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
