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The Volkswagen Aqua looks like a sporty Scirocco hatch Photo Gallery
VW Aqua hovercraft concept is part car, part fish.
The Koreans starred, the Japanese mounted a comeback, and One Ford hit the headlines with an extended family of Focus-based newcomers that it is certain to make a big hit in Australia. But it was one car and the commitment of its company chief that made the most impact as America fought back on the opening day of the 2011 North American International Motor Show.
Ever since James Bond drove a Lotus Esprit under water in the 1977 film, The Spy Who Loved Me, motorists have dreamed of amphibious cars.
Now one Chinese inventor has gone further with an affordable, eco-friendly car that will drive on land, water, sand and ice.
Designer Yuhan Zhang, 21, created the truly all-terrain vehicle for a VW competition to build a Chinese off-roader.
The Volkswagen Aqua looks like a sporty Scirocco hatch, but works like a hovercraft with four fans and airbags to move it smoothly from surface to surface.
The VW Aqua is powered by two hydrogen fuel cell engines, one which inflates the airbags and the other which propels it forward at speeds up to 100km/h.
Mr Zhang said he hoped that one day the the Aqua would become "an affordable supercar that is available to the general public''.
It may not be all that cheap to build, but it could alleviate the need to build more bridges and maybe save a few lives during floods.
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No, you're thinking of the Rinspeed Squba
