Mercedes-AMG also debuted its new 563-horsepower SLS AMG sports car, which features “gull-wing” doors. Both the car and the V-bottom boat made its debut to marine and auto media from throughout the world.

The 46 Rider showcased a pair of Mercury Racing 1350-hp twin-turbocharged engines and its new M8 drives. It also was the first high-performance boat to feature Zero Effort Digital controls that can automatically synchronize the engines.

While AMG debuted its automobile at the start of the show, Cigarette waited until the show closed to take the cover off its boat. About 300 people gathered in the expansive Cigarette booth to celebrate the partnership. Surprisingly, the sports car was the first to be designed and developed exclusively by the high-performance and motorsports division of Mercedes-Benz.

Cigarette’s President and CEO Skip Braver was quick to point out that his boat was not simply a “theme boat” or just a copy of the AMG sports car. The boatbuilder used processes from AMG to upgrade the 46 Rider model.

“We took our inspiration from the AMG sports cars yet the boat is distinctly a Cigarette,” Braver said.

The simple but understated graphics featured AMG Mercedes alubeam paint and the marine-grade materials used mimicked the leather used by the car builder. The boat’s engine hatch was built exclusively to accommodate the direct air-induction of the Mercury Racing engines. The hatch fit into the overall styling of the boat.

Braver said they spent more than two years working on the partnership with AMG, and also used the opportunity to include Mercury Racing. Cigarette officials visited the AMG factory while top executives from AMG made the trip to Cigarette’s Miami plant.

Keeping pictures of the new boat from being leaked before the introduction was a challenge but Cigarette pulled it off.

“It required some covers and shrink wrap,” he said.—Gregg Mansfield

Check back for our video interview with Scott Preacher, Cigarette's Chief Marketing Officer, from the show.

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