The Arosa is the most maneuverable personal hovercraft in the world…
Air-cushioned vehicles such as hovercrafts are not a new concept. Their appeal has flatlined over the years due to their noisy engines, high costs, and even higher maintenance. But now US company Von Mercier – which manufactures futuristic electric vehicles – is hoping to make them popular again with the launch of their 2022 Arosa concept.
They had a similar concept back in 2014, called the Supercraft, but the Arosa is more Commodore than Barina, and they’re hoping it proves just as legendary – as the world’s first luxury sports hovercraft.
It may look like a luxury sportscar, but unlike your McLaren or Lamborghini hypercars, Arosa will bring both supercar and speedboat elements together for full-throttle cruising on any type of terrain – wet, dry and in between.
Like the Suzuki Misano concept, the Arosa features a two-set open cockpit, surrounded by a low profile carbon fibre body with an aggressive front end and side air intakes. There is no air-conditioning, but the Momo steering wheel, pedals, and digital dashboard are the essential items here.
Like its predecessor, Arosa rides on an 8-inch air cushion that allows it to essentially glide across any surface expect the Moon’s. Where you can drive it though will depend on your local authorities, as hovercrafts are classified as boats and aren’t usually allowed on public roads – although a large private property or farm would be ideal.
While it looks like the Morgan three-wheeler, those ‘wheels’ are actually fan rotors, powered by a hybrid-electric powertrain. The petrol engine powers the three 118 horsepower (88 kW) electric motors, while a buffer battery stores electricity for short bursts. This low pollution drive gains a top speed of 128 km/h and 190 km of range at 64 km/h; not supercar quick, but enough to rate as the fastest amphibious vehicle yet – capable of 80 km/h on water.
Hovercrafts have reputations for being uncontrollable bastards at times, but the advanced directional control system equipped here ensures you seamlessly transition between forward, lateral, reverse and nosedive with ease.
Despite Von Mercier’s plans to launch last year, the Arosa is still very much a concept in progress. The hovercraft will have a starting price of $100,000, with costs going up if you customise the exterior colour, interior fabrics, GPS systems, etc. It seems like a small dent in the wallet though – for the lovechild of a Bugatti hypercar and a Sunseeker yacht.
By Bill Varetimidis
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