Gibbs Quadski production kicks off in Detroit

About a month ago we talked about a cool amphibious vehicle that was a sort of cross between a four-wheeler and a jet ski. That vehicle is called the Gibbs Quadski and laid claim to the title of the world's first high-speed sports amphibian. That vehicle has now gone into production inside 54,000 ft.² assembly plant in Detroit.

The Quadski vehicle is capable of reaching speeds of 45 mph on both land or water. The vehicle can transition from land mode to water mode in about 5 seconds. When the plant is in full production later next year it will employ about 200 people.

As we mentioned before, this sounds like a very cool and fun vehicle to own, but it has some caveats. One of the major caveats is the price; the Quadski will sell for about $40,000. The second caveat is that it's only able to carry a single person.

That means for $40,000 you can't even enjoy amphibious cruising with a friend. When the Quadski transitions from ATV to water mode, the wheels retract into the fender wells, exposing a boat-like hull. I still don't see this being successful due to the price and the state of the economy today.