The $2 Billion Migaloo M5 Is World's First Luxury Super Submarine, Loaded With Amenities

This is Migaloo M5, the world's first luxury super submarine and the one vessel that could withstand any storm – at least in theory. It's a super submarine because it's technically a superyacht megayacht in submarine disguise, loaded with amenities and features even today's most outrageous megayachts lack.

It's priced to match, too: the M5 starts at $2 billion before the owner can add whatever features he or she thinks could turn this vessel into an off-grid home, either for leisure cruising or as the go-to solution for that dreaded scenario when the world goes bust.

If the name rings a bell, it's for one of two reasons. Migaloo is the name of an all-white humpback whale first spotted in 1991 off the Australian East Coast, and most likely the inspiration for the name of Austria-based design studio Migaloo. It's also a name that rode several news cycles a few years ago with a similarly outrageous concept called M7, the first entry in an M-series of submersibles that the startup believed would lay out future trends in the yachting industry.

The M5 super submarine seems to be an evolution of the M7 concept, but it's scaled down for size and, somehow ironically, packed with more amenities despite the smaller footprint. The design studio still believes this to be the future of yachting, perhaps even more so now with the threat of an all-out global war looming.

So, for the billionaire with more than a couple of billion to spare, Migaloo proposes the best there is: not a megayacht with a submarine in the garage, but a megayacht that becomes a submarine – and carries at least two submarines onboard, as well as tenders, UUVs (unmanned underwater vehicles) ROVs (remotely operated vehicles), helicopters, drones, SUVs and pickup trucks, and even a hot-air balloon.

It's a wild dream, indeed, but Christian Gumpold, founder of Migaloo, believes in its chances of becoming real. The only condition is that someone with enough money and patience comes along.

"Our target group are visionary billionaires, with or without existing superyacht experience, who have extraordinary demands for exclusivity, safety, adventure, or experiences," Gumpold said in a recent interview. "As it is a completely new development, such a project will require corresponding monetary resources, take a lot of time for design, construction, and building, and demand many decisions."

The M5 is smaller than its predecessor, with a total length of 165.8 meters (544 feet), a beam of 23 meters (75.5 feet), and a draft of 8.6 meters (28 feet). Range is estimated at 15,000 km (9,320 miles), with hybrid propulsion (diesel and AIP) and the ability to spend up to four weeks submerged. Top speed would be 20 knots (23 mph/37 kph) on the water surface and 12 knots (14 mph/22 kph) submerged.

Speaking of which, the M5 can go as deep as 250 meters (820 feet), which is considerably less than its predecessor. In return, all transfers can be done underwater, including of passengers, because Migaloo has spent the years between the two projects designing a custom tender that allows just that. This way, billionaires could slip by completely undetected, should the worst come to happen.

Accommodation is for 14 to 20 guests, with the final say in that going to the owner and whatever layout they have in mind for the super-sub they paid for. A crew of 32-40 people would cater to their needs and provide essential services.

Amenities range from a wine cellar and dining hall surrounded by glass, allowing guests to have the most breathtaking panoramic views of the underwater world, two pools, a jacuzzi, a private cinema, and a most dazzling expanding beach club. This one would be in use only when the vessel came out to the surface, of course.

Migaloo also includes a few renders of the interior of the M5, and they're as insane as you'd expect from a vessel boasting a $2 billion starting price tag. You get swathes of marble and glossy hardwood, accent lighting, custom furniture and artworks, and enough gold finishes to make any Russian oligarch worth his salt start making calculations.

But perhaps the biggest "get" of this incredible vessel is the way in which it promises the ability to explore the world, even when living on what is essentially a self-contained floating island. The M5 ditches its predecessor's plan to carry missiles and opts to diversify entertainment and maybe even research options.

The M5 features a helipad on the aft deck and a hangar in a dedicated pressure hull, large enough to fit a Bell 407 or a 429. It would also carry several drones and even a hot-air balloon, and plenty of gear for water and land exploration: a pair of custom Midget-Submarines, also from Migaloo, 2 subs, several ROVs and UUVs, at least four surface tenders, a pair of expedition vehicles, SUVs or pickup trucks. It would also pack a most impressive range of water toys and expedition gear.

We can't speak for any of the world's most eccentric billionaires, but the Migaloo M5 sure seems to check all the boxes for what a dream watercraft could be. Except it's not real.