- The Sea Lion is a handbuilt amphibious car completed over six years by Marc Witt.
- It features a supercharged 13B rotary engine from the RX-7 pushing up to 180 mph.
- The car uses jet propulsion and a single steering wheel to control land and water navigation.
We cover just about every type of car, truck, SUV, motorcycle and bus around here, but few are quite like this one. Built over six years and nicknamed the Sea Lion, this amphibious vehicle is a singular mix of land speed and aquatic capability.
When it debuted in 2012, it was reportedly the fastest amphibious car in the world. Now, it’s set to go up for auction and just about every detail on it feels stranger than the last; not least of which is its supercharged Mazda 13B rotary engine.
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That’s the same engine found in the Mazda RX-7, though here it comes paired with the distinctive sound of a supercharger. It’s this combination that helped the Sea Lionclaim the title of the fastest amphibious car on land, at least at the time.
It could reportedly reach speeds of up to 180 mph (289 km/h). Other amphibious vehicles were faster on water, however. In that sense, it’s best thought of as a very fast road car that happens to be able to navigate waterways when needed.
Marc Witt, the builder, allegedly got the car up to 130 mph (209 km/h) at El Mirage back when it was new. This isn’t a custom body on an already made chassis either. Witt built just about everything you see here from the chassis itself to the body panels, to much of the systems that enable the Sea Lion to handle both road and water. Those exterior panels are CNC-milled and TIG-welded 5052 aluminum all the way around.
When it’s time to take to the sea, the Sea Lion uses side pods for flotation and a jet propeller to provide thrust and steering. Interestingly, the same steering wheel that guides the front wheels aims the rear thruster.
At the front of the vehicle, a large section that acts as a chin spoiler during land operations flips up and directs waves under the vehicle when on the water. Of course, it also appears to block the pilot’s view. That’s only one potential issue with ownership here.
Mecum isn’t exactly wordy when it comes to the state of the Sea Lion today. To that end, we don’t know if it’s seaworthy or even roadworthy at this stage. In addition, this is a single-seat craft, so don’t expect to take anyone else with you on your trip in it. Finally, as far as we can tell, it’s not street legal either. Regardless, it’s going up for auction Saturday, September 20th.
So, is the Sea Lion practical? Not in the slightest. But it’s hard to argue with the appeal of a single-seat, jet-propelled, aluminum-skinned rocket that also happens to float. If this sort of glorious overengineering speaks to your soul, you’re in good company. Check out the list here and see where this amphibious oddity stacks up.