By CATHERINE DONNELLY
Special to the PRESS
Innovative jet skis spotted on Laguna Madre Bay are part of a new business in town, SPI Exotic Jet Cars. They’re in eye-catching bright colors, and the chassis are replicas of iconic sports cars like Lamborghini and Bugatti.
These vehicles have Yamaha super-powered jet ski engines. Still, the chassis is a lightweight fiberglass replica of well-known sports cars with seats already installed and a steering wheel for piloting the craft on the water. The company imports these car chassis from Dubai, Egypt.
The company currently has two replicas of a McLaren, a land cruiser best known for being a jet-powered supersonic Land Speed Record sports car. The water car version can go up to 70 m.p.h., though it can only be driven as fast as the Coast Guard speed limits allow, with a maximum of 55 m.p.h., according to Freddy Nava, the company’s mechanic and fabricator.
“My husband and I were looking online in December 2022 and saw these great jet cars,” said SPI Exotic Jet Cars Manager Claudia Espinoza. “We decided this would be the perfect idea for our waterways at Port Isabel and South Padre Island.”
These unique exotic jet cars were the germ of the idea to start the business. Now, Nava and his team of mechanics take super-powered jet ski engines and the electrical components and add them to the car chassis to make them rideable on water, which takes about a month.
“We get just the body with the steering wheel and the seats already installed, but it doesn’t have the engine or any electronic parts,” SPI Exotic Jet Cars Mechanic Freddy Nava said. “And it doesn’t come with directions or measurements, so putting them together has been a real challenge!”
“They’re faster than a regular jet ski, but you don’t get as wet riding in them,” added Nava. “And these jet cars are built safer than jet skis. Riders don’t fall off regardless of how rough the waves are that day.”
The company dipped its toe in the water late in the season last year but came on full force just last month.
The demand is so strong that they’re working on bringing on a third car next month and will have added more by next year, including a four-seater Rolls Royce for families and larger parties to ride in, according to Espinoza.
“We’ve always wanted to contribute to bringing fun to the community,” said Espinoza. “And the response has been so good. We’re very grateful!”
To rent from SPI Exotic Jet Cars, customers must be at least 21 years old and have their boaters’ certification if they are under 30. The business also discounts teachers, veterans, and students who bring in report cards with good grades. The jet cars launch from the slips at the White Sands Inn, Marina, Bar & Grill on Queen Isabella Boulevard in Port Isabel.
Comments