If the Amphibicar ever gets into production, it needs to take styling cues from this vehicle. Premiering at the Geneva Auto Show in March, the German company EDAG Engineering + Design AG is unveiling a concept car it calls the LUV, for Luxury Utility Vehicle.
With its use of oiled teak as the covering for the hood, the interior floor, and the "loading platform" atop the rear trunk, this vehicle adopts many of the styling cues of an ocean-going vessel. Even though the rear loading platform/trunk lid looks flat, the sides of the vehicle slope upwards to the roof in a manner reminiscent of the boats that you'd see at your local marina--although we can't be too sure that the same design cue hasn't been used before in a small pickup truck, either. (When we first saw the name, we had visions of the Chevy LUV from the 1970s, but thankfully, this vehicle is not in the same ballpark, much less the same ZIP Code.)
EDAG Engineering + Design AG says that they've conceived this concept as a niche automobile, designed for those who want something altogether different from other cars on the road. With its rakish, nautical air and imposing size--5.7 metres long (roughly 224 inches), the same length as a Maybach 57--you're sure to command attention as you pilot your land-yacht down the highway.
The nautical theme doesn't just include styling touches; it embraces some practical aspects, as well. For instance, the rear teak-covered loading "quarterdeck" incorporates retractable clamps in the floor, allowing for the same method of securing large or heavy items as one would on a boat.
EDAG said that the process to go from design to a finished ready-to-drive prototype took only three months. They are currently exploring avenues to produce the LUV by talking to vehicle customizing outfits, so we presume that you would purchase a BMW (or similar car), and your customizer outfit would reshape the car to the LUV specifications. Once the transformation is complete, you are ready to cruise the highways in grand style!