The Von Mercier Arosa Sports Hovercraft is set to Redefine the Luxury Maritime Sector

He revealed the first images of his amphibious hovercraft back in 2014, with the intent of releasing it in small numbers, about 60 units (10 collectors editions and 50 custom examples) by 2015. The car was known as the Supercraft at the time, and Mercier believed it to be worth, $75,000, accepting a refundable deposit of $8,500 from potential buyers.

The Supercraft had a hybrid powertrain consisting of an internal combustion engine and two electric motors with a total output of 103 horsepower. The design also incorporated a buffer battery, and the Supercraft’s dry weight was just 701 pounds as it uses lightweight carbon fiber and chromium alloy, promising characteristics on par with a competent sports car.

The inventor projected a range of around 124 miles at a cruising speed of 40 mph and a top speed of 80 mph. The hovercraft features, neither wheels nor wings and it can float seven inches above the ground on an air cushion.

In 2015, demonstrations of the Supercraft were seen, and over time, everyone had forgotten about Mercier, that is until May of this year when it re-emerged on the web and announced that Mercier is finally ready to bring his amphibian, now known as Arosa to market.

The Von Mercier Arosa’s odd design rotors on the sides imitating wheels look especially amazing. It features a far more elegant design than that of the Supercraft, and at least one operational prototype of the Arosa exists, based on these images. Dubbed as the world’s premier luxury sports hovercraft, the Arosa is a hybrid of a sports car an off-road vehicle, and a speedboat, with design characteristics inspired by aviation. It should be capable of running on water, stones, grass, asphalt, and sand.

The amphibious vehicle is designed for two people to sit in tandem. There are no creature comforts such as climate control or even music; instead, there all you get is a steering wheel, pedals, traction control wheel, power start button, and a computerized dashboard.

Arosa’s current website mentions a hybrid propulsion system consisting of a combustion engine that is used as a generator coupled with three electric motors. This setup should make for an extremely fuel-efficient vehicle.

Even if Mercier does release its amphibian, it is unclear as to how exactly will it be certified or where will it dwell. For now, the Arosa’s specifications are only available to members of the Von Mercier community, which includes investors and owners of the first limited edition units. Although deliveries of the Arosa were initially stated for August, you can expect to see it by the end of the year.

Here is Michael Mercier himself on the Arosa Sports Hovercraft.