Skip to main content

Gibbs Quadski: Redefining the meaning of “all-terrain vehicle”

Gibbs Quadski amphibious ATVOff-road vehicles claim to be able to go anywhere, but they can’t. Cars, dirt bikes, and ATVs can’t fly, nor can they swim. The FAA might have something to say about the former, but Michigan’s Gibbs Sports Amphibians hopes to achieve the latter. The Gibbs Quadski is the mutant offspring of an ATV and a jet ski.

On land, the Quadski behaves like a normal ATV, but at the push of a button the wheels retract and power is transferred from the rear differential to a propeller. That power (175 horsepower and 103 pound-feet of torque, 140 hp on water) comes from a 1.3-liter four cylinder engine from a BMW K1300 motorcycle.

Recommended Videos

As with any vehicle that is neither one thing or another, there are compromises. Despite its considerable size, the Quadski can only carry one rider. It’s also rear-wheel drive, which may limit its performance on tough trails.

Amphibious motoring also doesn’t come cheap. Gibbs has not finalized the price, but company representatives say the Quadski will cost around $40,000. That is a lot of money for a quad, even if it can drive on water.

The Quadski may be flawed, but that’s not surprising given how difficult its development has been. Gibbs has been developing amphibious vehicle technology since 1996, spending $200 million and accumulating over 300 patents. Until now, the result of all that work has been nothing.

Gibbs spent years trying to bring the Aquada, an amphibious car, to market, but it was torpedoed (no pun intended) by supplier issues and regulations. That’s not surprising given the checkered history of amphibious vehicles. The German Amphicar was a sales failure, and even the World War II DUKWs that delivered supplies in support of Allied invasions (and now carry tourists on “Duck tours”) were said to drive “like trucks in the water and boats on land.”

When it goes on sale in November, the Quadski could be the first amphibious vehicle to sell in significant quantities. Gibbs has dealers lined up in Florida, Texas, New York, and the Midwest.

Technical issues aside, why would anyone want an ATV-jet ski hybrid? It would certainly allow outdoors adventurers to travel as the crow flies, but on another level, its just plain cool. Now if only Gibbs could add some wings…

Stephen Edelstein
Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…
Volvo’s much-anticipated EX30 EV to reach U.S. before year end
Front three quarter view of the 2025 Volvo EX30.

Volvo is switching gears again, this time to accelerate deliveries of its much-anticipated EX30 subcompact electric SUV so that it reaches the U.S. before the end of 2024.

The Swedish automaker last summer had postponed the U.S. launch of the EX30 to 2025, citing “changes in the global automotive landscape." The move followed the Biden administration’s 100% import tariff on electric vehicles made in China.

Read more
Rivian R2 EV’s new LG battery boosts storage capacity sixfold
Rivian R2

The Rivian R2, the EV maker’s much-anticipated affordable electric SUV, will be powered by U.S.-made batteries promising to store six times as much energy as those currently used.

South Korea’s LG Energy Solutions announced it will be supplying LG’s 4695 cylindrical batteries to Rivian as part of a five-year agreement.

Read more
Scout Terra vs. Tesla Cybertruck: retro and futuristic, head to head
Scout Motors Terra driving front

Scout Motors is back. The classic brand has been reinvigorated under Volkswagen Group, and not only that, but it has already announced two new vehicles that it plans to launch in the next few years. Of the two, the Scout Terra is the electric truck, and it's built to offer a modern design with an excellent range and fast performance.

But how does the Scout Terra compare with another popular electric truck, the Tesla Cybertruck? While the Scout Terra is set to be much cheaper than the Cybertruck is now, it's entirely possible that by the time the Terra is released, it could have a higher price tag than expected, while Tesla lowers the price tag of the Cybertruck. Is one of these trucks objectively better? We put the two head-to-head to find out.
Design
The Scout Terra and the Tesla Cybertruck arguably couldn't be further apart in terms of design. Of course, variation is a good thing, at least as long as both options are solid under the hood too.

Read more