The Bonkers Sea Lion Amphibious Prototype Is Now up for Grabs

Amphibious cars are a monument to indecision, never perfected, always a compromise of some sort but often in their weird way sublime, like the Sea Lion Amphibious Prototype heading for auction this weekend.

The Sea Lion was built in 2012 and, at the time, was claimed to be the world’s fastest amphibious car. It’s powered by a 175 horsepower 1.3-liter Mazda rotary engine, an oddity within an oddity. The front wheels, according to Mecum’s auction listing, “suck up into the wheel wells with hydraulic actuation.” There is a stick—similar to what you would see in a fighter jet—to control the car underwater.

Power underwater was designed to be had from a Berkeley jet pump, which the auction listing says is “highly modified.” Obviously, only one of the Sea Lion Amphibious Prototypes exists.

An engineer named Mark Witt built and designed the prototype, which cost $259,000 when new, according to a Wired story from 2012. It was said to be capable of speeds of up to 180 mph on land and 45 mph in the water, though those numbers weren’t independently verified. Witt worked on the car for six years.

Nowadays, the auction listing does not mention if the Sea Lion Amphibious Prototype is in full working order, but it was housed at the Larry Klairmont Museum Collection.

“All vehicles being offered from the Larry Klairmont Museum Collection, Larry’s Legacy auction, have been set up for long-term museum display,” a note on the listing says. “Any vehicle purchased from this collection will likely require essential basic service prior to driving on the road including, but not limited to, fuel system and carburetors, batteries, brakes, etc.”

So, buyer beware. But, on the other hand, if you bought the Sea Lion, you’d have enough conversation fodder for at least one dinner party—and perhaps a few. The weird amphibious supercar in your garage might not work, and it probably shouldn’t have even been attempted to drive it, but it does look cool.

Click here for more photos of the Sea Lion Amphibious Prototype.

See Also

Lyft Plans to Launch Mobileye Robotaxis in Dallas as Soon as 2026