The Suzuki Jimny turns heads on the roads, but this modified version can do it on water

[MUSIC] I know everyone's going nuts about this new Suzuki jimny. But if I look at it completely objectively, it's not actually a fantastic road car. It's got a 1.5 liter which going through this five speed box. It's 60 in about 13 seconds, and it completely runs out of profit before you can get to 90 if you can stand the noise. It wallows in the corners, the staring is like a drunken telephone call. If you persevere the message eventually gets through and the breaks. Well, we try not to think about the breaks too much because this thing only has a three star and cat rating. I think you're being harsh during the good breaks if you've got good performance and Okay, this really isn't designed to be bombing up down the motorways of. Smashing through hairpins at higher speed. It's a low cost. Big fun, pint sized, mud plug and it's fantastic at this price point. I don't think anything can touch it. Who cares about brakes anyway And you're absolutely right because this thing has been designed as a tool. It's not been designed as a fashion accessory and In this Instagram filtered fake news, the lifestyle branded world in which we live in, there's something actually really refreshingly honest about the Suzuki Jimny that we both really liked. I think it's pretty cool. And as a toy as a play thing, it is great fun. But I've got a theory now, this is a rare instance of where a previous model has the potential to be even better than the current model because we're making the Jimmy since what 1970 something the original one. I think they made the gen three for about 20 years. Yeah. So there's thousands of them. I think they made 3 million and the way it's 191 countries similar. If you take one of those original Geminis and you got a couple of thousand to spare, you take it to a very eccentric English inventor friend of ours, he will take your off roader offshore. This is Dutton the oldest founder owned car company in the world. At one time, Dutton owned world's most prolific kid car manufacturer producing more than 8000 sports cars throughout the 1970s and 80s. In 1995, company founder Tim Duncan picked his spare once again. To begin building amphibious vehicles using the underpinnings of this Jimmy's predecessors. So we met up with Tim to try out the latest doesn't serve on ocean going four by four that's been making quite a splash So this is the one that's based on the predecessor to this. That's right. So it's a little bit longer than standard Jimny, is that right? About a foot and a half longer Right. So it gives you a slightly more comfortable ride because like on the mini, the early mini's very short. Yeah And they we're doing this all the time. So this is more comfortable, and it's about 100 kilos heavier, and of course you're much higher so you get a more commanding view of the Well, the road and the river everything you see that yellow is plastic. There's no chassis and it's monocoque. And then we're all the suspension and the steering and the important bits of bolted on. There's stainless steel laminated into the monocoque. So it can't get rusty, it will still be able to move dead and buried. Can I ask a daft question? I mean, some of the early amphibious cars were just flapping around on the back. This is Jet propulsion. That's right. So it's like a jet ski base. It's exactly the same as a jet ski with jet ski, the impellers about three inches in diameter and this is eight and a half. So it's much bigger. We had to design the jet ourselves because the smallest jet we could find was about that long. Yeah. And of course, there's no good because it would stick out of the back. So we had to make we now manufacturers Shortest jet on the planet. The whole thing is only about that long When which takes us out of the water and then once we complete it, he doesn't need a licence. Nobody need the licence to take the water.>> It's about the the only thing in England that is actually free. In Europe, you're not allowed to go out on a boat that's got an engine that's more than 10 horsepower unless you pass various tests. But in England, anybody can go out in the water. You could be a 15 year old kid that's just one of the pools and get into a powerboat with a couple of Lamborghini engines in and just go straight out. There's no regulations at all. It's a bit weird. The irony is they could take it out to see but not on the road. Yeah, that's exactly right. And you can have a few jars as well. The 15 year old me wouldn't love it. So there's no drink driving laws on that. [CROSSTALK] I think if you're absolutely completely drunk, but other than that. [CROSSTALK] I've been gone for drink sailing in Norway. Right. [CROSSTALK] No way that. [LAUGH] [LAUGH] I didn't start off there. You built 8000 cars right and that kid car industry was a still exists Of course, but it was huge back in the day young people would build their own cars from kits. But what inspired you to make the first seagoing car because that's our oil and water and chalk and cheese and Him in sobriety.