It was one of a few Sony demo vehicles from around 2003, nothing more. There's a handful of them, all very similar. It wasn't intended to compete for SPL, rather to showcase the tragically ugly equipment. I say tragically because you would be very surprised at how well some of that gear performs. Even more tragic is that the reason Sony gear now looks like it does, is because of the market demands placed by the ignorant youths in search of bling and bang. Sony has never been interested in SPL and the vast majority of their equipment is intended for SQ, so it's no surprise that moronic kids who don't know how to buy the right equipment for their needs, end up destroying it and giving it a bad reputation. The rest of the blame rests on Sony's shoulders for folding in and catering to that market.
I'd be willing to bet that vehicle sounds better than many of your vehicles. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif