Good in the Wet - John Vildare

© Lap Quagli

GOOD IN THE WET

Premium car companies have long fancied their chances on water. Aston Martin, Bugatti, Porsche and Lexus are just some that have recently got their feet wet. But the pioneer has been Mercedes-Benz, and it has really dived in at the deep end, says journalist John Vildare.

Arrow460 is the first model from Silver Arrows Marine which was established to conceive and build luxury motor yachts that draw on the design inspiration, innovative spirit and quality processes of Mercedes-Benz.

has embraced that thought more than premium car manufacturers. In the world of speedboats and luxury motor yachts, they have really been making a splash.

Cars and boats have a lot more in common than just that engine and steering wheel (helm, please…). Sleek, sporty styling. High performance. Rewarding handling. Hand-crafted luxury. Designer-label interiors. The latest technologies for all manner of safety, comfort and convenience features. All these are must-have qualities whether on land or at sea. No wonder then that car-boat tie-ups are nothing new. After all, automotive marketing departments love a brand extension into a lucrative new market. Aren’t all luxury boat owners luxury car owners? But recently this trend has exploded – and the world of motor yachts is now awash with names such as Bugatti, Aston Martin, Porsche and Lexus to mention just a few.

At their best, car-branded boats epitomise the qualities that make the cars so desirable. The high performance and wood-and-leather appeal of the AM37 from Aston Martin and Quintessence Yachts reflects the sports cars perfectly. The oneoff Lexus Sport Boat is all about styling that evokes cars like its LFA supercar, just as the Niniette 66 from Bugatti and Palmer Johnson re-creates the look of the Bugatti Veyron. Dynamiq’s GTT 115

have one thing in common: they are following a lead set by Mercedes-Benz. Its design department, Mercedes-Benz Style, in partnership with Silver Arrows Marine, has rewritten the rulebook for building a yacht like a luxury car. And with most carbadged boats seemingly based on extant designs from established boat builders, no one yet has got near to matching it.

The motor yacht that created this new market is the Arrow460-Granturismo, a unique symbiosis of the automotive and marine worlds that goes far beyond “badge engineering”. In many ways – and its elegant Mercedes coupe-like design is just one of them – it stands for everything Mercedes-Benz cars stand for, so much so that it has been dubbed the S-Class of the seas.

Arrow460 is the first model from Silver Arrows Marine which was established to conceive and With Mercedes-Benz Style we were able to take a fresh look at every aspect of the 14m motor yacht, and to do it from the perspective of a luxury car-maker. ” “

“For what we wanted to achieve – that is, something completely new and different among motor yachts – we had to start with a clean sheet of paper. We had lots of ideas but absolutely no preconceptions,” says Jacopo Spadolini, Silver Arrows Marine’s CEO.

“With Mercedes-Benz Style we were able to take a fresh look at every aspect of the 14m motor yacht, and to do it from the perspective of a luxury car-maker. There is no veneer of car-like luxury here. Automotive influences, inspiration and best practices are intrinsic to the yacht’s fabric.”

While Mercedes-Benz Style played a key role in the sleek design and innovative open-plan layout with its avant garde interior, the yacht’s seaworthiness was entrusted to renowned marine architects and engineers for the concept design. At the end the design was finalised by Mercedes-Benz and Silver Arrows Marine.

But just like a Mercedes-Benz “grand tourer”, the Arrow460-Granturismo puts as much emphasis on refinement, comfort and handling ease as outright speed. And of course it is, as car road testers might say, “very good in the wet”.

Paolo Bonaveri Silver Arrows Marine’s Global Marketing and Communication Directors adds: “We are flattered that so many great brands from the automotive world have seen what we and Mercedes-Benz have achieved together, and have come up with their own yachts.

“But there is far more to creating a true synthesis of the best from the automotive and marine worlds than just putting on a badge or adding styling cues. The badge on Arrow460-Granturismo says Mercedes-Benz… and in every way it has earned the right to wear it.”

Left: The Arrow460 Granturismo. Botom (from left to right): Aston Martin’s AM37; Bugatti’s Niniette 66 and Lexus Sport Boat

Mercedes-Benz Style, in partnership with Silver Arrows Marine, has rewritten the rulebook for building a yacht like a luxury car.