Just a quick peek inside Mike Penfold's Mercedes-Benz G500 and one thing becomes instantly obvious: This Benz box is a boon to the boom. It had better be, since it serves as the flagship for his Elma, N.Y., firm, Kustom Workz. Penfold picked up the Teutonic mini-tank in 2006, seeing it as the perfect demo platform from which to flex his firm's I.C.E. install skills. If grease runs through the veins of dedicated gearheads, then Penfold must have sparks in his blood. "I have always been involved in the 12-volt world, even before I had a car," he says. At 26, he says his own high expectations for quality inspired him to open Kustom Workz: "So I could do it my way." The black-and-bling Benz requires few exterior mods to exude a subtly menacing presence: A chrome brush guard serves notice to obstacles that they'd better move and get out the way. An AMG exhaust allows the G unit to clear its throat more freely. To make sure the vehicle is seen as well as heard, the whole assemblage sits poised atop 22-inch Omega Genesis 774 luxury wheels, complete with Swarovski crystal accents. But the real jewels, of course, await inside.
Subwoofers
What about the boom? For the lower frequencies, six 8-inch Focal Utopia Be 21WX's thump crisply from the trunk. Arranged in a semi-circle around the rear cargo compartment and behind the rear seats, the subs are evenly split between two enclosures that fill 2 1/4 cubic feet apiece. A second Audison Thesis HV Venti amp just for the subs makes for a combined 1,500 watts. "Our main goal for bass was for it to be a tight and crisp SQ bass," Penfold says.
Head Unit
A Kenwood Excelon DDX8017 with nav and built-in video switching pulled source unit duty and prompted the need for all-new wire routing. That's because the factory radio's fiber optics were incompatible with the new hardware. In lieu of the optical cable, Kustom Workz incorporated Mobile Spec's Hyperflex interconnects and wire throughout.
Video
Intended mainly as a marketing tool to be used at shows and events, the jammin' Gelandewagen would be incomplete without a complement of video monitors. To be safe, Penfold and his crew installed five 7-inch Fahrenheit LCDs-that's one for each headrest: driver, passenger, and each of the three rear passenger seats.
Amplifiers
Kustom Workz took the notion "amps as art" seriously, creating the clever illusion that the Audison Thesis HV Venti's are one large amplifier. (Yes, they're actually two. The arm rising up out of the vinyl and wood-grain enclosure makes them appear as one.) They also made the amps appear to be floating-a neat trick accomplished by welding the amp brackets so that the components were raised off the floor.
One of the Ventis sends power to the six 8-inch Utopia subwoofers, while the other routes power to the front soundstage. The Audison SRx2 powering the rear soundstage hides beneath the back seat. That brings the total system power to 3,500 watts RMS. All that power is an open invitation to unwanted vibration. So before rattle could raise its ugly head, the boys swaddled the door panels and trunk in noise-deadening Dynamat Xtreme.
Speakers
Focal's Utopia "Be" (Beryllium) kit No. 7 forms the heart of the front soundstage, consisting of two 6 1/2-inch woofers, two 3-inch midranges, two inverted-dome tweeters and a Crossblock passive crossover for fine-tuning. The 6 1/2-inch and 3-inch fit snug in the lower front doors, courtesy of an MDF ring and separate fiberglass enclosures. A single Audison Thesis amp (installed in the rear) directs juice to the front stage, delivering 400 watts RMS to each side.
For the rear soundstage, the Benz was treated to Focal's Utopia Be No. 6-a 6 1/2-inch woofer, plus inverted-dome beryllium tweeter for superior bandwidth range and dynamics. As with the front stage, a Crossblock passive crossover allows for sound customization. A hidden Audison SRx2 amp powers the rear stage with 170 watts RMS per side.
Upholstery
In keeping with the high-end theme, the Benzo's seat inserts and parts of the speaker enclosure were wrapped in Louis Vuitton gray and dark gray suede. (In case you're wondering, Penfold emphasizes that it's official LV.)
Shop: Kustom Workz, LLC, Elma, N.Y.Special thanks: "Dr. B" Schmitt, "Deez," Steven Davidowicz, and Billy Gallo
Kustom Workz went with MobileSpec distribution blocks, using one for the grounds and one for power hookups, and tidily secured them under the rear seat. An Optima YellowTop in the factory location stores the juice for the entire project. While an Astrostart 5204 alarm with two-way pager helps guard against the greedy and grubby fingered, it should be noted: Ne'er-do-wells won't likely encounter this Rock Box out in the urban jungle. Penfold says it's rarely street driven and is mainly hauled to shows. Once on-site, it'll likely be cranking an SQ CD or DVD to show off its clean aural reproduction-classic Sinatra and Metallica are a couple of favorites. For all the complexity of this install, Penfold says Kustom Workz' philosophy is pretty straightforward. "We try to attend as many car shows as possible, take up as much space as possible, open all doors, and let the install and equipment speak for itself." Well put from a guy who set out to do it "his way."