Alan Gibbs, founder of Gibbs Technologies, has unveiled the Quadski, an Auburn Hills-made combination jet ski/all-terrain vehicle that can hit 45 m.p.h. on land or water, according to Mark Phelan in the Free Press.
Built in Gibbs' factory in near the Palace of Auburn Hills, the Quadski goes on sale in November through a network of what Gibbs says will be 20 dealerships by November 2012.
Phelan writes Gibbs Sport Amphibians employs about 100 people in Michigan and expects to hire another couple of hundred as Quadski production rises from 1,000 in the next 12 months to 5,000 or more a year, company Chairman Neil Jenkins said. Gibbs has invested about $50 million in Michigan and a total of $200 million developing amphibious vehicles.
The Quadski uses a 175-horsepower BMW motorcycle engine and automatic transmission to drive its rear wheels on land and a jet impeller in the water. A Quadski will cost about $40,000 when it goes on sale.
