It's the same with cars and car audio. I dream of owning an old Aston Martin DB5 one day ("Yeah right!" he says sarcastically) with a removable stealth audio system. I want it all-I just want it hidden. That's my take on a James Bond-modified car. A Mercedes-Benz gullwing with cutting edge car audio and electronics wouldn't be bad either.
Don't worry, real-world car audio fans. There are a few stories in this issue about cars and systems you can afford, including reviews of Alpine's Imprint and the new Sony double-DIN, the XAV-W1. Finally, a Sony DVD player and all-format source unit that should make people drool like they used to for the WEGA TVs back in the day.
We've got a Ferrari and Maserati, a Dodge Viper, a Porsche GT3, a Lambo Gallardo, but I think the most impressive car this issue is Chris Roberts's Scion xB, our one "budget" vehicle in our "luxury" special. It qualifies as budget and luxury since the inside is comparable to the type of high-end quality only found on, say, certain one-off projects. Except in this case, the xB here is a daily driver. Now that's the height of extravagance, isn't it? Commuting to work in a one of a kind $16,000 xB. Roberts gets a lot of respect for that. It's no wonder he finished second at the Trifecta Finals at SEMA. A point here or there and he would've won. So there you have it, it's our special issue on expensive cars that are made even more expensive with aftermarket audio systems and the crown jewel of our edit is a Scion xB. Enjoy.
Next Month
It's our 100 Hot Products CES issue with all of the latest and greatest from the big show, including the best demo cars... Stay tuned.