112 - o7.11.o9
World First Underwater Car
What it's like to… drive a car underwater
This may look like a Lotus Elise sinking to a watery grave, but it's actually a fully working underwater car and we've, er, dived in it
This wasn't a good idea. I'm sitting in an electric Lotus Elise that's semi-submerged in the middle of Lake Zurich, and we're about to dive. If I don't get frazzled then I'll probably drown. Maybe both – I'll be the world's first deep-fried journalist in the world's first underwater car. Welcome to the Rinspeed sQuba. And did I mention it's worth a million quid?
The creation of Frank Rinderknecht, the sQuba exists for two reasons. One, because Rinderknecht likes to be different, and two, to promote the abilities of his Swiss firm Rinspeed, which constructs one-off motor show concept cars for big-brand car manufacturers. So what better way to demonstrate Rinspeed's talents than to design and build a diving car – if it works?
Rinderknecht's beaming as he talks me round his baby, pointing out the (apparently waterproofed) lithium-ion batteries and 72bhp electric motor that have replaced the Toyota engine, assuring me that the first ‘sea trials' in Florida went off without a hitch. I want to make a clever 007-style pun (dip the headlights, perhaps?) but Rinderknecht's Q is in full flow and now all the stories I've heard about leaky Lotuses are coming back to me.
Yet Rinderknecht carries on as if letting a journalist pilot his one-off prototype down the nearest slipway and off across Lake Zurich is an everyday occurrence. Frankly I'm rather nervous about my maiden voyage; I've always believed that water and electricity don't mix.
We're off, moving silently (it's electric, remember) through the docks and down to the water's edge. We splash in, the nose goes light – made buoyant by all the foam sprayed into every nook and cranny – and our, er, car starts to float away from the shore.
With the press of a button the sQuba transforms from roadster to boat. Louvres in the front grille (or should that be gill?) open to direct water into the jets mounted on the wings and drive stops going to the rear wheels.
A hand throttle controls the propellers, so I open her up and we head towards the middle of the lake, the sQuba bobbing gently on the waves. I trail my fingers in the cool waters that surround us and look back to land where the other cars motor along, their drivers unaware that they're passing a paddling car. What a perfectly lovely day out.
It's time to dive, and to do so we have to effectively scuttle the sQuba. All that foam means it naturally floats, even with two big blokes on board, so to get this car to sink, sorry dive, we have to open the doors and let the water in…
It's not something I want to do, and Lake Zurich isn't helping either. The door barely opens under the weight of the water and it takes all my might just to create a tiny gap.
The water trickles in at first, but suddenly it's a torrent, welling up around my ankles, filling my shoes, seeping into my wetsuit, freezing my nether regions.
There's no time to think. Mask on, mouthpiece in and I'm breathing through the car's onboard air supply as the sQuba starts to submerge. But with all that foam the sQuba only sinks so far, settling just beneath the surface. Yet my lanky frame means my head remains like a periscope above the water. I feel alone in Lake Zurich. This was a bad idea.
To dive further down we have to force the sQuba against its natural buoyancy using the wing-mounted jets. They're angled by two levers that replace the gearstick, and driven by the clutch and accelerator pedals. Both are depressed and we begin to head downwards. Forget wind-in-your-hair motoring; this is water-in-your-wetsuit diving.
Ever been in a fast car when it's accelerated and your stomach's been squeezed as you've been pushed back into the seat? Like that sensation? Then try the sQuba. Your whole body is compressed with every inch that you dive deeper, your mask is pressed against your face with the entire force of Lake Zurich piling in on top of you.
Underwater it's eerily quiet except for my Darth Vader-esque breathing. If only the visibility wasn't so poor at 16-feet under. But diving in the sQuba is still an incredible and magical experience. Like a child discovering its limbs for the first time, I'm drawn towards my hands, studying them, intrigued by this alien feeling of weightlessness in the familiar surroundings of the sQuba's cabin. Perhaps it's the closest I'll get to driving on the moon.
This isn't my overriding memory of the sQuba though, and nor is it my first guilt-free wee in a car (but that's another story). What I will always recall will be free-diving around the sQuba once we resurface.
