Prodrive Developing Amphibious Car

U.K.-based engineering firm Prodrive Ltd. is developing an amphibious car for future production.

CEO David Richards tells Autocar the company put a team of young engineers on the project after he purchased one of WaterCar’s Panther amphibious cars. California-based WaterCar launched the low-volume Panther (pictured) in 2013.

Richards originally planned to import modified Panthers into Europe but says there were too many regulatory hurdles to do so. He describes Prodrive’s amphibious vehicle as inspired by the Panther, which is powered by a Honda 3.7-liter engine and can transition between land and sea modes in less than 15 seconds.

Richards says Prodrive is considering using a diesel engine to ensure the vehicle has enough torque to perform well in the water at speeds up to about 30 knots (35 mph). He expects to sell the vehicle for about £150,000 ($195,000).