Carpool DeVille Is the World’s Fastest and Poshest Hot Tub, a Dream Come True

Originally painted in baby blue, it also sported a more girly-pink paintjob at some point, but never stopped being awesome and as elegant as you’d expect such a classy Caddy to be. More importantly, though, the Carpool is officially, as of August 2014, the world’s fastest motorized hot tub, as recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records.

While the Carpool DeVille is clearly a car (yes, we can still call it that) that catches the eye, its story is just as fascinating. It’s a project that took the pair of McMaster University engineering undergrads 22 years to put together, perfect, fully finance, and ultimately race at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, with the goal of setting a new land speed record.

While still students in 1996, the pair came across a 1982 Chevrolet Malibu that had been abandoned at a student house. They did not have the money or the inclination to raise it to get the car towed, so they decided they would use it for what they hoped would become a world-first project: a rolling hot tub.

They cut off the roof and started working on the car, which became Carpool Mk I. Like all prototypes, Mk I was not perfect, but it still became a star in the community, even winning a prize at the 2001 Canadian International Auto Show. The increased attention caught the eye of someone from the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA), who reached out to the pair to inform them they would be welcome at the Bonneville Salt Flats that August to attempt to set the land speed record for the World’s Fastest Hot Tub.

The Mk I didn’t make it to Cali that year, or the following. By 2004, it had deteriorated to such an extent it could no longer be used, and it became clear that a replacement was needed. A stretch Cadillac Limo was bought in 2005, but it got stolen before it was fully converted into the second iteration of the Carpool.

In 2008, a 1969 Cadillac Coupe DeVille was acquired for $800 and it would become the legend that is today Carpool DeVille, aka Carpool Mk III. Still, it would take the pair another 6 years and some crowdfunding to get it to the Bonneville Flats, where it would set the long-evasive record.

Mk III still retains the original 375 horsepower V8 engine with the 525 lb-ft (712 Nm) torque, which took the car, back in its glory days, to 100 mph (161 kph). However, the Carpool is made to carry 375 gallons (1,419.53 liters) of water, which doubles the total weight of the vehicle, bringing it to 9,000 pounds (4,082 kg). That is to say, it’s not nearly as fast as it was, which is hardly surprising.

As noted above, the interior has been stripped bare and a single-piece fiberglass tank was put in. The chassis is strengthened, suspension has been improved, and everything was made watertight, with marina controls for braking and engine start. The pool plant sits in the trunk and is able to bring the water to 102°F (38.88°C) in a little over half an hour. With 11 water jets, a spa filter and an overflow tank, the Carpool can seat five passengers.

In order to take part in the race at the Bonneville Flats, the car was fitted with a roll cage to meet safety regulations. There were no passengers in the back and, fully loaded with water, it was able to pull an average speed of 52.28 mph (84 kph) in the two best runs, with a top speed of 54.8 mph (88.19 kph).

After the Bonneville Flats record was set, Guinness also recognized the Carpool as the world’s fastest tub. This turned it into an actual star, with appearances on Jay Leno’s Garage, The Bachelorette and an Afrojack music video, among others.

In 2018, the Carpool sold at a Barrett-Jackson auction, fetching $26,500. Forster and Weicker never explained why they had decided to part ways with it, but to paraphrase a famous saying, they’ll always have Paris. And that enviable world record.