On Land And By Sea Alpine Takes Sound To A New Level

Regular visitors to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) have come to know that Alpine produces extravagant demo cars, which are debuted at the show. With each passing year, the Alpine demo cars get more elaborate with custom body fabrication, redesigned interiors and motorization, leading visitors to declare, ”What will you do next year? You’ll have to make something that isn’t even a car!”

For 2008, Alpine’s Advanced Application R&D Team of Gary Bell, Brent Davison and Steve Brown took these comments literally and made something that is not a car – they fabricated a custom sport boat. Taking center stage at Alpine’s 2008 CES booth is a 25-foot high-performance V-bottom boat. The boat was custom fabricated to not only show off the Alpine team’s vehicle-building expertise, but also to make a bold performance statement as part of Alpine’s entry into Marine sound systems. Accompanying the boat is a 2008 Mercedes Benz GL550 with a custom Alpine audio/video plus navigation (A/V + N) system, serving as the luxurious tow vehicle for this upscale vessel.

Alpine iDA-X100M

Alpine’s new Marine system, which is specifically designed and engineered for the challenges of the marine environment, is intelligently incorporated into the boat. The iDA-X100M iPod® Marine Digital Media Receiver and the KCA-SC100 SIRIUS® Satellite Radio interface used with the SCC1 SiriusConnect™ Vehicle Tuner provide the audio sources for the 3,600–watt system, and are controllable by the MC1 wireless remote commander installed in the driver’s cockpit. The boat has another custom passenger cockpit, where the iDA-X100M is installed. There are also two custom-made, dual fiberglass front-facing lounge seats. These two seats and the two cockpits all are equipped with their own pair of SPR-M700 7-inch coaxial 2-way marine speakers. Another MC1 commander is installed in the front of the boat for easy accessibility. Extensive body work was done to the boat to achieve a truly unique on-water experience. It has a completely custom fiberglass hull, integrated Lonseal floor and steps, and a fiberglass interior painted to match the external design. The front of the boat has a motorized boarding step complete with a foot wash and a dual built-in cooler area which is protected by a hydraulic hatch cover. The dome canopy windshields incorporate three PDX-1.600M mono power and five PDX-4.100M 4/3/2 channel power density digital amplifiers which are mounted on custom motorized racks. Two more SPR-M700 speakers are installed in the custom hydraulically-actuated fiberglass engine hatch. The engine hatch houses the custom Vortech-supercharged Big Block Chevy engine which has over 500 horsepower and spins a 24P Bravo four-blade propeller on a built Bravo 1 outdrive. A custom billet steering wheel from Klassix Inc. gives the driver a unique way to steer this one-of-a-kind boat.

Six more passengers can fit in the rear lounge area. This area lets them have fun and get loud on the water, through the six SWR-M100 10-inch marine subwoofers and eight SPR-M700 speakers. These passengers can use the RUE-M1RF RF remote control or the installed MC1 remote commander to control the sound system.

The boat is powered by four Kinetik HC2400 High Current Power Cells and a Kinetik KIPS 12-80 power supply with a Honda 2000 watt generator. When not on the water, the boat sits on a Custom Extreme triple-axis trailer supported by six 20-inch TIS Model #11 wheels and Toyo Proxes S/T 275-45R20 tires.

Although impressive on the water, the boat still needs to get from place-to-place on land, and that is where the Mercedes Benz GL550 comes in. The GL550 holds its own with a complete Alpine Audio/Video + Navigation (AV+N) system. The system is based on the IVA-W505 2-DIN Mobile Multimedia Station™, which serves as the base unit to control other sources such as the TUA-T550HD HD Radio™ tuner and the KCA-SC100 SIRIUS Satellite Radio interface. A Blackbird PMD-B200 portable navigation device docks directly into the IVA-W505, creating a sleek, elegant navigation solution. The PDX-5 5-channel amplifier powers two SPX-17PRO 6.5-inch component 2-way speakers and one SWX-1043D 10-inch subwoofer, installed in the rear cargo floor.

The GL550 sports a rugged silhouette, thanks to the three-inch lifted suspension, custom fiberglass fender flares and running boards to accommodate the 37-inch Toyo Open Country M/T 37x13.5024 LT tires and 24-inch TIS Model #11 wheels. Massive stopping power is provided by the Brembo Gran Turismo brake kit with 8-piston front calipers and 4-piston rear calipers, clamping 380mm two-piece front and rear rotors. Other modifications include a custom fiberglass front grille and a roof rack by Devious Customs. The GL550 is powered by a Kinetik HC2400 High Current Power Cell and Kinetik KIPS 12-80 power supply.

The boat and GL550 both use Monster Cable wiring, and Autpoage’s security system and actuator control. The silver, blue, gray and black paint are custom BASF Glasurit colors, while Santini Custom Paint provided the matching custom paint and graphics scheme for the boat and GL550. Color sanding and buffing were provided by Kevin Brown and Meguiar’s, who also supplied all the detailing, cleaning and buffing products. Combined, the boat and GL550 took more than 5,000 man-hours to build.

“Alpine is entering the Marine market full speed ahead,” said Stephen Witt, vice president, marketing and product planning, Alpine Electronics. “Our Marine products are designed and engineered to work together as an integrated system, and this demo boat is the best medium to show our commitment to this market. Along with the GL550, these demo vehicles show the best we have to offer on land and on sea.”