Amphicruiser AWD Amphibious Off-Roader

The Amphicruiser is an all-wheel-drive amphibious vehicle built by Dutch Amfibious Transport (DAT). The Amphicruiser is based on a custom-built chassis and powered by a 4.2 litre engine from a Toyota Land Cruiser. Many of the Amphicruiser’s components have also been lifted from the Land Cruiser to ease the construction process and reduce costs.

The Amphicruiser has a very rugged, practical look about it. DAT say that they haven’t sacrificed any of the vehicle’s off-road ability by making it amphibious. It’s equally at home on the road, off the road, or in the water.

The Amphicruiser is powered by the Toyota engine on both land and in the water. When out of the wet stuff, the engine drives all four wheels. When in the water, at the push of a button, the power is diverted from the wheels and to a jet drive system. In the water the Amphicruiser has a respectable top speed of 8 mph. Not quick. But pretty good for something which can drive itself into and out of the water.

The body of the DAT Amphicruiser is made from stainless steel to prevent corrosion. The passenger compartment is kept dry by inflatable door seals. DAT have made sure the Amphicruiser is easy to use, and the driver doesn’t need any special training to operate the vehicle.

DAT offer two versions of the Amphicruiser, a two-door soft top, and a four-door hardtop SUV. Neither of them are cheap. The two-door model costs $180,000, while the four-door version costs $248,000. Surprisingly DAT are finding plenty of buyers for their versatile vehicle. Unsurprisingly a lot of them are headed to Dubai. However the company are also selling the vehicle for commercial use, primarily to tour operators, and safari parks. A rescue model and a military version of the Amphicruiser have also been proposed.