>> I used to take my boats onto the beach in wording because when the tides out it's about a mile out so if we got at the wrong time it had pushed the trailer for miles and I thought I'll drive on the beach. So council found out about that stopped us doing it. And someone said, Well, if you make an FPV his car you can drive on the beach not really much more anything else I can do about it, and that's how it started. That was in 93. And then by 1994, I lived in a big house with a swimming pool which I didn't use that much of, sorry and design a car in a swimming pool. So actually I designed my first MPP SCA, in the swimming pool But that was a two wheel drive based on an old Fiesta, Yeah, not based on an old Fiesta. And unfortunately, as soon as I bought it out, I got tons of publicity. And everybody said, It was four wheel drive. Yeah, So I had to sell that for about five or six years to get my money back on demoting and everything. And then in 1999, I went over to four wheel drive, Started off with a Suzuki Samurai. And then we went on to the Germany which is what this is now. I've done the English Channel twice. I was going to ask you about that. So you hold the record for taking two across. Yeah, no and well no, I hold the record for doing it twice. There is nothing more. How long did it take you. Six hours just holding the steering wheel, just watching France get slightly bigger for six. Sounds really boring, but I'm never gonna do this again. And then 2006 a customer had one of my cars, he said he wanted to do it. Well I come along, So he did it again. So of course, the channel flies Pretty complicated Because it's a jet. Yeah The rod is only about three inches square, so it's very small because the water comes out at such a high pressure. So that's coming up to the steering all the time. So you just press the loud pedal to make you go faster. And John Stinner? Turn the steering wheel. The way you slow down and stick your foot off the throttle is a good putting foot on the brake. I got that. Mean weigh need to write some of this down. So an idiot can drive it. Yeah, give me the keys. Let's go. There's a bit of a knack to this. I think.. You got good grab handles. [LAUGH] [SOUND] Right. Good debth sound [INAUDIBLE] Yeah, I got [LAUGH] Preflight checks, seat belts? No, that's the [INAUDIBLE] As you go down [INAUDIBLE] And anyways, right, if we crash I wanna be restrained, or [INAUDIBLE] where is there. No, you just need to be able to get out quick-quick. Yeah. Engage jet, clutch lever. We're on jet. We're on jet. Take foots off clutch and drive or roll down to water. [MUSIC] We're call, we're a call. We're a call. We're a call or a call. [MUSIC] [MUSIC] In wheels too. We're on boat. Some. [UNKNOWN] On the. It already say. Go quick to. [UNKNOWN] Where we going? Well that's it. Yes then. [LAUGH] We are a boat. Still feels like a car God this is a weird feeling. It's just off the throttle then Yeah, just off the throttle, yeah and it's a massive lag because you turn the wheel like boats and nothing happens. **** [LAUGH] Yacht What the camera can't see is a huge yacht trying to get in. Sorry. Right, so we're going right towards the English Channel. To France. France is right. I don't know. Check this out, right. Yeah, drift the drift date. [LAUGH] I reckon. Fantastic. Yes. All right. You'd be driving on the left or on the right? Is it near the front got really heavy? [INAUDIBLE] we were a bit. I think we just listed in your side, mate. [LAUGH] That was crude. That man's calling the Coast Guard. No, we're all right, we don't need any help. We're fine. Do you feel the tight? Yeah, I'm totally [INAUDIBLE] now. [LAUGH] [SOUND] [INAUDIBLE] [INAUDIBLE] Is there? Yeah. It handles like a Vauxhal. Maybe a bit more that way. [MUSIC] Yeah, I've got my Got no brakes There's instructions for landing as well is in it? Yeah, make it quick because we're fast approaching land To leave water but photocopied engage transfer box mark black into four wheel drive That knob there Yeah, you've got that. It's a four wheel drive. There's a neutral at the minute I'm getting there, I'm getting there. Give me a second right. Let's head on the current.>> Why are we going side ways? Because you know the wheels now you know the jet so yeah,>> now what quick??>> No you just drive out or you make a sale so you need to lever into neutral. Which which ones. No, he never said touchdown okay. We're basically just gonna crash into the shore [LAUGH]. Basically, the only thing you've gotta remember is you got to put it to two wheel drive as soon as you get on to the ramp. [BLANK_AUDIO] You're in neutral. You're not in drive. Gotta put it in four wheel drive. Okay. ****. I put my foot on the brake, like that makes a difference. Yeah, there we go. I'd say that you got to put into two wheel drive as soon as you get to this. Yes. [LAUGH] So if you've got, I don't know 10 grand to spend and you're unrequited type. There's a great alternative to the latest gym Nick, would you agree? Absolutely then options list includes poop decks, fishing rod holder and depth Sounders Are you really sure you want the new jimny [LAUGH] [MUSIC]