When you work on a car, sometimes the client is more intimidating than the vehicle. Even with various high-end rides and SEMA Show demo vehicles under his belt, Don Whitmire of Hi-Velocity Motorsports (HVM) experienced a bit of apprehension when faced with this newly purchased Mercedes S600. Owned by automobile aficionado Dennis Scalpi, the vehicle was the latest addition to a stable of cars that already includes some head-turners, a couple of Italian supercars, European vehicles and even an American musclecar. Whitmire knew that Scalpi wouldn't just go mild with the Mercedes when he pulled into HVM.
Of course, the S600 is no slouch in its factory state. Its biturbo 5.5L V-12 delivers 510hp with 612 lb-ft of torque, taking this 4,900-pound beast from 0-60mph in under 4.5 seconds. That puts it in the company of the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti, Corvette and Porsche Carrera S. But it wasn't enough for Scalpi. With the car tied up in HVM's body shop to receive the complete Brabus exterior package, Whitmire sent the ECU to Carlsson for some real power upgrades. After final assembly and the newly flashed ECU, the S600 took a trip to the design and fab department, where Whitmire really opened it up.
Scalpi is a complete car guy, one with a family, but still a car guy. One look inside his clubhouse, that is, his garage and you'll find that the S600 is the family truxster. After all, it's kind of hard to swing a car seat into a Lambo. So retaining the vehicle's storage space and trunk room was the biggest objective while building a sick system for a very demanding listener. The requirements in this type of scenario can cause confident and sure-witted technicians to lose some hair from time to time. Did we mention the car has a spare tire? "Can't have a family car without the use of the spare," Scalpi says. OK, so here was the scope of the custom work:1. Don't take up any cabin or trunk space2. Don't cut anything3. Retain access and use of the spare tire4. IPod integration with on-screen video
Pretty easy list, right? After the discussion with the owner and a brief inspection of the OE entertainment system, it was pretty clear that leaving this system intact (along with the vehicle's warranty) was the only solution. With their heads spinning, Whitmire and his team proceeded to carefully remove the super-plush interior. Door panels, rear power seat with armrest, center console and trunk panels went out to reveal the car's electronic infrastructure.
Prior to the speaker installation, all metal door surfaces received a healthy dose of sound deadening. The Critical Mass MB82 8" midbass drivers mounted directly to the steel doors while the 5.25" MB Quart QSF 213 midrange drivers mounted in a sealed PVC enclosure. This was the first time HVM used PVC pipe in this fashion. It worked very well, allowing for the proper mounting angle and functioning as a great enclosure for the mid.
The MB Quart tweeters sits behind the OE sail panels. The rear doors' speakers were installed in the same fashion as the front with the exception of the 8" mids, which were substituted with a QSF 216 6.5" component set. The factory center channel remains powered by the factory amplifier.
With the rear seat removed, the team carefully dismantled the rear deck. The factory subwoofer is built into a self-contained little package that vents through a narrow grille spanning the width of the rear deck.
Competition being what it is, one of Scalpi's close friends, who had his Bentley built by HVM in the year prior, heavily influenced the subwoofer decision. With the daunting task of saving space and access to the spare tire, it was almost destiny when the Rockford Fosgate Power T215D2 showed up at HVM's doorstep. For the one or two people who aren't familiar with this series of drivers, one word: ENORMOUS. With huge cubic airspace for a ported enclosure, it's not our usual sub box setup.