Scamander Interest

[mik]

Harry’s done another vid on it.

[Beany]

It's definitely interesting, but we've got the backstory to it already, and seen it on the road, so there's only so much you can do with it now other than a bit of water based action. Not like you can *really* take it on track or do *serious* offroading in it (RWD only innit)

So it's interesting, for sure, but I think there's not much else to get out of it content/knowledge & understanding-wise.

Good to see it getting aired out though!

[RobYob]

Was very cool (irony) to see it trundling through London.

In the context of Harry's walk around the concours it was a great way to bookend the story.

I'd like to see it go for a swim or do some events (Scamander to Morocco!). But apart from that or the slim chance it gets seriously modified that would be it.

[Jobbo]

I think it’s ugly, pointless and yet I have still watched that video because mostly it’s not about the Scamander. So don’t be put off.

[ZedLeg]

All amphibious cars are shit and boring.

The rest of the video was alright. I wonder if the purple 812 comp is the same one that I saw at work. There can’t be many of them.

[V8Granite]

Considering he had genuine hopes for an all terrain vehicle I don’t understand why a long wheelbase 2wd vehicle was a starting point.

Interesting but only as a “thing” not as a concept.

Dave!

[dan]

I think it’s ugly, pointless and yet I have still watched that video because mostly it’s not about the Scamander. So don’t be put off.

Yep thats about the size of it

[Jobbo]

All amphibious cars are shit and boring.

Top Gear viewers don't think so. The amphibious cars episodes are always up there in the list of most-loved.

[mik]

All amphibious cars are shit and boring.

Top Gear viewers don't think so. The amphibious cars episodes are always up there in the list of most-loved.

Which proves only that it is good entertainment. (aside : Mr Porter was talking about this topic on a very recent Sniff & Sniff episode, mainly around his recognition of the fact that the presenters were up for placing themselves in not-insignificant danger for this feature. Particularly James May. Yes there were support boats on-hand etc, but help wouldn't arrive to any situation immediately, and it's a pretty challenging environment).

The Scamander is interesting to me only because it was the brainchild (brainstorm?) of Peter Wheeler. I have huge respect for what he tried to do with TVR - even if it wasn't always successful - I miss their existence and I'd feckin love to have a 90's Griff or a T350 if I had any kind of "collection". Even if I might consider sticking an LS drivetrain in them....

But the Scamander as a vehicle doesn't do anything for me at all, and if it was created by Johnathon Unknown I'd barely give it the time of day. The number of people who need and would use an amphibious car must be minute, and the compromises that the use challenge appears to create (performing as a road vehicle, or performing as a boat) are simply massive. Hence, meh.

[Barry]

What he said. It's hugely compromised at both it's intended use cases, and apparently can't handle traffic jams or fit in a standard car park. It's a silly toy, and I applaud that much of it, but it's a no from me.

[Jobbo]

All amphibious cars are shit and boring.

Top Gear viewers don't think so. The amphibious cars episodes are always up there in the list of most-loved.

Which proves only that it is good entertainment.

It demonstrates that amphibious cars aren't boring to a large number of people. The jeopardy of drowning might be the reason but it's totally unjustified to say all amphibious cars are boring. They may be a bit shit, but I'll gloss over that.

An Amphicar is incredibly cool. Colin Goodwin did a channel crossing in a Dutton Mariner and it was a most fantastic article: https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/car-news/ ... ber-1995-/
One of the best James Bond cars was the submarine Esprit. So, boring - no, absolutely not.

ETA: and Peter Duncan crossing (well, failing to IIRC) the Irish Sea in a VW Beetle was great telly:

[mik]

One of the best James Bond cars was the submarine Esprit. So, boring - no, absolutely not.

Fair point. I guess that's also why having massive metal teeth is generally considered far from boring.

[Mito Man]

This just reminds me that haven’t seen those amphibious busses in London for years
Must have all caught fire.

[mik]

I have also done this tour. It wasn't boring. But it was rather silly (as appropriate).

[ZedLeg]

Top Gear viewers don't think so. The amphibious cars episodes are always up there in the list of most-loved.

Which proves only that it is good entertainment.

It demonstrates that amphibious cars aren't boring to a large number of people. The jeopardy of drowning might be the reason but it's totally unjustified to say all amphibious cars are boring. They may be a bit shit, but I'll gloss over that.

An Amphicar is incredibly cool. Colin Goodwin did a channel crossing in a Dutton Mariner and it was a most fantastic article: https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/car-news/ ... ber-1995-/
One of the best James Bond cars was the submarine Esprit. So, boring - no, absolutely not.

ETA: and Peter Duncan crossing (well, failing to IIRC) the Irish Sea in a VW Beetle was great telly:

The cars themselves aren’t the interest but the story. What’s interesting about a beetle full of expanding foam?

[Beany]

What he said. It's hugely compromised at both it's intended use cases, and apparently can't handle traffic jams or fit in a standard car park. It's a silly toy, and I applaud that much of it, but it's a no from me.

Just on this note, it appears it was actually the coolant header/expansion tank being overfilled that caused the problem and it was fine through London - just steaming off spilled coolant on the way.

It's interesting to me because it's Peter Wheeler with the gloves off. When designing TVRs, he had to sell them. This is him undiluted and going 'fuck it, I've got a car company, i'm gonna do something fucking bonkers'.

I'll grant you the outcome isn't a firebreathing monster, but it's definitely a look into how he percieves problems and how to approach them.

I'd love to see design docs etc.

[Rich B]

I guess it's one of those things - I'm not interested in crap cars or crap boats. Amphibian cars tend to be both - lolling around in the water all out of balance, then all the wrong shape and lugging around extra weight on land.

I quite like the engineering involved (when it's good) but this thing never really appealed because it's massive, ugly and didn't really look very finished.

[simon_g]

This just reminds me that haven’t seen those amphibious busses in London for years
Must have all caught fire.

They lost access to their slipway (next to MI6) years ago when construction started on the big tideway tunnel / sewer, it's not like central London has lots of other places to choose from. I think it'll be restored now that they've finished the tunnel.

I skimmed most of the Scamander stuff in the video, in person it's huge and it's bad kitcar level of finish. If you like the amphibious bit then this video from over a decade ago is a better watch:

[Jobbo]

The cars themselves aren’t the interest but the story. What’s interesting about a beetle full of expanding foam?

The story wouldn't exist without the car. And if you think a boat which can get out of the water and drive round is boring, you've clearly never been on a boat because floating about is innately quite interesting.

As for what's interesting about a Beetle filled with expanding foam, are Beetles boring? Isn't it amazing how little work you can get away with and still manage to (nearly) cross the Irish Sea in one?

[Rich B]

This just reminds me that haven’t seen those amphibious busses in London for years
Must have all caught fire.

They lost access to their slipway (next to MI6) years ago when construction started on the big tideway tunnel / sewer, it's not like central London has lots of other places to choose from. I think it'll be restored now that they've finished the tunnel.

we've still got duckboat(s?) in Windsor - I've been on them a few times. The best thing about them is they have a tannoy system and the conductor quacks at random people through it.