World's fastest amphibious vehicle can go from car to boat in just 15 sec - PHOTO+VIDEO

David March has designed the world's fastest Jeep-style vehicle that can be driven straight from the land into the water and goes from a car to a boat in just 15 seconds. Called the Panther, the vehicle can reach water speeds of up to 45mph - almost as fast as an average speedboat - and is fitted with a custom-made 3.7 litre V6 engine, fibreglass hull and lightweight chromoly steel chassis.It is also capable of reaching speeds of 80mph on land. James Bond, played by Sir Roger Moore, famously drove an amphibious Lotus Esprit from the land into the sea during the 1976 film The Spy Who Loved Me.WaterCar partner Fred Selby, 66, from Newport Beach, California spent 11 years fine-turning the machine before he felt ready to put it on the market.The Panther's design is based on a Jeep CJ8 Scrambler, however, because the chassis of the Jeep was too heavy for the water, the Panther's lightweight chassis is made of chromoly steel.Once in the water, the Panther is remarkably stable for a boat that is only 15 ft (4.6 m) in length.'We've been working for years and years to be able to get these to perform like a boat on the water and like a car on the street,' March told CBS.March has done his best to test out the vehicle and made his first trip to the Catalina Islands last Saturday.'Going on the road for 15 miles and then being able to hit the water and go 30 miles across with nothing breaking and just cruising across … made it in an hour and 10 minutes on 10 gallons of gas,' said March.The Panther's chassis was designed to slip into a fibreglass hull - similar to those used on Formula 1 cars.  The hull is also filled with closed-cell styrofoam to help the car stay afloat.  The engine for the Panther is the latest-generation Acura 3.7-liter VTEC V-6 engine, custom-fitted with aluminium parts, a overhead camshaft cylinder head and 24 valves. Both intake and exhaust valves are controlled by Acura's Variable valve Timing and lift Electronic Control (VTEC) system.This engine produces 305 horsepower at 6,300 rpm and on land the Panther can reach speeds of around 80mph.It needs to be travelling at around 15mph to enter the water and can then reach top speeds of almost 45mph. To drive the Panther in water, the driver must put the four-speed gear changer in neutral, pull a knob to switch the transfer case to 'jet drive', hydraulically lift the wheels and tyres out of the water, and start boating. This entire process takes less than 15 seconds.The Panther sells for anywhere in between $100,000 and $200,000 and March told CBS that they've already pre-sold cars to princes in Dubai and many Silicon Valley workers.The Rolling chassis is a kit and additional components can be bought off the shelf. The Turn-key minus version doesn't come with an engine.'The Panther is equally at home on the land or sea,' said Selby.'Revolutionary in its design and engineering, a WaterCar Panther takes you anywhere you want to go.'The thrilling acceleration is provided by a Honda V6 V-Tec motor.'You can leave the highway behind thanks to its long travel off road suspension and travel in the water courtesy of the panther jet.'And do all this with the security of knowing you are surrounded by a state of the art revolutionary designed composite body.'Nothing compares to driving a Panther.'The design looks like a four-wheel drive and the bodywork is made from a fibreglass chassis that is capable of withstanding salt-water.The outboard motor which powers the car is capable of travelling 2000,000 miles before needing serious maintenance.'You will be absolutely blown away by the Panther,' said Selby.'Our WaterCar team did a fabulous job of creating an extraordinary vehicle that is exciting, raw fun, yet incredibly practical.'(dailymail.co.uk)ANN.Az