You know what sucks? You're tearing down the road at a fun but safe 150 mph, when all of a sudden there's an estuary or a river or a pier or swimming pool or an ocean or some other sort of watery annoyance that seems like all it wants to do is make you stop having fun. I mean, come on! I know the Earth is 75% of that drippy crap, but, frankly, I'm sick of it.
Well, thankfully, there's a solution: the Sea Lion. It's a rotary-powered, sea-worthy speed vehicle and it's for sale. The first $250,000 takes it.
The Sea Lion purports to be the world's fastest amphibious vehicle and has been custom designed from the ground up for just this purpose. Incredibly, it uses a 1974 Mazda Rotary 13B engine making 174 HP (though the seller suggests replacing it with a 300-600 HP RX8 Renesis lump). For water travel, the Sea Lion uses a jet ski-like jet drive. These power plants let the beast achieve 125 mph on land and up to 60 mph on water. Not bad, especially when you think about the comparatively glacial pace of Amphicars and Schwimmwagens.
Mark Witt Applied Design built the Sea Lion out of aluminum, and it looks like a purposeful spaceship. Aerodynamic without being sleek, but in a good way. The car has a fully adjustable and articulated front spoiler, lots of exciting vents, shafts, and pods, and one of the most novel headlight/indicator arrangements I've seen on any car, inside of a round clear panel (through which you can also see the steering mechanism) at the front. It looks a bit like a tarantula face to me.
In diagrams, some other interesting details emerge. All the electronics and hydraulics seem accessible from a "25 function bus" that allows for "robotic over-ride." Also, the fighter-stick style gearshift appears to be a fly-by-wire unit, since it can be "reassigned for any functions." This thing is one costume away from making you a superhero.
As for its speed record bonafides, there are a few gaps in the description.
The addition of Rules and Requirements always diminish scientific achievement and exploration. And it just plain ruins all the fun!
If a neutral party is required to settle a performance dispute, "Guinness World Records" is available to record and bear witness to any new achievement. So at least at this time, there does not seem to be a need for any larger event organization.
Anyone want to take up a collection?
(Thanks to everyone for the tip!)