In the town where I was born there lived a man who sailed to sea. And he told us of his life, in the land of submarines. So naturally when I grew up and I bought my Porsche 968, I decided to buy one with the rare factory U202 option (submersible package).

After my wife and I purchased the car in 1995, we drove immediately to the harbor, pressing the blue “dive” button on the dashboard as we headed down the boat ramp. We heard a strange whirring sound as the periscope extended through the roof and the bow and stern planes deployed. Making sure the windows were rolled up tightly we proceeded into the water. The first few times you do it, it is a strange feeling to watch the water wash up over the windshield.

The concept of the submersible automobile was pioneered in 1977 for the James Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me using a Lotus Esprit. This car was only used for the movie, however, and never made it into production. Porsche though, took this concept in the mid 1980s and applied their extensive knowledge of U-boats to perfect the system.

The sub package works beautifully, is easy to operate and only requires a moderate amount of scheduled maintenance to the prop, ballast tanks and dive planes. Cleaning and removal of seaweed, barnacles and other crustaceans is important in order to to maintain the performance and beauty of your Porsche.

The specifications are as follows: Maximum depth is 5 atmospheres (22 fathoms). Top speed is 17 knots. My car did not come equipped with the optional torpedo tubes, but does have the optional lobster hook feature that was offered in New England only and allows you to snag one of those bugs and haul it back with you.

One of the advantages of owning a submersible Porsche is that a quick drive through the local lake eliminates the need to pay for car washes!  Now we live a life of ease, every one of us has all we need, sky of blue and sea of green, in our yellow submarine.