Money to burn? Check. In need of a mobile space to work and relax? Check. Insistent on having a ride as unique as you are? Check. Most people won't have to break out a ballpoint to complete this checklist. In all likelihood, they'd leave every box blank. For those who did check every line, an install like this may be their only recourse. Built for a rap mogul, it tested Ai Design's ingenuity, and their ability to cram luxe features in a vehicle as ordinary as a Chevy van.
Raising The RoofSo our mogul wouldn't have to hunch over while mixing martinis, Ai started off with a sport fiberglass roof replacement. This added 12" of headroom, a must for comfortable living. Underneath that roof, the technicians threw out all their preconceived notions of limo and van interiors, creating a ride tailored to fit the individual. Wanting to keep the space visually interesting from any vantage point, the rear bench and entry in particular, they planned an asymmetrical layout.
Room For A PosseOpposite the entry, a sofa seat wraps around the driver's side to the front partition wall. To enhance the feeling of spaciousness, Ai's technicians undercut the sofa, letting the Mercedes Benz carpet, and tossed shoes, fit underneath. Flexible LED strips cast a glow on the floor. Above the sofa-for-four, darkly tinted windows streak across the length of the van. Atop them gleams the Audison amps.
In CommandAfter the much-thought-out sofa, next was the most coveted seat of all-the rear bench seat. The back of the bus has never been so cool with the wide-looking bench upholstered in a different style than the sofa to banish the matchy look. Since this is where the head honcho would park it, both seats feature power recline, heat elements and adjustable power massage. The controls for the rear cabin are back here, too, with the Alpine receiver within easy reach and an AMX touch panel embedded in the leather.
Break Out The StashOn the passenger-side wall, the installers created a bar area out of random-sized multiple boxes for an intriguing aesthetic. Placed at different depths, they hold six bottles of booze, all illuminated from the top and bottom with white LED strips. If you go through this much trouble to display your liquor, you better have the good stuff. We don't doubt this bar always holds the best. To the right, an enclosed suede-lined column holds four hi-balls. The wall also has room for a motorized work desk and the head unit.
Heads UpIn addition to the amprack, more electronics shine down onto the interior. In the front wall, the main 32-inch monitor connects to the ceiling with speakers embedded in the wall behind it. Opposite, a smaller LCD monitor hangs from the rear wall with more speakers providing rear fill. On the passenger-side wall, Ai Design built a massive panel out of 3/4" MDF and 12" half-round plywood for a pair of 17-inchers as well as four sets of wireless headphones. Above the entry doors, they built another trim panel for two more 17-inch monitors. Without the use of padding or foam, the technicians wrapped both panels in matching Edelman leather. At the very end of the rear panel is a dimmer control plate, reading lamp and the Audison VCRAK sub level controller.
Above it all, a handmade 87-piece MDF-tile ceiling gleams. Painted in a glossy piano black, the tapered design helps create an expansive perspective from the rear seats. Machined-aluminum lighting sets off the chamfered ridges in the mosaic-like pattern. If for some reason our mogul doesn't want to use the touchpanel, all lights can be controlled through machined knobs trimmed in mother-of-pearl. Running along the passenger side, a 1" stainless-steel grab bar withstands the tugs of the largest entourage member.
Out Of SightWe don't know where the van's owner is supposed to put his luggage when he's off to the airport. Controllers, crossovers and all those vital, but not very aesthetically appealing, components consume the shallow space behind the rear doors. Unlike most vehicle back ends, there isn't a subwoofer in sight. Instead, the installers built the sealed enclosure for the two 13" woofers into the J-shaped sofa.
With all the effort lavished onto the passenger cabin, Ai could have decided to stiff the chauffer. Nonetheless, they outfitted the driver's cabin with an Eclipse AVN-5435 nav unit, JL Audio VR-650CXi coaxials in the stock location, video cameras and an Alpine TME-M760 6.5-inch color LCD panel for the video camera sources. And with an A/V setup like this, the charging system is worth noting: an Ohio Generator 225-amp large case OE-replacement alternator, Group 31 deep-cycle battery and two Optima Yellow Top batteries hidden in a battery box under the vehicle.
More To ComeYou'd think Ai Design was spent after this build, but it's just a beginning. If you hanker for a vehicle in which to work and relax in luxury, visit www.aidesign.com for info on ordering your own mobile living space.
Thanks go to: DAXX Wire, Cascade Sound Engineering, Marvel Wine Cellars, Panasonic, Dynaudio, Audison, Focal, Decorative Flooring, Edelman Leather and AMX Control Systems.