BMW is going off-road, really off-road.
Gibbs Sports Amphibians has announced that it will use one of the Bavarian automaker’s four-cylinder motorcycle engines to power its Quadski amphibious vehicle when it goes into production later this year.
The unique four-wheeler can be ridden like an ATV on land, then tuck in its wheels and turn into a boat with a top speed of 45 mph thanks now to the 175 hp four-cylinder K 1300 it will borrow from BMW’s Motorrad motorcycle division.
Pricing for the Quadski will be announced in October, but a Gibbs representative says it will be on sale in North America before the end of 2012.
The power sports vehicle uses technology originally developed for the Gibbs Aquada, which holds the amphibious car speed record for crossing the English Channel with Richard Branson behind the wheel.