The timing of this is a little off, since camping season is pretty much wrapping up, but the Sealander camping trailer is certainly an intriguing proposition. The pod-like camper is small and light enough to be towed by a mid-size vehicle, but it comes with a couple of surprises when you arrive at your chosen campsite.

First, it can function as a tent. That’s simple enough, since there are benches and beds and such in the modular and configurable interior. The inside can also be moved and swapped around to form the kitchen, complete with sink, fridge, and heater. The roof can also be peeled back for a night under the stars.

But the real kicker is that the Sealander, as its name leads you to believe, is also a seafaring vehicle. There is a “low emissions” electric motor in there that lets the waterproof Sealander hit the lake. That’s pretty awesome. It also has a shallow draft so you can make your way through shallower waters too.

Maybe the timing isn’t so terrible, since you can’t even get the Sealander yet. They’re planning a launch in 2012 with an approximate price of $20,400. If they’re able to hit the retail channels and get distribution by the spring, this could be quite the hot seller.

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The Manta is part motorcycle, part Sea-Doo and part…that three-wheeled van that kept tipping over on Mr. Bean shows. It’s like a Campagna T-rex driving in reverse from the park, down the beach and into the waves. And it almost looks like something you would see on a James Bond movie.

It’s the Manta, a three-wheeled amphibious electric concept car by David Cardoso Loureiro of Belgium which was entered into the Michelin Challenge Design and won a spot on display at the North American International Auto Show.

On land, the Manta moves more or less the way you would expect it to: Like an enclosed trike motorcycle. The two rear wheels feature in-wheel electric motors, though the designer doesn’t seem to have released any specs.

In water is where the Manta’s innovation really shines through. The rear wheels pivot 90º for the hubs to double as propellers, using the individual wheel motors to control direction rather than having a rudder.

There’s been no word on whether or not this concept is going to see production. I doubt it.

But I sure hope it does.

[Ubergizmo via Tuvie]

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