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Brabus bringing 900-horsepower Mercedes S65 to Geneva

The S-Class may be the ultimate Mercedes, but what's the ultimate S-Class? Is it the S550? Maybe in some markets, but that's just the starting point in North America. The S600? Getting closer. The Maybach? Sure, if the last word in luxury is what you're after. But if it's performance you crave, then you'll want an AMG version like the S63. But even that's not the flagship. No, in terms of outright power, it all comes down to the S65. It's got a 6.0-liter twin-turbo V12 churning out 621 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque, for crying out loud. But Brabus thinks it's still not enough. That's why (alongside the 850-hp S63 coupe) it's bringing a version it calls the Rocket 900 to the Geneva Motor Show this week. To turn the S65 AMG into the Rocket 900, Brabus has bored out the cylinders to total 6.3 liters and fitted larger turbochargers, a new exhaust system, intake module and much, much more. The result is an output increased to 887 bhp and 1,106 lb-ft of torque. Brabus has upgraded the limited slip differential to handle the extra muscle, helping it rocket to 62 in just 3.7 seconds, on to 124 in 9.1 and up to a top speed of 217 Autobahn-crunching miles per hour. The famed Benz tuner has also fitted a carbon-fiber aero kit to keep it from flying away (however unlikely considering the vehicle's approximately 5,000-lb curb weight), along with 21- or 22-inch wheels, a retuned air suspension that drops the ride height over half an inch closer to the road and – we can only hope since the release makes no such mention – upgraded brakes as well to keep it all in check. Brabus also offers a full range of interior enhancements as well, but don't expect any of this to come cheap. As it is, the S65 starts at $222,000, but a turn-key Brabus Rocket 900 goes for 347,719 euros – or about $390k at today's rates. Related Video: World premiere at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show BRABUS ROCKET 900 The new reference for high performance in the luxury class V12 with 662 kW / 900 hp, 1,500 Nm and a top speed in excess of 350 km/h BRABUS ROCKET 900 – that is the new reference for high performance in the luxury class, which celebrates its world premiere at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show. BRABUS (Brabus-Allee, D-46240 Bottrop, phone +49 / (0) 2041 / 777-0, fax +49 / (0) 2041 / 777 111, internet www.brabus.com) builds this super car based on the new Mercedes S 65.

2019 BMW X7 vs luxury SUV rivals: Comparing specs and photos

Today we get our first-ever look at the first-ever 2019 BMW X7 crossover. We've actually already had our first-ever drive in an X7 Prototype. And so, we thought it appropriate to follow that up today with the first-ever X7 comparison of specs between BMW's first-ever three-row crossover with legitimate room for seven and its many high-dollar competitors. On paper, the 2019 X7 definitely seems to most closely align with the Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class. Their similar dimensions, interior space, engine choices and price would certainly imply where BMW placed the target when developing X7. We used those same elements to determine three-row vehicles likely to be cross-shopped or that should be cross-shopped. These include the Audi Q7, Land Rover Discovery, Volvo XC90 and Lincoln Navigator. Yes, the latter is a truck-based SUV as opposed to a crossover, but tell that to all the people lining out the door at the local Lincoln emporium. They do not care, and neither shall we. We also included the 2019 BMW X5, which was completely redesigned for this year and therefore not the first-ever. That makes it less appealing? Either way, lining the new X5 up with the SUV that leapfrogs it atop BMW's SUV hierarchy should provide a good idea of just how much more you get by going up a model number. Engines and model lineup Again, the X7 aligns closest with the GLS, offering a base six-cylinder in its xDrive40i model and an upgrade turbo V8 in the xDrive50i. The Mercedes engines have greater output, but the GLS still accelerates slower than the BMW. As the 2019 X5 offers the exact same engines, we would also expect the X7's fuel economy to be superior to the GLS once its estimates are announced. It should be noted, though, that the GLS offers a high-powered AMG model whereas we anticipate the X7 to offer a plug-in hybrid model comparable to the X5 upcoming xDrive45e model. The other luxury SUVs diverge in their engine choices and model lineup. The Audi Q7 offers a base turbocharged four-cylinder, as does the Volvo XC90 in its T5 model, which we left out of the above chart entirely for space reasons. That the Q7 3.0 TFSI supercharged V6 gets the same fuel economy estimates as the four-cylinder is proof positive that engine is purely around for its lower base price.

2014 Mercedes B-Class ED battery much bigger than previously stated

There was something unexpected hiding in the new configurator for the 2014 Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive: a $600 "Temporary range extender." Since we've never heard of such a thing, we had to click through for more. The official explanation runs like this: A suite of options to further increase your driving range includes added insulation of the doors and roof for to increase climate-control efficiency, along with an electrically heated windshield and a range-extending charge function. By pressing a button on the console prior to charging, the maximum charge level for battery will increased for the next charge cycle. The higher-capacity charge can provide up to 17 additional miles of range. The passive features that increase range should be standard in all models, we think. But we were more curious about the battery charge situation. How do you increase a maximum? And is it a good idea to do so? The configurator includes this disclaimer, after all: Range extender should only be used on a limited basis, and could shorten battery life if used excessively. How much is excessive? We investigate below. The B-Class ED has, according to the specs, a 28-kWh battery. First, let's understand what this "temporary range extender" is all about. The B-Class ED has, according to the specs, a 28-kWh battery. But Terry Wei, from the Mercedes-Benz USA product and technology communications department, confirmed to AutoblogGreen that the B-Class ED is actually hiding a 36-kWh battery, but the automaker is calling it a 28-kWh battery because that's how much energy capacity is used in day-to-day use. Most automakers publicly claim the actual capacity and then admit they use a percentage of it. The Chevy Volt, for example, has a 16.5-kWh battery pack, but a "full charge" only fills up around 65 percent of that. In the B-Class ED, the 28 kWh of useable energy provides an EPA-certified 87 miles of range. But, since there are eight kWh of reserve, the temporary range extender (we think of it as a software update accessed by a button) can access some of that and offer the aforementioned 17 miles. Now that we know what we're dealing with, this reminds us of an evolved version of the "remote wireless charging" feature that was touted in the Reva EV. Wei said that the reason the feature is optional is because Mercedes doesn't think most people will need it. Eighty-seven miles is plenty for your average EV driver, but when you want to have 100+ in the tank, you can.