As the graphite grey Cigarette Racing 41’ AMG Carbon Edition pulls away from the dock, captain Bud Lorow engages the engines. Shifting the centre console boat into gear, a shudder coils through the fiberglass and carbon fibre composite hull — portending something special, and perhaps a little bit terrifying, is afoot. The vessel makes its way through Biscayne Bay, the white and turquoise skyline of Miami in front, mangrove to the right. From this vantage point Magic City resembles the jaw of a giant dragon with pearly asymmetric teeth.
After we pass under the Rickenbacker Causeway and enter open water, Lorow turns. “Ok y’all ready?” he asks, grinning widely. The veteran champion racer confidently pushes the throttle forward and the vessel lurches to life. One more push and I’m holding onto the cabin’s frame for dear life, white-knuckled. A massive wake spreads behind us as we disappear more pedestrian watercraft with disdain.
There is absolutely no need for a pleasure craft to go this fast. But then again, neither Cigarette Racing Team nor AMG, Mercedes Benz's performance division, are known for their restraint. So here we are, cruising Biscayne at 80mph. And while the two companies share a penchant for speed, they also share a demand for extreme engineering.
This story is from the May 2020 edition of MAXIM Australia.
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This story is from the May 2020 edition of MAXIM Australia.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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