One-of-6 Hydra Spyder Flexes V8 Engine With Only 170 Miles, Is Deemed Unsinkable

I can imagine that building an amphibious vehicle is no easy task. My former physics teacher used to say: "Someone who attempts to take on multiple disciplines will not master either of them". And this 2008 Hydra Spyder is the perfect example. It might sound good in theory, but real-life results haven't really been favorable to this vehicle. Only six of these were ever built, and it might take some time for this one to find a new owner.

The company has deemed this car "unsinkable" thanks to large amounts of flotation foam used in the build process. This amphibious vehicle is built around a Chevrolet LS3 engine that produces 450 horsepower and is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission gearbox. Apparently, this thing can reach speeds of 125 mph (201 kph) while on land and up to 46 knots (85 kph) on water, all while carrying up to four passengers.

Weight figures reveal quite a smart design, as the Hydra Spyder sits at just 3,300 lbs (1,496 kg), thanks to its alloy aluminum lower hull. The upper body is made mostly out of lightweight fiberglass, so this is not an average shed-built project, but something the people at Cool Amphibious Manufacturers International have really put a lot of effort into.

While the video presented by the seller doesn't show the car going into boat-mode, there are plenty of other videos on YouTube that will leave you at least somewhat excited thinking about the possibilities. Apparently, whoever bought this thing back in 2008 has only put 170 actual miles (273 km) on it, so this is almost a brand new vehicle, aside from a slightly messed up driver's seat. The asking price is somewhat prohibitive as it sits at $189,000, which only leads to the idea of buying a boat and a truck for towing said boat instead.