Aston versus Mercedes... on water

The Aston – badged AM37 and a joint project with Quintessence Yachts – is the sports boat of the pair with its open cockpit, dashing profile and, in top S form, 52-knot (60mph) top speed.

The Mercedes is more the grand tourer – 10ft longer at 46ft (14m) and with an open-plan cabin that transforms from dining lounge into overnight accommodation for two. It will still rip across the world’s more exclusive bits of water at an impressive 40 knots. Called Arrow460-Granturismo, it’s been created by a new company, Silver Arrows Marine, in collaboration with Mercedes-Benz Style, Daimler AG’s design division that does everything from furniture to helicopters.

And doesn’t it show. The silver (what else?) Arrow460 is definitely S-class shaped, with the same familiar window profile and car-like feature lines down the side. The side windows even slide down into the hull at the press of a button while all the cabin glass can be darkened electronically so the sun never gets too much – just like the glass roof of the Mercedes SL.

There’s a very “James Bond” touch too with a glass roof section that rises up on hydraulic struts, opening up the cabin to the sea breezes in a way that Silver Arrows Marine says has never been achieved before in this size of yacht. When moored up, another button operates the retractable diving platform that extends from the boat’s stern.

You’d expect the Aston Martin boat to have a few 007-style touches and it does: its main gadgets are fingerprint recognition security, interactive voice control and an electrically-powered carbon-fibre bimini, so closing up the boat after a day on the water is merely a matter of pressing a button on the remote. And like Aston Martin cars, there’s a host of bespoke goodies available for it from Q, Aston’s personalisation division.

One thing for sure, drive to the marina and hop aboard from your S-class or DB11 and you’d quickly feel right at home behind the steering wheel of either boat. The fusing of automotive and marine influences is plain to see, while each boat is trimmed to reflect the respective companies’ styles: highly contemporary in the Mercedes, with mesh fabrics, composite flooring and eucalyptus wood panelling, while the Aston takes a more traditional leather and wood approach.

Certainly both boats impress for their hi tech – the Mercedes even has standard joystick control and a marine equivalent of ABS braking – and are big on automation. Built-in features such as air-conditioning, wine cooler and espresso machine are all able to be turned on remotely so the boat is ready to go when you arrive.

And under the ‘bonnets’? Both boats boast more power than any of their road-car cousins. The Mercedes gets twin Yanmar diesels for a total of 960hp, while the Aston Martin AM37 S sticks with petrol power, the twin Mercury V8s developing 520hp each.

There have been sports car-branded sports boats before but this is the closest coming together of automotive and marine worlds yet. By incorporating luxury car design, materials and ideas both companies claim to have been able to revolutionise traditional powerboat design. Both Mercedes design chief Gorden Wagener and Aston chief creative director Marek Reichman took time off from designing cars to be involved in the projects.

The marine Merc was even unveiled in the South of France this week (18 April) during the press launch of the new S-class Cabriolet; with the Mercedes-designed helicopter also putting in an appearance, it was a good week to be among the world’s super-rich. The Aston AM37 is at concept stage only, but like the Arrow460-Granturismo – the first example of which is now in the water – is said to be set for production later this year.

And the prices? If you have to ask…