Floating Motors Turns Classic Cars Into Custom, Luxurious Motorboats

Lazzarini Design, the studio founded by designer Pierpaolo Lazzarini and best known for creating some of the most outrageous, outlandish and fascinating superyacht concepts, is at it again. This time, it’s keeping it small: the new startup, Floating Motors, isn’t as much about scale as it’s about delivering custom motorboats to all types of potential clients.

If us regular mortals can only dream of one day setting foot on a vessel like the Avanguardia, some of the items in the Floating Motors lineup can actually be considered affordable. Floating Motors is Lazzarini’s latest startup, which aims to bring these new motorboats to market within the next couple of years.

The idea is simple: while restomods are classics upgraded to meet modern driving requirements (and then some), Floating Motors will be offering “resto-floats,” i.e. classic cars converted into boats. “We strictly respect the original car model proportions and sizes, applying the most modern nautical techniques for the floating hull (catamaran, conventional or foil), and delivering an exceptional quality concerning construction materials and applied technology, for the longest durability into harsh conditions,” reads the newly-launched website. “Our products are top-luxury motorboats, shaped like mythical cars.”

For the record, the products may be top-luxury but they’re also non-existent as of the time of press. Floating Motors is now accepting pre-orders and investors, with hopes to launch the first units within two years after raising money for prototypes and molds.

Still, should you be interested, you should know that the sky is the limit in terms of what you could get. Basically, any classic model will do, whether it’s a VW van, a MINI, a Lamborghini or the “General Lee” Dodge Charger. To this body, you can add a custom hull, depending on what you plan to use the boat for: a twin hull (for a catamaran) or a single hull with hydrofoils, and custom suspension.

Power options also vary, so you get several models: La Dolce (40-hp electric outboard engine), La Foil (70-hp outboard engine), Mini Mare (twin 40-hp electric outboard engines), La Veloce (240-hp electric outboard engine), and La Perla (twin 135-hp electric engine and jet drive). You also have several length options, from XS, which ranges from 3 to 3.5 meters (9.8 to 11.4 feet), to XL, which is 6 to 7.5 meters (19.6 to 24.6 feet) long.

Or, if you’re in the mood for something really special and have the budget to match, you can name your classic, specify your needs, and Floating Motors will take care of everything else. Perhaps the most appealing part of the project is the fact that it’s not just a bunch of cars with outboard engines strapped at the end. Based on the renders, at least, it looks like Floating Motors will go the extra length in converting these classics into proper boats, including removable tops and extendable decks for tanning, storage and whatever else you might need for a relaxing day out on the water.

The Floating Motors boats also work well for other purposes than leisure: they can be used as tenders for yachts, carrying passengers or cargo, as water taxis, or water-shuttles for beach hotels. Depending on each customer, the makers promise the perfect watercraft, with the most elegant body.

This brings us to the question of pricing. La Dolce seems to be cheapest of the lot, given its performance and size, and costs $35,000 – a steal, if you consider that the Jet Capsule, another Lazzarini product, sells for upwards of $250,000. For $50,000, you can get a 1% stake in the company and a founders’ edition model of the La Dolce. Or you can invest $1,000 and get in return a $5,000 discount on any model and a Floating Token cryptocurrency that is expected to launch at the end of this year.

Ultimately, it all boils down to how far your love of classic cars goes and your willingness to part with your money in return for the promise of a most unique motorboat.