The sQuba, a car, floating in the middle of Lake Zurich is a mesmerising sight. Like a ship in a dry dock, it looks so different out of its natural habitat. It is magical, seductive and mysterious, a strange new type of car. It's a memory I shall always have, and thankfully one I didn't take to a watery grave.
From : http://sg.drivesmart.yahoo.com/drive-smart/article/118/
Isn't this cool ?!
I feel that it's super cool !!
Let's get into blogging .
Have been enjoying have gotten into proper work .
I plan to update my blog songs .
I plan to update songs in my MP3
I don't know what song should I put in my blog .
I've got 392 songs and at least 80% are my favourite .
Any suggestions to put what song to my blog ?
Gotta start my holiday holiday homework .
Had 1 whole week of enjoyment .
It's time to get into proper work.
I have English , Maths , Chinese .
English - Finish the whole book of Grammer Builder , Pink booklet and Thematic Vocabulary and Comprehension .
Maths - 4 Exam Papers .
Chinese - 1 Set of Chinese holiday homework .
I don't know why since the holiday started I couldn't sleep well .
Woke up in the middle of sleep and couldn't get back to sleep.
Anybody collect the Macdonald Monopoly the game tickets ?
I have collect most of it just left these only.
Anybody has the follow game tickets ?
- Joo Chiat Road
- Sentosa Coast
- Orchard Road
- Scotts Road
- Shenton Way
- Tanjong Baru
- Thomsom Road
- Toa Payoh
Thank You veryyy much !!
Hoping to see SFS7627A .
Since Monster normally appear in Yishun Area during saturdays .
9 more days to 1N3 Class BBQ
20 more days to 6Loyal ' 08 Class Party
Looking forward to these meet-ups .
Missing friends .
Esp Carina Loh HY , Chan Hsin Yee , Cheng Chu Yin , Melissa Iype John .
And of course SFS7627A Car car .
*Edits
I'm feeling so pissed off now !
I cannot believe my mum pangseh-ed me @ home and she went Bugis !
VWBB asked me if wanted to go Bugis and I turned down .
But I CANNOT BELIEVE MY MUM PANGSEH-ED ME !
She was complaining last night that she has lots of stuff to do and yet now she went shopping !
She left me @ home without any cash for dinner !
Argh Argh Argh ! I gotta wait for my father to come home , to see how I'm gonna settle my dinner .
111 - o6.11.o9
I nearly forgot to post .
Changed my blog skin . Edit most of the skin .
Oh well , I'm feeling so tired .
Woke up super early today , around 9.30 .
Beiya had sup. class .
So chat with her using SMS .
I dragged myself out of bed .
Used com, continue editing the skin .
Chatted with Carina . Mann , she banned from going out again .
Chated till 1 plus .
Wanted to go out , but I was sort of lazy lazy .
Stayed home do homework .
Around 3 , 4 plus meet Beiyi .
Actually wanted to jog but I didn't have the mood so I told her said I want to play volleyball .
Walked to YSS .
Played Volleyball , slacked .
Played till 5 , slacked opposite YSS . Saw Mel .
Beiyi kept making me laugh and I was laughing like hell . * So unglam *
We were waiting for car car .
Again I didn't had the chance .
So decided to go home .
Walked home .
While walking home , my volleyball nearly lost it's life .
But thanks to Beiyi for saving it's life .
Was bouncing the volleyball then I don't know what happened , somehow it went to the road area .
Nearly ran over okay !
I don't have the mood to post todayyy !
I want see car carrr .
Car car = SFS7627A (:
110 - o5.11.o9
Went out today .
Went Bugis , 1250 - 1530 .
Shopped around , Bought new clothes . ^^
Showered and ate lunch .
Around 1130 , left home for Bugis to meet VWBB .
Was supposed to meet her at 1230 .
Reached @ around 1220 .
She was late for 30mins .
Made me stood there like a fool . -.-
But never mind (:
Walked to Bugis street , went shopping .
I last shopped since June .
Bought 1 tank-top , 1 NF and knee length shorts .
