The amphibious vehicle to end the snickering? Maybe not.

We've talked about past amphibious vehicle projects like the Dutton Commander S2, Gibbs Aquada and Humdinga, among others, and we all remember the immortal Amphicar, but all of those are rather pedestrian compared to the FastTrack 1. It has tracks. Why hasn't anybody thought of this before? We know there have been dozens of attempts at building a practical amphibious vehicle through the ages, but why haven't any tinkerers tried using tracks before now? Perhaps best known for their use on tanks and bulldozers, tracks afford a flexible propulsion source for land AND water. And as a bonus, they can cover snow and ice fairly easily, as well.

Tracks don't offer high performance (or even moderate performance) driving like conventional wheels and tires, but they still make a decent compromise. That's why the FastTrack 1 from Fast Track Amphibian is so appealing. Sure it looks like a chopped pontoon boat, but this sucker can theoretically pound the waves at up to 39 mph and, when it reaches dry land, can do a highway-friendly 55 mph, as well. The vehicle pictured above is a proof of concept vehicle but production is a possibility.

Only the Amfibidiver seems to be able to one-up the FastTrack 1. If you remember, that vehicle could drive to the water, take you out to a dive spot, anchor while you dove, or even SUBMERGE! But we doubt ice and snow would be handled as easily.

[Source: Fast Track Amphibian via gizmag]