The TVR Scamander Is the Most Bonkers and Badass Off-Road Amphibian. Road Legal, Too

Scamander is the old name of the Meander river, the river god Skamandros in Greek mythology, or Newt Scamander of the European Scamander wizarding family in the Harry Potter universe. But Scamander also refers to the most bonkers and downright badass off-road amphibious vehicle out there – and definitely the most impressive vehicle to wear the TVR badge.

Considering the many high-performance or uniquely-styled vehicles to have come out of the now-defunct British motor company, that's no small feat. Until just recently, the Scamander might have also been the most mysterious project to come out of the mind and skilled hands of former chemical engineer Peter Wheeler – and also his last.

A couple of months ago, the TVR Scamander made headlines again after auto enthusiast Harry Metcalfe dropped by for a visit on Peter Wheeler's farm, some 40 miles (64.3 km) from Blackpool, where the TVR headquarters used to be before Wheeler sold the company in 2005 after more than two decades of tenure.

Metcalfe, who maintains a very visible and highly entertaining online presence under Harry's Garage on YouTube, was actually friends with Wheeler, and he'd been privy to the Scamander project from its earlier days. This time, he met with Wheeler's son, Joe, who is a racing driver and enthusiast mechanic, to see if the vehicle, forgotten for nearly 12 years inside a barn, was still functional.

As it turns out, not only is the TVR Scamander still functional, but, as of a few days later, it's also fully road-legal, getting its first MOT (Ministry of Transport) verification in more than a decade. All cars driving on UK roads must be MOT-approved, but getting a prototype MOT certification is actually confirmation of its viability as a production series model.

In other words, the Scamander isn't just a beastly, functional, futuristic-looking machine. It could have also been a production series vehicle, just like Wheeler intended it. That makes it even more bonkers than the strange exterior.

How the Scamander came to be

When Wheeler sold TVR in 2005, he'd already started working on the Scamander, though only in sketches and drawings. He would later tell Metcalfe in a 2008 interview that he'd tried pitching the vehicle to TVR for a time before he realized there was no interest in it at company level, so he decided to go at it on his own.

When he completed it in 2008 – or, at the very least, the first iteration of it – Wheeler was technically in retirement. So, unlike other TVR vehicles he'd worked on, this one he'd done for a more selfish purpose. “I created it for me, to be honest,” he explained. “I enjoy shooting, sailing and driving on track, so I wanted something that could cover all these elements. I call it an RRV, for rapid response vehicle.”

Being the boss and owner of TVR had its perks, and they went beyond having the design penned by lead designer Graham Browne, whose work also includes the Tuscan, the T350, and the Sagaris. Wheeler had an eight-person team on his farm, helping him with the build.

When Metcalfe visited the farm for this interview, he also got the chance to drive the Scamander for the first time – and experience it drive through water for the first time. He was impressed by it in every way and continued to remain awed by the quality of the work and the attention to detail, even during his most recent test drive.

What is it that makes the Scamander so special?

Wheeler wanted a vehicle that was lightweight and could handle off-road drives, as well as travels on the tarmac, like a regular passenger vehicle. But he also wanted it to be capable for driving in water – not through shallow bodies like your typical offroader, but to actually sail on water in the manner of a boat, with speeds of up to 8 knots (9.2 mph/15 kph).

He also wanted cargo hauling capabilities like a regular pickup and seating for three people. He envisioned it with multiple functionality, down to military applications. Farther down the line, when the Scamander would go into production, Wheeler even imagined a remote control for it that would allow remote (duh!) operation so you could sit on the beach and get your Scamander to fetch your stuff from the boat with just a few button clicks.

Building such a vehicle was no easy task, but he was able to carry it through (minus the remote control operation part). The fact that he continued to work on Scamander until his death in 2009 meant continuous upgrading after extensive road testing.

Initially, the Scamander was powered by a 2-liter Ford Zetec engine, with Wheeler planning to replace it with a Rover V8 as soon as he got the chance. For water propulsion, the prototype first used attachable propellers to the rear wheels, which created more splashing than actual movement and were later dropped because of that.

The weight was kept at Wheeler's initial limit of 1,100 kg (2,425 kg) by using two-wheel drive with an automatic transmission. To compensate for the lack of four-wheel drive in a vehicle that was designed to cross moorland, Wheeler used the tallest wheels he could find, bespoke 21-inch rims initially clad in 35-inch tires produced for 1930s Bentleys. The tires have since been replaced with beefier ones.

The current iteration of the Scamander is powered by a 275 hp Ford V6 engine hidden under the three seats in the cabin (the driver sits in the central seat for maximum visibility). When it comes to hit the water, it relies on a rear-mounted propeller. Metcalfe drove it himself into a local pond in 2012 and, while not able to hit the goal 8 knots (9.2 mph/15 kph) Wheeler imagined, he declared himself satisfied with how it handled at speeds of 6 knots (6.9 mph/11.1 kph).

For his latest outing, Metcalfe took the Scamander across moorland, into Blackpool, offering along the way a good look at the interior and the vehicle's offroading capabilities. Everything from the steering wheel that slides upwards to allow a taller driver to settle in, to the buttons and gauges, and the slide-rearward canopy, works as it did back in Wheeler's time.

It's a good thing the Scamander is in such good shape, even after spending 12 years in a barn, not started, let alone being taken out. In June this year, between 4 and 6 of the month, it will be on display at the he 2024 London Concours, the Honourable Artillery Company, in the new Wildcards category that is reserved specifically for vehicles that don't fit the other classes in the event.

So, you see, getting an MOT was an absolute necessity because the plan seems to be to make the journey to London under its own power.