Gibbs Technologies
Automotive manufacturer of Nuneaton,Warwickshire. UK from 1996 on
Since 1996 the automobile manufacturer company Gibbs Technologies. In the sector of unusual amphibious vehicles .
History
Founder of the company was Alan Gibbs , who had been working on a vehicle concept since 1995. Chairman of Gibbs Technologies is Neil Jenkins , who played an important role in the development of the Jaguar XJ220 . The company is located in Nuneaton .
The following vehicles are manufactured by Gibbs Technologies:
Gibbs Aquadas
The Gibbs Aquada is an amphibious vehicle from Gibbs Technologies , which is equipped with the six-cylinder engine from the Land Rover Freelander , and according to its manufacturer in the years 2003 and 2004 as a small series of about 50 copies originated.
Visually, the Aquada is reminiscent of the Mazda MX-5 , from which its headlights come, but has a plastic body, an aluminum chassis, and a mid-engine . The V-type engine provides 120 kW (177 hp), the rear-wheel drive or the water jet propulsion serving. As a maximum, the manufacturer gives over 100 mph (over 160 km / h) and over 30 mph (over 25 knots ) on land . For high speed to water, the wheels of the Aquada similar to many aircraft can be folded at the touch of a button.With 60 patents registered for the vehicle. One of these patents is called HSA, which stands for High Speed Amphibian.
Richard Branson crossed the English Channel in an Aquada from Dover to Calais in about 90 minutes. He broke the record for crossing the channel with an amphibious vehicle, which was previously held for 40 years by the French, who took about six hours for the crossing.
Gibbs Humdinga
The Gibbs Humdinga is also an amphibious vehicle based on the Hummer H1 . The Gibbs Humdinga is available in a civilian and a military variant.It was developed for use in rough terrain, by the native New Zealander Alan Gibbs. The company Gibbs Technologies , which produces the vehicle has its headquarters in Warwickshire, near the English Coventry .
The Humdinga can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 9.2 seconds. It has a curb weight of 2000 kg and a wheel-independent air suspension. The vehicle is 5400 mm long, 1850 mm high and 2000 mm wide. On land, the Humdinga reaches 160 km / h with 260 kW / 350 hp. He brings it to the water, due to the jet pump ( jet propulsion ) and its underbody architecture, to 65 km / h. As with the Gibbs Aquada, the wheels fold at the touch of a button and the car turns into a boat in 12 seconds. This mechanism is locked during operation in "land mode" and will only be released when the vehicle is in "water mode". This ensures that the wheels do not fold in while driving on land.
Gibbs Quadski
The Gibbs Quadski is an amphibious vehicle that combines the characteristics of a quad and a jet ski .
On land and at sea, the Quadski achieves 72 km / h with its 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine ( BMW , 103 kW / 140 hp). The vehicle weighs 605 kg and its maximum torque is 118 Nm . The Quadski is driven in the water by a water jet drive. Like the Gibbs Aquada or the Gibbs Humdinga the wheels fold at the push of a button and the quad turns into a jet ski in five seconds. This mechanism is locked during operation in "land mode" and will only be released when the vehicle is in "water mode". This ensures that the wheels do not fold in while driving on land. The range on land according to the manufacturer is 600 km. In the water, the vehicle should progress for two hours.
The manufacturer has registered 300 patents for the vehicle in 15 years . The Quadski was already built in 2006 in small series and is since 2012 in a revised version as a production vehicle in the US to acquire. In Europe, the market a second model Quadski XL was introduced, which offers space for two people.