Total = $25 . Quite cheap .
Tried loads of specs .
VWBB bought 2 T-shirts , 1 skinny jeans , 1 geek specs and I don't know what else .
After shopping went iluma to see see .
It was still so empty since the last time I went .
*So boring @ Iluma*
Grabbed a bite @ Bugis Street food .
Around 1530 walked back to MRT .
See how great I am ? xDDD
I could shopped the whole day but I didn't want .
I wanted to go see car car .
Train-ed to Yishun .
Bus to YSS .
Car car was still there.
Met Beiyi , waited for the car together .
Monster went home late , didn't had the chance to see car car move .
It was later then usual time [ during the holidays ] .
1800 took bus home .
Reached home , shower .
Had been enjoying since the holidays started , hadn't started on my school homework .
Monday - Volleyball-ed
Tuesday - Went to have a jog
Wednesday - Slack at home , played computer games .
Thurs - Went shopping .
Fri - I MUST START MY HOMEWORK ! And also have a jog in the evening ?
Need to check the weather report .
Hope it doesn't rain .
You\'ve been living for 13 years, 8 months, and 15 days.
You were born on a Wednesday.
Your date of conception was probably 31st May 1995.
You\'ve seen 4 leap years.
Your Zodiac Sign is Pisces.
Your Chinese Zodiac Sign is Rat.
Your Ruling Planet is Neptune.
Your Birthstone is Amethyst.
Your Birth Flower is Violet.
Your Birth Tree is Pine Tree.
Your Birth Number is 3.
Time till your next Birthday 107 days 8 hours 31 mins.
Your Lucky Color is Sea Green or Turquoise.
Your Lucky Day is Friday.
Your Lucky Number is Three or Six.
Viewing
[x]Welcome to MY site .
[x]I'm not born to PLEASE you PEOPLE .
[x]Respect me and I'll respect you too .
[x]Tag before you leave .
[x]Please DO NOT SPAM .
[x]GET LOST IF you AREN'T HAPPY .
[x]Lastly, READ , ENJOY and hoped to see you again .
Profile
Yishun Secondary
When you're at the end of the road
And you lost all sense of control
And your thoughts have taken their toll
When your mind breaks the spirit of your soul
Your faith walks on broken glass
And the hangover doesn't pass
Nothing's ever built to last
You're in ruins
- 21 guns
Tagboard
Desires
- HappyParentsForever
- ImproveMoreInWeakSubjects
- GoToExpressStream/ThroughTrain
- Top10InClassPosition
*Every Test/Exam ( 2010 )
- Top15InLevelPosition
*MYE & EOY ( 2010 )
- Digital Camera
- SonyEricssonW995i
- LG Viewty KU990
-
-
-
- RipCurlBag(3)
-
-
-
- ConverseSchoolShoes
- MONSTER TO FORGET MY NAME !
- All bad habits clear !
- Crumpler - Complete Seed [ Brown ( Outside ) LimeGreen ( Inside )
** 8Cleared
*** 13Unclear
****21Desires
Affiliates
Love<3 Carina(: / CY, YaoZhu's GanNuEr(: / HsinYee
6Loyal'o8 / 1N3'o9
(A) Afrah / Athena
(B) BeiYi
(C) Chermaine / ChengJiun / Cleone
(D) Debbie / Derrick
(E) Eunice
(F) Felicia / Fernanda
(H) Huili
(I) Isabelle
(J) JiaJun / Jeremy / Jerome / JieQi / Joanna / Joyce
(K) KevinNg
(L) Lemuel
(M) Marcus / MeiHui / MeiYu
(N) Nicole
(Q) QianJing QingWen / QinYun
(S) Sandra / SoonWeng
(V) Vanessa / Venesa / Vivien
(X) XiaoHui
(Y) YiJia / YongLin / YuNing / YuXin
Archives
Don't bother reading my past , it sucked
»February 2009
»March 2009
»April 2009
»May 2009
»June 2009
»July 2009
»August 2009
»September 2009
»October 2009
»November 2009
Credits
Layout : Ada(:
Helped by : I II III.