame idea. It is unable to perform as well as either a car or a boat. What's wrong with that assessment? If I put together a website about a cluster of 1

  • I've seen these every once in a while on the discovery or learning channel. Cars that are also boats. Okay, so this one might be a little faster and cooler looking, but the bottom line is they don't sell because there's no market.

    But cool nonetheless.

  • This was in... (Score:5, Informative)

    by Valkyre ( 101907 ) on Sunday May 02, 2004 @11:23PM (#9037996) Journal
    Popular mechanics a few months back [popularmechanics.com]. Old news.

  • Subaru engine used in kit planes (Score:4, Interesting)

    by ayeco ( 301053 ) on Sunday May 02, 2004 @11:30PM (#9038024)
    W/o seeing the article, I can understand why they are using the subaru engine. They have been used in kit planes [zenithair.com] for years.

  • Boat speeds are measured in knots, not mph (Score:4, Informative)

    by IronBlade ( 60118 ) on Sunday May 02, 2004 @11:32PM (#9038034) Homepage
    As such Google [google.com.au] tells me that 45 mph = 39.1039309 knots.
    Pretty decent speed, that....

  • Morons didn't even check out the website (Score:5, Informative)

    by eagl ( 86459 ) on Sunday May 02, 2004 @11:34PM (#9038044) Journal
    Buncha morons posting trashtalk here... Lets see how many idiotic comments don't make any sense.

    1. Camaro has 4 seats, not 2, and this boatcar also has 4 seats.
    2. The subaru engine has plenty of power to push a car like this to over 125 mph. The basic camaro RS has less power than that subaru engine and can take a camaro RS to around 135 mph.
    3. It uses a jetdrive, not a prop
    4. It isn't a converted camaro, rather it's a custom design that looks like a camaro and actually uses many suspension parts from a corvette.
    5. If you read the material, you see that the smooth underbody for water use is achieved through moving panels. In land mode, the panels are retracted. This likely disrupts airflow under the body and reduces lift.
    6. Unless you're an aerodynamic engineer, STFU about what the boat hull shape will do to the aerodynamics of the vehicle. The original pre-1998 camaro was shaped like a wing and would flip over at speeds over around 180. This thing is sculpted in a rather different fashion and speculation on it's aerodynamic behavior without knowing the cross sectional shape or doing wind tunnel testing is just that - uninformed speculation.

    Pitiful negative morons bagging on the article without even looking at the website... How about a big cupful of STFU.
  • And 125mph is nothing. I take it up to 155mph (Where the speedo cuts off) at least once a week. I'd hate to have my 5.7l V8 gutted for a 4-banger. Thats blasphemy..

  • I did that once (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Lord Kano ( 13027 ) on Sunday May 02, 2004 @11:49PM (#9038102) Homepage Journal
    I was driving home from work one day during a flash flood. The bridge that I needed to take was closed because some jackass in a semi truck recked in the storm. I had to drive through a lower elevation and the water was so deep that it got sucked into my air cleaner. In fact it was only an inch or two below my window. My car stalled because of the water in the air filter.

    Pushing a Camaro out of 2.5 feet deep flowing water REALLY sucks.

    LK
  • Did anyone else immediately think "SpyHunter" while reading the subject header and storyblurb? A few machine gun head-lights and surface-to-air missles, and this guy will be in the same league as the guys using GPS for their real-life Pac-Man game [slashdot.org].

  • Forget the Car...Who's the Girl? (Score:3, Funny)

    by airider ( 728197 ) on Monday May 03, 2004 @12:09AM (#9038170)
    She looks like she's had a good mod job done as well, and fits in with the car nicely!

  • Mirror (Score:4, Informative)

    by markclong ( 575822 ) on Monday May 03, 2004 @12:09AM (#9038171)
    I've got almost a complete mirror here:
    http://slushdot.org/mirror/watercar/ [slushdot.org].

    I'm still working on the videos and full images.

  • hmm.... (Score:3, Funny)

    by Spatula Sam ( 770957 ) * on Monday May 03, 2004 @12:16AM (#9038189)
    Does auto insurance cover accidents on the water?

  • Is he cuban? (Score:3, Funny)

    by njcoder ( 657816 ) on Monday May 03, 2004 @01:18AM (#9038337)
    He doesn't look cuban. Last time I heard about something like this I read it in the New Yorker about some Cuban refugees that turned a truck into a boat.

    Granted, he did a little more than strap some 55 gallon drums on the side as pontoons. But time is a luxury when you're fleeing from the clutches of a ruthless dictator.

  • Now with better non breaking transmission? (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Bender Unit 22 ( 216955 ) on Monday May 03, 2004 @02:21AM (#9038507) Journal
    I once played with the idea of having a WRX, but everytime i was on a track somewhere, 50% of the WRX had broken transmission or turbo. I know someone installed rally gears, but I wouldn't be able to stand the whining. So I wondered if they have been made more robust?
    • I test drive a lot of cars just for the hell of it. Dealers let you get away with anything if you pull up in a nice enough car..

      Anyhoo .. My first drive of an STi (WRX on meth) led to a tow truck after the turbo self-destructed while under heavy acceleration. Oil starvation was the post mortem analysis (duh). Metal shavings (!!) clogged one of the oil passages was the claim. Ouch. That being said, however, it was a fun car to drive if you can deal with the lag. And expensive metallic sounds.

      And don't ev

  • Never mind the boat.... (Score:5, Funny)

    by nuckfuts ( 690967 ) on Monday May 03, 2004 @04:09AM (#9038712)
    Check out the floatation devices on the owner's girlfriend :p

  • Detail from the site... (Score:3, Informative)

    by mr_mozz ( 658480 ) on Monday May 03, 2004 @05:21AM (#9038832)
    WaterCar Specifications

    The WaterCar is a fiberglass amphibious vehicle styled after the 2002 Convertible Camaro body style. It is powered by a Turbo charged 2.5 Liter 300 HP Subaru engine. The transmission is a Rancho Type I-4 speed manual transmission. The four wheel independent suspension and brakes are late model C-4 Corvette with stainless steel rotors.

    The WaterCar can reach speeds in excess of 125 MPH on land and the drivability with the Corvette suspension is outstanding. Once the WaterCars is driven into the water all four wheels are hydraulically retracted with the flip of a switch. The bottom covers that enclose the wheel well are also hydraulically extended to create a smooth high speed bottom which allows the WaterCar to easily hit speeds of 40 MPH on the water. The Marine Drive is a Berkeley 12JE Jet Drive with a place diverter to control the ride depending on water conditions. The WaterCar has four usable seats and the doors are fully functional. The aircraft style lock assembly assures the doors are completely water tight for water operation. The WaterCar has a removable center mount ski pole which makes it ideal for wake boarding or skiing.

    This sporty four-seater makes it possible to drive to the lake, experience an exhilarating boat ride and drive back home again without ever leaving your car!

  • Bitchin' Camaro (Score:3, Funny)

    by ol2o ( 746375 ) on Monday May 03, 2004 @07:17AM (#9039089)
    That is truely a Bitchin' Camaro.

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