"Unlike many fictional gadgets seen in Bond movies, the SC3 was not a movie prop designed solely for visual appeal. It was engineered as a real-world concept capable of operating both on the water's surface and beneath it. The project reportedly attracted interest from the UK Special Boat Service and even DARPA because of its unconventional capabilities and military-style versatility before eventually making its way into the Bond universe."
"Now heading to auction through Bonhams, the SC3 remains the only prototype ever produced, making it less of a practical recreational craft and more of a collectible piece of engineering history. Its rarity is amplified by the fact that no production version ever followed, despite the concept demonstrating genuine functionality both above and below the waterline."
"On the surface, the SC3 behaves much like a high-performance jet boat. It is powered by a Kawasaki 1,498cc inline four-cylinder engine connected to a jet-drive propulsion system, allowing it to skim across the water at impressive speeds. The real transformation begins once the craft enters deeper waters."
"With the underwater mode activated, electrically powered thrusters take over while hydrodynamic control surfaces guide the vessel beneath the surface at speeds of around three knots."
The Scubacraft SC3 is an experimental vehicle designed to function both above and below the waterline. Developed in the late 2000s as a working prototype, it blurred the line between speedboat and personal submarine. The craft was engineered for real operation rather than visual effect, and it reportedly drew interest from the UK Special Boat Service and DARPA. It later appeared in the James Bond film Spectre as a matte-black vehicle in Q’s workshop. The SC3 remains the only prototype produced, with no production version following despite demonstrated functionality. On the surface, it uses a Kawasaki 1,498cc inline four-cylinder engine with jet-drive propulsion. Underwater, electrically powered thrusters and hydrodynamic control surfaces enable travel at about three knots.
Read at Yanko Design - Modern Industrial Design News
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