Stephen Fry's amphibious London cab | Gadget Man

this isn't just my idea of the perfect commuting vehicle but it's a world first to a London taxi made seaworthy I hope I don't mind telling you I'm more than a little apprehensive as to how it's all going to turn out if he goes wrong I shall be mildly moist to say the least time for my team to unveil the Beast I just hope they hadn't turned my plans for a super commuter into some sort of foul looking dingy oh my god I'm so nervous I love this thing like a baby just about okay yeah oh it's still a cab still a car but with many benefits it's extraordinary the body has been completely sealed to waterproof it and running boards full of foam have been attacked to add buoyancy and stop the cab rocking from side to side in the water the usual engine remains up front to drive the wheels but now poking out of the boot is a propeller attached to a 10 horsepower electric outboard motor controlled by a hand throttle inside see boys [Music] none of the modifications stop it being road-legal although the extras have added weight and put the suspension under rather lot of strain [Music] laughter that was a dodgy one my adviser actually nothing serious it's it's the foam and an aluminium base apparently that's causing him slightly noisier and bumpy ride that I would be used to little unnerving considering I'm about to turn off the traffic clogged roads and see if my empty cab will let me take a shortcut down the Thames it's hard to imagine how this could float I have to say it takes all my faith in technologists and engineers to entrust myself to this on water it's just what we've all seen those film I feel like Chuck Yeager must have felt before he first brewed the speed of sound of his jet the right stuff [Music] they say you always feel nervous your first time - blooming right you too oh my goodness this is extraordin is going I'm a flow to the cab this is wonderful it's not very fast - there we go captain Birds Frye is making steady graceful progress nothing can possibly go wrong should I be worried about the smoke [Music] it appears the propeller has caught on something as the motor has stopped I am stricken rather embarrassingly I'm just being overtaken by a duck help help the aquatic division of my gadget man boffin's immediately lept into action to tow me to safety Toronto called Jonathan allergic the Bluetooth hello Jonathan I am in the Thames on a floating amphibious The Hangover Part 3 the London story well you had your fun on your on your lovely tricycle but Tim anyway I will see you Wednesday night and Thursday night is any luck I might be wet and covered in seaweed thanks bye-bye after 25 minutes repair work the propeller is fixed for hire [Music] just know this with no traffic lights speed cameras or congestion I'm free to worry about more important things [Applause] [Music] my in-car espresso machine that'll stop one fully asleep at the wheel hmm tasty there's a serious point here that my amphi cab is making with rush hours crippling much of the country into gridlock opening up a major transportation route like a river something that runs through the heart of most of our cities might not be such a mad concept [Music] the idea that I could approach a bank and then engage the engine and just drive off is almost incredible just as a pair of wings in its chitty-chitty bang-bang but maybe I'll save that for another day you you

Channel: North One

Views: 116,389

Keywords: Stephen Fry, Jonathan Ross, Gadget Man

Id: xCBPIXU3M28

Length: 6min 30sec (390 seconds)

Published: Wed Feb 12 2020