Futuristic Amphibious Crab-shapedSuperyachtUnveiled

A multi-million-euro sleek, hard-shelled semi-submersible amphibious vessel offers the ultimate in stylish living, on land and at sea. 

Costed at around €24million (£22million), and boasting a dazzling modern design, the Pagarus - created by an Italian design studio - is the ultimate futuristic amphibious superyacht. With six bedrooms, solar panels on its two hulls and space to carry an off-road vehicle, the 82ft vessel can cruise at 24 knots (28mph) on the water and carry up to eight passengers as well as its four crew. But it isn’t just a water-born vessel. Screw-like cylinders on the underside of the boat can also be lowered on land, allowing the vehicle to plough through sand and mud - with one artist's impression even mocking it up as a piece of military hardware. 

Dreamed up by the Rome-based studio Lazzarini Design, the Pagarus - which takes its name from a Latin word for a type of crab - has been dubbed ‘the Crabmaran' because of its apparent resemblance to the crustacean.  With the a trio of bedrooms in each of the two main hulls, each one with its own kitchen, the sleeping quarters are connected by a steel bridge from which the crew would command the vessel.  Each of the two hulls is topped with a solar panel, although the boat's main engine is powered by diesel. Rotating cylinders underneath help to recharge the engine's battery. A central elevator platform could be used to winch equipment as heavy as an off-road vehicle up into the hold or back down to the ground - and could also be used to lower a dining table and chairs down to the water level, allowing guests to enjoy a meal on the underside of the vessel. The boat is also equipped for two guests to go jet-skiing from the rear of the yacht, with relaxation areas for them when they return to the bridge.  

The design is beautifully sleek with low carbon fibre superstructure using a distinctive, slim semicircle of glass. Echoing a crab’s hard shell, Pagurus’s steel hull is up to an inch thick with extra reinforcement around the bow for safe and effective ice-crushing. Key features include dual propellers and twin 890hp diesel engines. 

Concepts unveiled at the launch show the Pagurus with a sleek white coating, as well as an alternative bright orange look and a military-style camouflage. The design studio describes it as a 'nature-inspired' yacht, part of an eye-catching series that also includes a swan-shaped mega yacht and, at the other end of the scale, a miniature 'jet spider' suitable for one person.  All four of the Pagurus’ hull appendages can leave the water to allow passengers the ease to bank on the sand and step down on to the beach.