Robert Brewer, a stately businessman in the Grand Canyon State, may be a bit guarded in his personal life, but he has no problem expressing himself through his vehicles. His new '08 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG is only the newest edition to many cool rides in his stable. But he isn't just into cars-he loves to see them customized. In fact, this is the sixth vehicle he's handed over to Edge Audio of Gilbert, AZ, for a better-than-ordinary system upgrade. Brewer has been so pleased with the past installs they've performed for him that he simply gave the keys to Edge Audio's owner, Scott Owens, with only one instruction: just make it cool.
With the keys in hand, it was up to Owens and shop fabricator, Kyle Witherspoon, to bring the audio system to a level suitable of this stunning vehicle. Not surprisingly, they accomplished that feat.
Pillar Pods
Made of fiberglass and wood, the tweeter pods for the Morel Piccolo tweeters were covered with matching Mercedes material. Owens crafted and polished aluminum trim rings around the tweeter, providing synergy with the interior.
Stereo Stage
While the factory center channel is still connected to the factory amp and, thereby, still capable of functioning, Owens is a true believer in stereo audio systems. This explains the simplicity of this system, which is designed to play 2-channel audio using the stereo setting.
Set in pods, a pair of Morel Supremo Piccolo tweeters nestles into the base of the A-pillars. To complement the highs, a duo of 6.5" Morel Supremo woofers resides in the lower quadrant of each door. For this to fit properly, Owens reconstructed this portion of the door out of wood, steel mesh, fiberglass and body filler and finished it with appropriately matching materials. He also added hand-formed and polished aluminum inserts to fit around the grilles that tie in with accents already incorporated into the Benz's interior. In addition to the factory damping material, Dynamat was applied to the doors to squash any resonance issues that might arise with the added speakers and power.
Control
When you buy an automobile of this caliber, you aren't only buying design, but technology as well. Because of this, it simply didn't make sense to remove the factory A/V controls. Instead, Owens used high-grade line level converters to get signal to a PPI DEQ-230 and the Genesis amplifiers.
Ambient Fill
Owens kept the rear fill simple. Behind the factory grilles in each rear door is a 6.5" midbass driver from a Morel Supremo 6 component set. In turn, the Piccolo tweeters were mounted just above in an area of the door that is directed away from the front passengers, keeping them from drawing away from the front stage. Like the fronts, the rear doors were skinned with Dynamat.
Trunk
Like the car itself, the audio system is all about maintaining a high level of style. Open the trunk and you will notice something right away-no flashy, painted fiberglass gleaming back at you. Instead you're confronted with a chic look that draws on aspects of the S63's design. Take for instance the polished aluminum insert running from the sides of the enclosure wrapping into the quarter-panel. These were meant to resemble the chrome strips running through the taillights; the black vinyl and faux-finished burled walnut trim (painted by Hunter's Paint and Autobody), to mimic the interior. Owens even went as far as incorporating wire mesh into the interior of the enclosure that resembles the inserts of the Lorinser body kit. The result is stunning, carrying symmetry inside and out.