Rinspeed sQuba Concept (2008)

Thirty years after the movie thriller 'The Spy Who Loved Me' hit the silver screen Rinspeed sQuba is the first car that can actually 'fly' under water.

Zumikon - "Dive it again, James!" If the situation gets too hot for the secret agent he'll go underground - or under water. So demonstrated impressively by Roger Moore in 'The Spy Who Loved Me" in 1977 when he dove below the waves in a sleek vehicle that moments before seemed to be an ordinary car. The only problem: The scene never really took place; it was an animation.

With the Rinspeed sQuba, the world's first real submersible car, the movie fake now becomes reality for visitors of the Geneva Motor Show (March 6th - 16th, 2008). Rinspeed boss Frank M. Rinderknecht (52) is known for his extraordinary automotive creations. The acknowledged James Bond enthusiast and Swiss automobile visionary kept revisiting this scene in his mind over and over: "For three decades I have tried to imagine how it might be possible to build a car that can fly under water. Now we have made this dream come true."

And it is this submerged stabile flight at a depth of 10 meters that sets the Rinspeed sQuba apart from military vehicles. While the latter can go under water, they are limited to driving slowly over the submerged ground. Rinderknecht: "It is undoubtedly not an easy task to make a car watertight and pressure resistant enough to be maneuverable under water. The real challenge however was to create a submersible car that moves like a fish in water."






It also had to be a sports car that was converted into a diving dream in the facilities of Swiss engineering specialist Esoro. In a first step the combustion engine was removed and replaced by several electric motors. Three motors are located in the rear. One provides propulsion on land, the other two drive the screws for underwater motoring. They are supported by two powerful Seabob jet drives in the front, which 'breathe' through special rotating louvers from HS Genion (for opening and closing the water intake). The rotating outlet jets were designed to be extremely light yet twist resistant by using high-tech nano materials, so-called Carbon Nano Tubes.

It is a sure bet that the Rinspeed sQuba will steal the show from any 'Baywatch' beauty on the beach. And easily, too: You drive the car into the water and the car floats. That is, until you crack the door to let the water in. Immediately the Rinspeed sQuba starts on his way to the underwater world. The occupants' breathing air comes from an integrated tank of compressed air that divers know from scuba diving. Rinderknecht: "For safety reasons we have built the vehicle as an open car so that the occupants can get out quickly in an emergency. With an enclosed cabin opening the door might be impossible." But safety wasn't the only reason for choosing an open-top design: With an enclosed volume of just two cubic meters of air the vehicle weight would have to increase by two tons (!) to counteract the unwanted buoyancy, giving the Rinspeed sQuba the land mobility of a turtle. Without occupants the Rinspeed sQuba surfaces automatically.

It is even capable of autonomous driving on land thanks to a sophisticated laser sensor system from the Hamburg company Ibeo - without any help from the driver or passenger.

Power is supplied by rechargeable Lithium-Ion batteries. Rinderknecht: "The 'sQuba' is a zero-emission car as documented by the rotating license plate in the rear. It produces no exhaust emissions. The Swiss are among the world's pioneers in the area of hydropower. The 'sQuba's' filling station is the water reservoir." It is no surprise that the vehicle features powerful yet energy-saving LED lighting technology.

3-D foil elements with embossed fish and sharkskin patterns from Wetzel Processing Group and Hornschuch add visual pizzazz and streamline the exterior. Together with styling elements from Foliatec they create a harmonious velvety matt-white appearance.

For shore leave the Rinspeed sQuba relies on a stainless coil-over suspension from KW automotive and large Pirelli tires mounted on custom-made forged light-weight wheels from AEZ with 17- and 18-inch diameters. But the Rinspeed sQuba is really at home in the water. To make the occupants feel at home there as well the innovative salt-water resistant interior from Strähle + Hess features genuine mother-of-pearl trim and diamond-plated non-slip inlays from KGS Diamond, normally used in high-tech abrasives. After all, 'diamonds are a girl's best friends.' The high-tech VDO instrument cluster and controls create a futuristic ambiance and allow controlling all vehicle functions even while submerged.

Frank M. Rinderknecht and his partners - amongst them also the fleet specialist LeasePlan - have created a truly unusual vehicle and in the process have thought of everything. Even the Motorex lubricants used in the 'sQuba" are biodegradable. For the Rinspeed boss that is a meticulousness stemming from conviction: "The 'sQuba' lets me be one with the elements and lets me immerse myself in a new and fascinating world - with Q factor. It is our duty to protect this world in which we are guests to the best of our ability." Isn't it, Miss Moneypenny? - James couldn't have said it better himself glancing at the sporty Swiss precision chronograph from C.F. Bucherer. Eau la la - shaken, not stirred.

