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Family-Owned Amphibious Car “Outruns” the Police in River Chase

Amphibious cars have been around for decades and, despite their drawbacks, are still somewhat popular – within a very small niche. This is perhaps the most exciting headline you’re ever likely to read about one: an amphibian car managed to outrun the police in an impromptu river chase.
Family in amphibious car causes drama on river where motorized boats are not allowed 9 photos
Photo: Viechtach Water Rescue Service / Zenger News
The Terra Wind costs between $850K and $1.2 million, but it can also floatThe Terra Wind costs between $850K and $1.2 million, but it can also floatThe Terra Wind costs between $850K and $1.2 million, but it can also floatThe Terra Wind costs between $850K and $1.2 million, but it can also floatThe Terra Wind costs between $850K and $1.2 million, but it can also floatThe Terra Wind costs between $850K and $1.2 million, but it can also floatThe Terra Wind costs between $850K and $1.2 million, but it can also floatThe Terra Wind costs between $850K and $1.2 million, but it can also float
The biggest advantage of amphibious cars is, naturally, the fact that they can operate both on land and on water. It’s also their biggest downside: because they’re trying to do two things at once, they’re not particularly good at either. Exceptions do exist, of course, but most amphibious cars are slow on land and slow on water.

As slow as they are, one still managed to be faster than a police-operated boat. A Dutch family vacationing in Germany caused major drama, with a capital D, at the end of last month, as it set sail on the Schwarzer Regen River in Viechtach, Bavaria, near Munich. People called the police to report a “strange vessel” on the river and, once at the scene, officers borrowed a motorized boat from a private individual to engage in a pursuit.

It came to a sudden and unexpected halt when the battery on the borrowed boat died, and the amphibious car was able to get away, Zenger News reports, citing local media. The stranded police were forced to call for help from the Viechtach water rescue service, which adds another layer of hilarity to the story.

Now in the boat of the water rescue service, police were able to overtake the “floating car” and inform the family on board that motorized boats were not allowed on the river. The report notes that the family was informed of “several violations of the water and navigation law,” and the vehicle was removed from the water.

It doesn’t look like the family let this incident put a damper on their water-centric vacation plans, though: two days later, the same vehicle was spotted in the Danube River.
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Editor's note: Gallery shows the Terra Wind amphibious RV, arguably the most expensive and luxurious amphibious vehicle in the world.

About the author: Elena Gorgan
Elena Gorgan profile photo

Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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