This X5 is unlike any other in existence. Extensive external and internal modifications were done to showcase both the DVD-Audio system and the craftsmanship of the vehicle's builders. The X5 took six months to design, engineer and build.

The X5 has been turned into a 2-door vehicle, from a 4-door one. The factory doors were molded together, then re-made into two custom doors. These doors do not swing out. Rather, each door assembly is motorized and slides out horizontally from each side of the vehicle. The interior was completely gutted to accommodate for the extensive remake. The X5 was converted to center drive by moving the steering column and the seats to the center of the vehicle. This center drive setup creates the optimal setting for listening to a multichannel sound system.

A remote-controlled motor slides the left door out to the left of the X5, and the right door out to the right, both at a distance of around 27-inches from the vehicle. The open doors reveal one seat each on the bed of the motorized door assembly. When the doors are closed, the seats are positioned in the center of the X5, with the seat on the right door lined up directly behind the seat of the left door, similar to the cockpit on a two-seater fighter plane. To create the environment for a true multichannel experience, the second seat is positioned several inches higher than the first seat, resulting in theater-seating in the X5.

This seating arrangement creates a sonically accurate DVD-Audio experience by placing the seats in the center of the vehicle and surrounding them with specifically placed speakers. The heart of the system is the flagship DVI-9990 DVD-Audio/CD tuner, which is installed in the custom made steering wheel. The woofer from the SPX-Z118T 3-way component speaker set is installed in the dash and acts as the system's mid bass. The tweeter and mid bass from the SPX-Z118T set are installed in custom-made enclosure which are molded onto the outside of each door. Also on the dash is one half of the SPX-Z15M 2-way single channel component speaker set (creating the center channel) and two SWX-1022D 10-inch subwoofers.

The overhead console holds two TME-M770 6.5-inch touch screen monitors. Two Defi gauges supply the vital statistics for the X5. A Defi Link Display gauge is also mounted in the overhead console, to provide readouts for temperature, oil pressure, the tachometer and speedometer. A second Defi gauge, called the 'Heads Up Display' is installed in the dashboard facing the windshield. This gauge uses a reflector to display speedometer data directly onto the windshield.

The rear component was stripped to hold the other system components. Most unique about the hatch is the removal of the rear door. The rear door was replaced with a clear acrylic panel and sealed shut. This acrylic window lets people see the system components through the rear of the vehicle, while keeping the interior sealed for maximum sonic impact.

The rear houses two PXI-H990 Multimedia Manager digital processors, which provide 16-channels of discrete output to the system. Six MRV-F900 4-channel amplifiers flank the processors. The processors and the DVI-9990 are the first to use Alpine's new IONBUS all-digital multimedia bus. The PXI-H990 processor also has the industrys first Road EQ, which utilizes real-time acoustic sampling and equalizer processing for truly natural noise compensation, to preserve the beauty of the music. Another pair of SPX-Z15M speakers is installed in the real left/right pillars. A unique rear center channel also uses half of a SPX-Z15M speaker set. This speaker is attached to a curved arm which is attached to the acrylic window and extends over the amplifiers and processors.

The X5 was given an aggressive external silhouette with a custom fabricated wide body kit. A laser cut Alpine logo, back-lit in white, is molded into the front bumper. Laser cut AlpineF#1Status logos are molded into the two side sills and are backlit by LCD monitors which play graphical screen saver designs. The exhaust system was rerouted to hand-made exhaust tips which also built into the side sills.

Several aftermarket products complete the X5. Monster Cable wiring is used throughout the vehicle. The X5 is equipped with 26-inch KMC custom-machined wheels, while a Brembo Gran Turismo brake kit supplies the stopping power for the vehicle. To prepare the X5 for its custom artwork, Virtus brand clear coat and primer were supplied by Coast Airbrush. Noah created a custom airbrush design which depicts musical icons of the last century, as a nod to the X5s multichannel focus. Meguiars provided color sanding, buffing and polishing for the paint job.

Back to Features