Mike Penfold's Mercedes-Benz G500 - Squared Away
by CAE, Sep 10, 2009
Speakers
Focal's Utopia "Be" (Beryllium) kit No. 7 forms the heart of the front soundstage, consisting of two 6 1/2-inch woofers, two 3-inch midranges, two inverted-dome tweeters and a Crossblock passive crossover for fine-tuning. The 6 1/2-inch and 3-inch fit snug in the lower front doors, courtesy of an MDF ring and separate fiberglass enclosures. A single Audison Thesis amp (installed in the rear) directs juice to the front stage, delivering 400 watts RMS to each side.
For the rear soundstage, the Benz was treated to Focal's Utopia Be No. 6-a 6 1/2-inch woofer, plus inverted-dome beryllium tweeter for superior bandwidth range and dynamics. As with the front stage, a Crossblock passive crossover allows for sound customization. A hidden Audison SRx2 amp powers the rear stage with 170 watts RMS per side.
Upholstery
In keeping with the high-end theme, the Benzo's seat inserts and parts of the speaker enclosure were wrapped in Louis Vuitton gray and dark gray suede. (In case you're wondering, Penfold emphasizes that it's official LV.)
Shop: Kustom Workz, LLC, Elma, N.Y.
Special thanks: "Dr. B" Schmitt, "Deez," Steven Davidowicz, and Billy Gallo
Kustom Workz went with MobileSpec distribution blocks, using one for the grounds and one for power hookups, and tidily secured them under the rear seat. An Optima YellowTop in the factory location stores the juice for the entire project. While an Astrostart 5204 alarm with two-way pager helps guard against the greedy and grubby fingered, it should be noted: Ne'er-do-wells won't likely encounter this Rock Box out in the urban jungle. Penfold says it's rarely street driven and is mainly hauled to shows. Once on-site, it'll likely be cranking an SQ CD or DVD to show off its clean aural reproduction-classic Sinatra and Metallica are a couple of favorites. For all the complexity of this install, Penfold says Kustom Workz' philosophy is pretty straightforward. "We try to attend as many car shows as possible, take up as much space as possible, open all doors, and let the install and equipment speak for itself." Well put from a guy who set out to do it "his way."
One of the Ventis sends power to the six 8-inch Utopia subwoofers, while the other routes power to the front soundstage. The Audison SRx2 powering the rear soundstage hides beneath the back seat. That brings the total system power to 3,500 watts RMS. All that power is an open invitation to unwanted vibration. So before rattle could raise its ugly head, the boys swaddled the door panels and trunk in noise-deadening Dynamat Xtreme.
