Imagine skimming across a vast frozen land, much like a water bug on a lake, as you explore the next part of the white world to rotate into view from the horizon. You squint as the sun reflects from the bleached surface, and smile as the nimble little machine's prop pushes you onward into adventure.
Lotus has created a concept vehicle that is perfect for any weekend jaunts you have planned to Antarctica soon. The Concept Ice Vehicle (CIV) measures 4.5 meters by 4.5 meters and is powered by biofuels. The rear prop driven vehicle rides on three runners that are basically skis, and of course any Antarctica runabout just would not be complete without the onboard ice radar.
If you were wondering how it stops on skis dependably (I was after viewing the fixed angle skis in the picture), the vehicle uses a spiked front pad that it uses for deceleration on the ice. Plus, in case you run into problems, the vehicle is light enough to easily push or pull it across the frozen landscape. So, what do you say, heading for the ice caps anytime soon?
