Mercedes-Designed Silver Arrow Motor Yacht Hits The Open Sea

If this sounds familiar to you, you're a fortunate individual indeed. But you won't have to make that compromise anymore as Mercedes is ready to hit the open water.

Marking its world debut on the Côte d'Azur, the vessel is the first example of the new Arrow460-Granturismo designed by Mercedes-Benz Style for Silver Arrows Marine. As we've seen in stages up until this point, the motor yacht seeks to blend the best of automotive design and naval architecture in one symbiotic, 46-foot form with car-like proportions.

Rather than separate the interior from the exterior, Daimler's designers penned the vessel with retractable side windows – electronically tinting like Benz's own Magic Sky roof panels – and a windshield that can be raised to open up the cabin to the breeze blowing in from across the sea. The interior is coated in eucalyptus wood and outfitted with adjustable tables, on-board wine cellar, bathroom and dressing room. Having grown up spending weekends on the water, though, this writer's not so sure the automotive designers have quite mastered the skill of making the best use of space in a vessel this large.

No skimping was made in the engine room, however, where Silver Arrows Marine fitted a pair of diesel engines made by Yanmar (instead of MTU that used to be owned by Daimler) and good for 480 horsepower apiece for a combined output of 960 hp. In a vessel displacing 15 tons, that's said to be enough to cruise at 28-30 nautical miles per hour (equivalent to about 33 mph miles per hour by landlubber standards) and top out at over 40 knots (46 mph).

This isn't the first time we've seen an automotive design house pen a yacht (Henrik Fisker was the latest to do just that) nor the first time Mercedes has assigned its designers to venture beyond styling cars. Heck, it's not even the first time we've seen Mercedes partner on a boat launch, following the Cigarette speedboats done with AMG. But this could be one of the most stylish transitions from shore to sea we've seen yet.