Rinspeed Porsche 997 Turbo Le Mans 600 (2007)

The Swiss Porsche specialist Rinspeed launches its new and exclusive accessories program "Le Mans" for the latest Porsche 997 Turbo models

The body

The "Le Mans" front skirt with integrated Carbon splitters appears eye-catching and produces a higher aerodynamic down force at the front axle. This increase results in a better road handling. The bigger and re-shaped air intakes for the radiators and the brakes improve the cooling of them considerably. Additional headlights with day light driving lights and the inboard moved fog lights guarantee a sporty yet elegant appearance. The newly - especially for the Turbo developed - side skirts connect optically the front and rear fenders in a maximal way. It follows the new body lines harmonically. Further appearance improvement is achieved by the Carbon covers for the rear view mirrors. The "Le Mans" rear skirt with integrated exhaust tips also increases the down force on the rear axle and esthetically supports the high performance exhaust system with integrated metal catalytic converters. Eye-catching yet not separable element is the rear wing which sits tightly above the rear hatch. The wing profile is also available in a Carbon finish.

The propulsion

For the first time the Swiss tuners have also addressed the engine output. The 3.6 liter power pack produces in the "Le Mans" breathtaking 600 hp (441 kW) at 6'700 rpm, the torque is increased to almost unbelievable 800 Nm at 4'000 Nm. The engine conversion includes two special VTG turbo chargers, a new Carbon air intake ram-air system with sport air filters, improved intercoolers as well as a high performance exhaust system with metal catalytic converters.

These modifications allow the Rinspeed "Le Mans" to be accounted amongst one of the fastest street legal sports cars. The sprint from 0-100 km/h is achieved by the super sportsman in just 3.3 seconds, the 200 km/h mark is reached in 10.9 seconds and the top speed is clocked at 343 km/h.

Further equipment of the "Le Mans" consists in an adjustable suspension which is based on the original PASM damper system. It has been developed in cooperation with Bilstein and assures a precise road handling in the top class. Maximum braking is achieved by an efficient and stable high performance brake kit with 8 pistons aluminum calipers and 380 mm x 34 mm at the front axle and 6 pistons calipers with 360 mm x 32 mm at the rear axle.

A close contact to the road is ensured by the typical and well sold Rinspeed 20 inch aluminum wheels in the C5/1 design. The rear wheels have been widened to the size of 12 x 20" especially for the Turbo. The tires sizes of 245/30-20 at the front axle and 325/25-20 at the rear axle hug the road for sufficient grip for the Swiss super sportsman.

Rinspeed Dodge Viper Veleno Concept (1993)

The base car, successor of the legendary classic of American "muscle-cars" named AC Cobra, is a Dodge Viper RT/10. This dream car of the nineties, so far built only in a very small volume of a few hundred units, was individually customized with many new components.

Already at first sight the unusual viper-green color distinguishes this car from others, especially as all originals came only in red. The strong effect underlines the aggressive lines of the body to its best. The front with its altered front skirt, the rear view mirrors on the windshield frame, the futuristically styled rear roll protection with the integrated rear lights and the modified rear end make the car even more desirable without distorting its original character.

The original one piece wheels were exchanged for three piece O.Z. wheels of the dimensions 10˝x18" in front and 13˝x18" in the rear. Enormous Pirelli P Zero tires (275/35-18 front and 335/30-18 rear) improve the handling and traction abilities.

New trends are set with the interior set-up. Instead of the traditional leather upholstery, the seats, door panels and the dashboard are covered with a new material called "Vinerus". "Vinerus" is a specially manufactured high-quality artificial material which is used by the well-known Maison Mollerus Inc (Zurich and Dusseldorf) for their collection of hand bags and traveling luggage. The advantage of this material is not only in its exclusive appearance but also in its weather fitness and sturdiness. It combines the elegant with the useful to a personal touch. The instrument panel and the center console are painted in the cars color to give it a high-tech look.

The revolutionary, integrated CD-changer by Alpine is controlled without distortion from driving by a touch of a button from the steering wheel.

The latest cellular phone from Nokia Mobiles phones, the model 121 with its feather weight of only 275 grams and its power of up to 6 watts (with a booster) being the lightest and most mobile unit in the world, solves all telecommunication problems.

The engine, with its ten cylinders and eight liters of volume being the biggest production unit in the world, is improved by a electronically controlled nitro-(NO2)-oxide-injection. The power output is thereby increased from 400 to 550 hp and the torque is raised to an incredible 820 Nm. The exhaust gases are routed through two catalytic converters to the side of the car.