Story by DinaRella / Professional Imagery by Foley Loaded & Cigarette
For the Cigarette Racing and Mercedes-AMG connoisseurs of speed and style, not to mention the lucky lot of pilots and proprietors who handle the wheels of these quintessential high-performance beasts – the wait was over! On February 13th as the clock struck 10:00 a.m. on opening day of the 2020 Miami International Boat Show (MIBS), the 12th edition of the Cigarette Racing Team and Mercedes-AMG boat-and-car collaboration captured the attention of all.
Cigarette president Skip Braver explained, as the legendary company continues to evolve, "Everything has a long-term point and purpose.” Moving forward with this mantra or idea, the Cigarette Tirranna AMG Edition guarantees to leave a long- lasting, and also a BIG impression, due to the fact; this one-off was the largest size-wise since 2007.
Siphoning a $3 million bank-account outlay for the 40,000 pounds of precious marine cargo (and another $4,000 for every filler-up), the 59-footer with a 14-foot-wide beam is indeed a special breed. So much so, it too garnered the leading role in Cigarette's all-new HyperLux Console launch.
The exterior elegance and visual connect of the gold AMG-branded hull sides over the black metallic paint by Mark Morris of Visual Imagination was pristine. The bold and clean outer appearance obviously generated interest and inquiry into the initial phases of the build and inner components right down to the core.
Delving deep into the construction process, all elements have been skillfully configured, as highlighted in the Mercedes-AMG press release, “When designing the new performance flagship, Cigarette engineers utilized lightweight construction in key locations: Its raked hardtop is made completely of carbon fiber, reducing the vertical center of gravity for better handling, while carbon fiber is also featured throughout its superstructure, with carbon-capped stringers and a carbon-fiber transom. The hull and deck are vacuum infused using a highly optimized composite laminate schedule with PVC coring. The instrument panel is a nano-coated solid surface that is anti-reflective and heat-resistant, which also features titanium fasteners."
On the topic of Tirranna tech, the advanced control-interface design utilizes a digital switching system, enabling control of everything from air conditioning settings to monitoring bilge pumps via an iPad and at multiples locations throughout the HyperLux Console. Further mind-blowing is the RGB accent lighting system which stretches along the gunnels and is run off an app on the chart plotters. It allows for a variety of lighting scenarios to be set at the touch of a button. Lastly, an overall benefit of the digital system is a decrease in cabling and reduction in overall boat weight.
With club-style lights blinking like a Vegas dance floor, it’s only fitting a JL Audio Marine-developed Cigarette Pure Plus audio unit would supply the sounds to amp-up the fun factor. The 29-speaker, 5,200-watt sound system provides the beats and bass for the grandiose 25-plus party participants that comfortably fit on board.
With this many guests along for the ride, a dozen of the divas can lounge on the open bow, ten more in the rear, and the remaining eight claim their personal seats at the helm, or down below in the condo. Yup, I meant to say condo, not cabin. It’s that big! Start with a large sofa, a cabinet concealing fridge, and a television, before moving further forward to sprawl out on the California king sized bed, or shower in the enclosed private bathroom.
Undeniably, the system controls and speakers are state-of-the-art, and size matters; but when you own a Cigarette… speed matters more…or most! The massive and powerful sextet of supercharged 4.6-liter V8 Mercury Racing 450R outboards takes the Tirranna to 80 at WOT while gulping a gallon every half a mile. For the fuel-conscience captain, running just five engines will only slash off 2 mph, putting top-hop through the chop at 78 mph.
Tirranna talking points for those seafaring souls chosen to take a blast through Biscayne Bay described their rides as refined, comfortable, like being on a moving condo (yes another condo comparison), and quiet. Bumpy, another potential descriptor was never echoed by anyone because a Seakeeper gyrostabilizer spinning 9000 rpm reduces the rock-n-roll effect by 80 percent, so the Dramamine can stay in the cabinet and the daiquiris don’t sticky up the floor and fabric. For the pilots, the addition of bow and stern thrusters ease docking duties and reduce "performance anxiety” around crowded quays and when back at the marina.
And while on the topic of backing in, although it screams big, bold and boxy… parking shouldn’t cause problems for the Tirranna’s land-loving sister-ship on wheels. The Mercedes-AMG G63 SUV brings a solid streak of 577 horsepower to the road from its 4.0-liter twinV8, ironically surpassing the Cigarette’s top speed of 80 mph by almost double. By all means, move your Audi and Beamer out of the way when that AMG G63 comes hammering down the German autobahn at 149 mph. The AMG RIDE CONTROL suspension is a fully automatic, electronically controlled system that adjusts the damping at each wheel to the current requirements – ensuring ideal driving characteristics in a variety of conditions.
Individualized at the AMG Performance Studio in Affalterbach, Germany, the SUV adheres to the same design principles as the boat and features the AMG Night Package elements, a dark chrome AMG specific radiator grille and bulbar, as well as the side entry boards in matte black, while the vehicle logos are glossy. Additionally, a gold motif appears in thin bands on the 22-inch cross-spoke wheels.
As the doors open, for the first time, the inside has too been aligned with macchiato beige and dark blue two-tone exclusive nappa leather upholstery. And let’s not forget that special Cigarette Racing lettering on the G-Class grab handles and under your feet on the floor mats.
Whether commanding the wheel of the Cigarette 59’Tirranna AMG Edition or the Mercedes-AMG G63, their sensuality and passion for performance is incontestable. If the two hallmark unveilings did not cause enough high-performance overload, to wrap up the weekend, Cigarette Racing also re-branded its website, with a monumental live launch on Monday to coincide with closing day of the show.
Time to go grab your laptop and Google Cigaretteracing.com, your updated landing page delivers you to highlights of the three new HyperLux Console models. Next try it with your phone and watch the wow-factor multiply, because the new site is optimized for hand-held devices.
And just when I thought… gone are the nights of stalking the site in search of a classic Top Gun or dare I say super-sexy 1977 Mistress; my sadness subsided following an ingenious double-click on the oval Cigarette logo on top of the home page. My smile returned when finding the link to the old-school heritage V-bottoms. Truth be told, Cigarette Racing Team is not one to disappoint and will never forget its roots... EVER!
