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Gibbs to build Humdinga amphibious truck in Asia


Yeobh
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CAN IMAGINE SUDDENLY WAVES GETTING BIG

 

 

i think u will need a pail

 

I will ask the agent to throw in 2 pail when I buy. wahaha and life vests

 

 

Haha 10pm and I am dreaming already. lol

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Turbocharged
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Just saw this on top gear last Sunday.

humdinga is already here??

 

reviewer tested it in sg waters.

 

http://blogs.wsj.com/searealtime/2014/03/05/new-vehicles-set-to-leave-singapore-stirred-not-shaken/

 

 

March 5, 2014, 8:00 AM

New Vehicles Set to Leave Singapore Stirred, Not Shaken
  • By Gaurav Raghuvanshi
BN-BT615_SGHum__G_20140304064438.jpg Courtesy of ST Kinetics The Quaski, a personal-use amphibious vehicle being brought to Singapore by state-owned defense vehicles maker ST Kinetics.

A land-to-sea vehicle that had its name coined during a liquor-infused night in Italy is about to arrive in Southeast Asia’s most affluent island-nation.

The ‘Humdinga,’ a slurred twist on ‘humdinger,’ something remarkable or outstanding, is one of two new amphibious vehicles being brought to Asia by Singapore’s state-owned defense vehicles maker ST Kinetics Ltd.

The truck may find more buyers among government rescue agencies initially, but its smaller sibling, the Quadski, is likely to attract well-heeled buyers with spare cash and a house near the sea.

In the U.S., the Quadski carries a price tag estimated at roughly $42,000, but it remains a mystery how much Singaporeans will need to pay to live out their James Bond-style fantasies, says Neil Jenkins, the chairman of Gibbs Amphibians, the company that makes the vehicles.

It helps, he notes, that the craft is at the top of its class.

BN-BT608_SGHum__D_20140304063240.jpg Courtesy of ST Kinetics The Humdiga may find more buyers among government rescue agencies initially.

Typical amphibious vehicles are painfully slow on land, but the Quadski , an amphibious all-terrain vehicle, can reach speeds of 45 miles per hour on both land and sea thanks to a 150-horsepower BMW engine. In true 007-style, it takes four seconds after the mere push of a button to transition from land to water.

When I had the chance to take a test drive, I found the Quadski fairly stable in choppy seas. Fear of wrecking the vehicle, or crashing into one of the thousands of ships anchored in Singapore’s harbor prevented me from pushing the second-stage throttle. But even without firing all cylinders, the ride was a thrill.

ST Kinetics, the specialty vehicles arm of defense contractor Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd, will import the Quadski from the U.S. and sell and service the vehicle in Southeast Asia. Apart from private individuals, the vehicles will be marketed to border protection agencies.

The bigger Humdinga, which also takes just seconds to move between land and water, will be manufactured by ST Kinetics in Singapore. Mr. Jenkins says it is meant to be deployed mainly to assist disaster relief victims, or possibly for use as a defense vehicle. He didn’t reveal the pricing for the Humdinga.

The vehicle could be particularly useful to medical personnel trying to reach those in flood-affected areas, said Patrick Choy, executive vice president of ST Kinetics.

For years ST Kinetics has manufactured vehicles for defense purposes. Now, however, the company is venturing into the lifestyle market.

ST Kinetics claims to have found the right partner in Gibbs, which has already spent $200 million to develop 10 amphibious vehicles over the past 20 years and finds its assembly line unable to produce the Humdinga trucks in large numbers. Gibbs is looking for partners across the world for licensed manufacturing of the vehicles, said Mr. Jenkins.

 

 

Edited by Karoon
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