More Than A Mercedes

The R class vehicles from Mercedes may not be too many people's favorite vehicle, but recently we've seen some spectacular modded versions of the car, most notably Alpine's R500 from last year's CES and now this R550 from Marketing in Motion in Southern California.

Marketing in Motion's Joe Maynard wanted to prove what huge potential this vehicle has and developed a design that would make that loud and clear for car show attendees. As he says, "We worked with Mercedes-Benz USA and our project sponsors to build the ultimate VIP ride." If the VIPs are into home theater on wheels, then they'll love this Merc.

Sub Box
Johnson says his favorite thing about the R550 is "watching movies at 150dB." Providing that oomph are two 10" MTX subs in a vinyl-wrapped box behind the rear seats. The enclosure consists of two layers of 3/4" MDF with solid sides and a ribbed top that was fiberglassed with four layers of 3-ounce mat.

VIP Lounge
Your typical rear seat entertainment system consists of one measly overhead monitor, usually around 10.2 inches or so. There are 20-plus-inch monitors, but frankly they're too big to hang from the ceiling. Headrest monitors are common enough; however, measuring in at only 7 inches, they're not exactly great for "the big screen." Both might suffice to keep a pair of kids quiet, lulled into submission by their favorite episode of SpongeBob SquarePants. But that setup won't satisfy viewers really into their movies and with more mature tastes.

Maynard wanted to get away from that minivan concept of rear seat entertainment. He wanted to build something that grown-ups would appreciate. So for his Mercedes R550 he decided to create the ultimate rear seat entertainment system with a distinctly luxurious feel. Think of your flat-panel TV at home and then somehow install it in your car.

After tossing around ideas for almost a year, Maynard decided to bring in Peter Johnson of Image Audio Designs to give those ideas substance. Johnson figured out how to install a massive screen behind the front seats and that would divide the cab into two distinct areas-the driver and navigator's cockpit and the in-car theater.

Rather than plotting a design for the vehicle and sticking to it, Johnson tested the waters. After all, they had some interesting plans for the R550 and couldn't be sure they'd work. "Once the vehicle arrived, it was torn down and all of our concepts were tested for feasibility," he relates. "Once we hashed out the details the fabrication began."

Dash
Since MTX is a marketing partner with Marketing in Motion, a lot of MTX gear went into this R550-not to mention the huge 32-inch screen. Honestly, in a car that size the monitor looks like the 50-inch flat-panel you have in your media room. The barrier wall holds not only the TV but also components of the front stage. Johnson built the wall starting with a 3/4" MDF frame. Grille cloth soaked in polyester resin provided the shape, which was stiffened up with two layers of 3-ounce fiberglass mat and finished with body filler and factory Mercedes vinyl.

Rear Source
Like a projectionist in reverse, the front passenger can control the entertainment from the front seat, where the Sony MEX-DV2000 source unit replaces the CD changer in the glove box. For control from the rear, a Sony RM-X55M Remote Commander travels back to the rest of the cabin. Rear passengers can use the wired remote to control the system.

C-Pillars
Behind the rear-seat movie watchers, two MTX 4" component speakers accompanied by tweeters provide the rear surround. Johnson modified the rear pillar sections, ripping out the old factory 2.5" speakers and fiberglassing new 1/2" MDF mounts to the factory panels. Aluminum mounting points give the speakers something to latch on to in the reshaped C-pillars. After being sprayed with poly primer, they were dyed to match the factory finish.