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'volkswagen beetle mobile shark cage' in collaboration with discovery channel
image courtesy badertv
volkswagen has collaborated with the discovery channel to build a one-of-a-kind 'volkswagen beetle mobile shark cage'.
engineers from volkswagen assisted in the fabrication of the cage allowing divers to interact with sharks, with the design being
drivable on the ocean floor due to a full air system and two propellers.
marine biologist luke tipple helped with the construction of the submersible vehicle for a structure that is made from tubular aluminum,
featuring a set of alloy wheels and the iconic bug headlights, divers can also hook up to the car’s in-built air system.
justin osborne, general manager of marketing communications for volkswagen of america says:
'we wanted the integration to be authentic and fit naturally with the volkswagen brand, imprinting our signature style on shark week,
the beetle shark cage plays on the silhouettes of two of the most iconic images, the shark fin and the volkswagen beetle'.

volkswagen has collaborated with the discovery channel

the design is drivable on the ocean floor due to a full air system and two propellers

the chassis

the steering wheel



entering the water


amongst sharks in the water

a video describing the design
I think I’d like a few more bars in there before I went cruising in shark infested waters
can they make a jeep shaped one…underwater safari anyone?!?
his shirt says it all.
Not a shark cage and (I may be mistaken here) those are nursing sharks, which I have
been in the Pacific with, and they are not dangerous.
I can see each of the personalities in this vid redone by SNL or some such group. Hysterical.
That’s super-cool, and a great idea, but just for show.
The holes are too big, and that frame wouldn’t stand up to a nibble.
and people would STILL not drive a beetle
It does not make any sense at all!!! This is not the best way to approach natural environments.For onwe part it seems like a unchained piece of poor adverstisement , for the other a waste of resources including the creative eforts and imagiantion …. !
These lovely sharks and rays are so domesticated by tour “guides” that they are like pet dogs. Throw some chum at ‘em on a regular basis, and they will literally eat out of your hand. And, as rcvs1 says, they are Nurse sharks, not known for being the violent, toothsome predator Discovery Channel wants us to believe the VW is protecting the heroic shark diver against.
There is nothing natural about this in any way, except for the human instinct for exploitation of natural resources for the sake of money. What have we done to the wild?
Those are nursing sharks and of no danger to divers. They are all over the Pacific Coast of California.
I dove into the midst of a school of nursing sharks that equaled in number the ones shown. No problem.
And, that is not a shark cage.
Why is this on Design Boom?
The entire thing is silly and wasteful of the design communities’ time.
This is insulting to the people that review Design Boom for inspiration and innovation. This is neither and it is not art.