For all intents and purposes, the Mercedes S-Class Convertible
is the perfect car for a seaside cruise. It's beautiful, powerful, and
the cabin has been specially designed so your fancy haircut isn't ruined
by pesky buffeting. Problem is, it doesn't float, so cashed up car
buyers with a nautical bent can't enjoy S-Class level opulence once they arrive at the marina.
To rectify this glaring problem,
Mercedes-Benz Style has teamed up with Silver Arrows Marine to create
the Arrow460-Granturismo. Teased way back in 2012, the Granturismo hit the waters of Cote d'Azur for the first time on April 18 this year.
Measuring up at 14 meters (46 ft) long, the
Arrow460 is loaded to the gunwhales with equipment to make sure your on
water experience is just as luxurious as the hotel room you stayed in
the night before. Mercedes says the boat combines the best of open-top
cruisers with the privacy of a cabin-cruiser, with the large windscreen
and windows over the cabin able to be raised and lowered to give you the
feeling of being outside without all that pesky wind or spray from the
ocean.
As you'd expect on any regular Mercedes,
air-conditioning and a high-quality stereo are standard. But unlike most
other vehicles with a three-pointed star on the hood, the boat is also
kitted out with extendable tables and beds, as well as a luxurious
bathroom unit and separate dressing room.
There's a wine cellar and ice machine to help
share all of this luxury with 10 people and the interior has been
fitted out in the same fashion you'd expect of a high-end ballroom or
art display. Fine grain eucalyptus wood is used as a floor covering, and
the walls are also trimmed in flowing wood to create a unique ambience.
This feeling is elevated with the addition of a "luminous transmittance
control system," which allows light through but doesn't ruin the
profile in a similar fashion to the windows on the F015 and Concept IAA.
On the outside, the boat has been designed to
reference traditional automotive design, so there's a feature line
running along the side and the tail of the boat is slightly droopy, just
like the tail end of the current E-Class, S-Class and C-Class.
The designers have also worked hard to make sure the practical details
like handrails are seamlessly integrated into the shape.
Power comes from two Yanmar 6LY3-ETP diesel
engines, which combine for a total 706 kW (960 hp). That's good enough
for a top speed of 40 knots (74 km/h, 46 mph), although the recommended
cruising speed is 28 - 30 knots (52-56 km/h, 32-35 mph) in calm waters.
You should be able to cover some serious ground at that cruising speed,
too, because the fuel tank will hold 1,200 liters (317 US gal) of fuel.
If you like what you see, you'll have to
prove you have the means to buy it. Mercedes hasn't released pricing
details about the Arrow460 ... but if you have to ask, you probably
can't afford it.
Source: Daimler
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