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Feature : Alpine 2003 Alpine Mini Demo Car
Remember the Alpine Civic
from last years CES? Well, at CES 2004 just a couple of months ago another
vehicle was launched. Yet again, Alpine's US in-house Advanced Application
Design team, this year consisting of Steve Brown and Mike Vu, have pushed
the limits of in-car entertainment to new levels. The victim this time: a
2003 Mini Cooper.
The car took 4,000 man-hours and over seven months to build. Brown & Vu
wanted the Mini to be unlike any other in existence and made over-the-top
modifications to ensure the uniqueness of the vehicle. First, the roof was
cut off and a custom-made windshield was installed, turning the car into a
topless speedster. The Mini was lowered and a super widebody kit was added,
giving the car a more aggressive look. Next, the steering column was moved
to create a single-seat, center drive car. Finally, the doors were sealed
shut, creating a vehicle that is not accessible through the sides. Instead,
an eight-foot "sled" that incorporates a custom-made plexiglass driver's seat
fully motorizes out from the rear of the car. When fully extended, the sled
lies five feet out from the rear of the car.
The interior of the car was completely gutted, so that the Alpine products
could be seamlessly integrated to match the overall look of the car. With an
emphasis on creating an A/V showcase, the entire dash was removed. Six
TME-M580 5.8-inch monitors are positioned on the left and right side of the
steering wheel. The monitors can display images from the NVE-N852A DVD
navigation system, the XBox video game console, DVA-5210 DVD player, and the
DHA-S680 6-disc DVD changer.
A fiberglass component cluster surrounds the steering wheel and houses the
CDA-9835 AM/FM/CD/MP3/WMA/XM Ready head unit and the DVA-5210. A PXA-H701
digital processor supplies Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic II, and DTS
technologies. The PXA-H701's faceplate, the RUX-C701, provides readouts of
the processor's settings and is placed on top of the steering column. A Defi
digital gauge is flush mounted in the center of the custom-made steering
wheel. Six other Defi driving gauges, provided by EDO Performance, are
housed in custom fabricated fiberglass cylinders with chrome accents and are
on the left and right of the steering column.
Six amplifiers power this large system. Two MRV-F540 four-channel amps and
two MRD-M501 mono amps are installed on the floor of the Mini. These four
amps become visible when the sled is fully extended. Two MRD-M1001 mono amps
are installed on the interior sides of the car and flank the sides of the sled.
Three SPX-137R 5.25-inch component two-way speaker sets are placed in the
left/center/right front stage, while two more sets are in the left/right
rear stage. Four sets of SPX-17MB 6.5-inch mid bass kits are found on both
the left and right side of the driver. For unmistakable bass emphasis, two
SWX-1242D 12-inch subwoofers are attached to the back of the driver's seat
on the sled. The external rear portion of the sled features a TME-M770
6.5-inch widescreen monitor that can display video from the DVA-5210 or the
NVE-N852A navigation system.
Back-lit Alpine logos are found on the front bumper, side skirts, and external
rear of the sled. A custom commissioned airbrush design by Noah flows from
the exterior panels to all of the interior surfaces of the car and
incorporates paint and clear coat from Coast Airbrush and Tip Top Auto
Technologies. Toyo Tires are mounted on the custom 20-inch OZ Racing Wheels.
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