Rinspeed Makes A Splash

Most of Geneva's show stars were confined to dry land, but Rinspeed's wacky sports car concept is just as comfortable on water as it is on the tarmac.

Auto Express Car Reviews

11th March 2004

Called the Splash, it is capable of 124mph on the road and sprints from 0-62mph in only 5.9 seconds. They are figures that any sports car maker would be proud of, but this versatile Swiss machine can also skim across lakes at 50mph.

While it wasn't the most conventional-looking vehicle at the show, Rinspeed's newcomer easily disguises its amphibious properties. The key to its versatility is its folding rear spoiler, which adds aerodynamic downforce on the road, before electrically folding down into the water to help the two-seater float.

Using a 750cc two-cylinder jet-ski motor connected to a six-speed manual gearbox, the Splash produces 138bhp and 150Nm of torque, and has a kerbweight of a mere 825kg. Built in conjunction with Switzerland's largest natural gas supplier, Gasmobile, its dual-fuel nature adds green energy efficiency to an impressive repertoire. Of course, all this hi-tech wizardry doesn't come cheap. The show car cost ΂£700,000 to make, and production versions would be around ΂£110,000 - about ΂£40,000 less than the Splash's main rival, the British-made Gibbs Aquada. Geneva image library