Click image for a huge photo gallery

We all had a chuckle at the idea of the Rinspeed sQuba Concept when the initial renderings of the Geneva-bound concept emerged. The Swiss tuner and specialty manufacturer gets the last laugh, however, as it has released photos and video of the actual car operating submerged, and you know what? It's awesome. The sQuba (the "Q" in the name appears to be a nod to the gadget-producing Q Branch in the James Bond universe) is a full EV that relies on three separate electric motors to accomplish its mission. One powers the sports car when it's driving on land, while the others supply juice to the twin screws used for underwater propulsion. Movable fender-mounted Seabob jets appear to serve the same purpose as the diving planes on a traditional sub. Oh, and did we mention that it is capable of autonomous operation on land?

The car features on-board underwater breathing apparatus for its driver and passenger, who sit in a salt water-resistant cockpit fitted with high-friction surfaces designed to help keep them planted in their seats. Rinspeed notes that a roadster was the chosen body style for the sQuba because its open-top configuration is more bouyant and allows for easier egress in the event of an underwater emergency. Some might deem it pointless, but the sQuba is the best kind of concept car: a flight of fancy that just also happens to work. It's fantastic, and we want to steal it and then drive it off a pier at speed, just like 007 did with his white submersible Lotus 31 years ago. Watch video of the sQuba in action after the jump!


[Source: Rinspeed]