Von Mercier Arosa is a sport-luxury hovercraft with a hybrid powertrain
The Von Mercier Arosa is not a car. The Von Mercier Arosa is aiming to be the world's first sport-luxury hovercraft. It may resemble a small track car like the Morgan three-wheeler, but those wheels are rotors for the fans.
Yes, you read it right. What seems like a two-seat roadster with hidden rear wheels turns out to be a go-anywhere, amphibious hovercraft. Von Mercier's slogan is "Explore beyond the road," and you can definitely do that with a hovercraft. The Arosa sports hovercraft is for people who want an amphibious vehicle without sacrificing style and luxury.
You might ask yourself, "why should I consider a hovercraft after buying my supercar?" Well, the answer is simple. Unlike your mega-buck McLaren or Bugatti hypercar, Arosa can hover over land, water, or anything in between. According to Von Mercier, hovering gives new meaning to off-road capability as Arosa travels on a cushion of air – seven inches of air, to be exact.
Essentially, Arosa floats above the surface, handy when going over grassy, muddy, or sandy terrain. Above all, you can explore in style with Arosa's low-profile body and supercar-like shape. Von Mercier's advanced directional control system promises superior maneuverability, allowing the driver to stop, turn, reverse, and go forward with ease. Hovercrafts are notorious for being uncontrollable at times, but Von Mercier's patented directional system will put your fears to rest.
Motivation is courtesy of a hybrid-electric powertrain consisting of a gasoline engine and three electric motors. The gas engine churns out electricity to power the electric motors, while a buffer battery stores electricity for shorter bursts of speed. Von Mercier claims a top speed of around 80 mph and 120 miles of range at 40 mph. The Arosa is not as quick as a supercar, but it's the fastest amphibious vehicle yet.
The Von Mercier Arosa has an open cockpit with a tandem seating arrangement like a jet fighter or the Suzuki Misano concept. You don't get air-conditioning, but the driver gets a Momo steering wheel, pedals, and a digital dashboard. It also has side decks like a boat so that you can bring more people for a ride in your sport-luxury hovercraft.
Von Mercier is making 50 examples of Arosa with base prices starting at $100,000 each. Here's the clincher: Where you can drive the Arosa depends on where you live. The Arosa is not road legal since hovercrafts are typically classified as boats. You cannot drive it on public roads, but nobody's stopping you from thrashing your English or American countryside estate.[Updated to correct pricing and production goals; we regret the error]