Platypus amphibious 4x4 to land at under US$40,000

Like the Australian marsupial from which it takes its name, it isn't pretty, but it sure is functional. With a top speed of 100 kmh on the road, it's not as fast as its celebrated fellow amphibians such as the Gibbs Aquada or Rinspeed Splash. But it is capable of seven knots on the water, can withstand heavy seas, and it's hardcore four-wheel-drive capabilities will get you just about anywhere you can imagine going. Most remarkable though is the price - when production starts in mid-2005, the Platypus will sell for less than US$40,000.

"I have always felt that the personal amphibious car was a genre of vehicle yet to have its day", says Boyd Wyatt, the Australian designer / builder of the Platypus amphibious 4x4.

The Platypus, named after the duck-billed web-footed Australian mammal found on the banks of waterways in Eastern Australia, is even more adaptable than its namesake. It is road registrable and fully at home on the road, in the densest bushland, in swapland or waterways and can even handle two metre seas if needed.

"I love what Rinspeed and Aquada have done with their amphibious concepts, but I decided to make a vehicle that was affordable to the people who would really use them. I figure there's a vast market of people who live in coastal regions who want a genuine, working amphibious 4x4, not a high speed US$200,000 sportscar. So I set out to build such a vehicle under US$50,000 and I've done that with room to spare," he laughs.

"I went for the opposite end of the market to all the big flash new amphibians from Rinspeed Splash, the Aquada and the Humdinga - they are beautiful, but who really has that kind of money?"

"The German Amphicar that was produced in the 1960s sold 4000 units before it ceased production and that was only because it didn't meet American emission regulations - it was a very sought-after vehicle and is still prized by its owners today."

"I am certain that a large market exists for a utility amphibious vehicle, and I believe that market is much larger now than it was then."

"Just the growth of the recreational vehicle market around the world since then suggests that there will be a small but significant percentage of four wheel drive owners who want a vehicle that is not stopped in its tracks by a river. Having the ability to cross channels and waterways between islands opens up the recreational vehicle opportunities immensely, and that's the market we're intent on capturing.

"Once 4wd owners see and experience what an amphibian can do, they are hooked. It's a bit mind blowing at first to be so unrestricted in your driving and there is no better way to savour the great outdoors.

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