Mercedes-AMG Unveils Its Biggest, Baddest Cigarette Boat Yet
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Talk about bringing out the Big Guns. For this year’s annual Mercedes-AMG and Cigarette Racing boat-and-car collaboration—a Miami Boat Show tradition—both companies have gone big.
For Florida-based Cigarette Racing, undisputed kings of the go-fast powerboat world, going big meant featuring their newest flagship, the 59-foot Tirranna center console. And powering it with six, yes six, of the latest 450-hp supercharged Mercury Racing 450R V8 outboards.
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You do the math. That’s a combined 2,700 horsepower. Enough to punch this 40,000-pound, wave-pounding rocketship to a top speed of 80 mph.
For Mercedes-Benz, nothing else would do for this, the 12th AMG-Cigarette special edition, than the big-box-on-wheels Mercedes-AMG G 63 sport-ute; the mighty G-Class. It packs 577-hp from its thundering 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8, with an exhaust that sounds like Godzilla.
To keep a visual connection, both Cigarette editions—Tirranna and G 63—share similar exterior coloring. That means menacing black metallic paint with a glitzy-gold AMG hache-tag design along the lower sections, and for the G, thin gold bands around the massive 22-inch forged rims.
And for the first time, both the Cigarette and G 63 share a similar interior design, with both cabins sumptuously-upholstered in glove-soft macchiato beige leather with dark blue leather inserts.
We’ve come to the opening day of the Miami International Boat Show to take a drag of this latest Cigarette. Though today, conditions are far from perfect with a stiff easterly throwing up frothy whitecaps across Biscayne Bay.
See the Tirranna at the dock and it looks huge. Fifty-nine feet from pointy bow to broad stern, 14 feet across the beam. That means enough space to party hard with up to 28 of your closest friends.
Launched last year to coincide with Cigarette’s 50th anniversary, the Tirranna gets its name from the Australian aboriginal translation for “running water.”
While the boat’s fully-loaded 40,000-pound dry weight might sound on the hefty side, its advanced construction uses the latest weight-saving and stiffening techniques. That means plenty of carbon fiber in the superstructure, the swept-back hardtop and the hull stringers.
And to ensure the hull can handle those six hard-charging Merc V8s hanging off the stern, the entire transom is made from carbon fiber.
“Without a doubt this is the most exciting, most technically-advanced AMG Cigarette we’ve developed,” says Skip Braver, CEO of Cigarette Racing Team. “A 59-foot, 40,000-pound boat that can do 80 mph is pretty amazing.”
While the Tirranna AMG Edition is designed to be a speed demon, it’s also big on creature comforts.
“A buyer for this boat is likely to be a family guy who likes enjoying life with friends and family, and will use it more like a day boat for heading to lunch, or hanging on the hook at the sandbar,” explains Braver.
So there’s a huge open bow with seating and loungers for up to a dozen thrill-seekers; a big open back deck with space for another 10, and behind the console there are individual seats for eight.
Below decks there’s a forward settee that converts to a queen bed, a spacious head compartment with a separate shower. And everything is upholstered in classy Italian Poltrona Frau leather.
Time to fire-up the sextet of Mercs. Cigarette chief test driver Jim Secord has his hands on the throttles as we ease out of the tight Miami Boat Show dock.
“It may be 59 feet but this is probably the easiest boat in our range to maneuver,” says Secord giving quick bursts of the bow and stern thrusters to spin the Tirranna around on its axis.
Even though the swells are rolling in, the Seakeeper 9 giro stabilizer keeps the Cigarette level. Perfect for ensuring no margaritas ever spill.
Now Captain Secord has the throttles mashed forward, lifting the Tirranna’s needle-like bow and lunging the boat away from the Rickenbacker Causeway Bridge; 50, 60, 65 then 70 mph shows on the oversized Garmin screens.
“We’ve recorded 80.5 mph on flat water, but 70 is nice and comfortable,” he deadpans.
What’s remarkable about the boat is its refinement. Even with all six Mercury V8s spinning at full throttle, the only thing you hear from behind the helm is the rush of wind.
That’s until Secord cranks up the boat’s thumping 29-speaker, 5,200-watt stereo developed with JL Audio Marine.
With a 1,000-gallon fuel tank—you’re looking at roughly $4,000 a fill-up—the big Cigarette has a range of around 600 miles. That’s Miami to Nassau and back, with gas to spare.
As with previous AMG-Cigarette Editions, Skip Braver plans to build just one Tirranna AMG Edition. And right now the show boat is still for sale, for a cool $3 million.
As for the stunning, one-off AMG G 63 Cigarette Edition sport-ute parked alongside the Tirranna at Cigarette’s Miami show dock, Braver smiles. “That would look really good in our showroom. I might just buy it.”
This year’s Miami International Boat Show runs through Monday, February 17 at the Miami Marine Stadium Park and Basin. For more information, visit the Miami Boat Show website.
Check out more pictures of the dream machines below:
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