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Brabus 850 6.0 Biturbo Coupe is an extroverted, 217-mph Mercedes S63 AMG

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class is a prime example of handsome, restrained design. It's classy but not shouty, stylish without trying too hard. Of course, Brabus can address that um, problem, for you, without much issue. Meet the Brabus 850 6.0 Biturbo Coupe, an extensively modified version of the S63 AMG Coupe. Larger intakes and lots of carbon fiber typify the front end, while the tail sports a new diffuser and rear spoiler, both of which are finished in carbon fiber. Meanwhile, Brabus is offering a variety of wheel designs, ranging in size from 18 to 22 inches, and with the customer's choice of Continental, Pirelli and Yokohama rubber. The most questionable changes, though, happen in the cabin, where black Mastik leather is finished with copper stitching and piping. Brabus then takes 219 different interior trim pieces and lines them in Shadow Gold paint, just like the Monoblock wheels featured on the vehicle above. Of course, Brabus does much, much more than just offer its own take on the normally conservative Mercedes aesthetics. There's a bit of tweaking to the powertrain. Despite the "6.0" in its name, the donor S63 AMG's 5.5-liter, biturbocharged V8 has been enlarged to just over 5.9 liters (5,912 cc, to be precise), thanks to a larger cylinder bore and a longer stroke, the latter of which comes from a Brabus-spec crankshaft. While Brabus may be exaggerating about the size of its new coupe's engine, the tuning firm is not overstating said powerplant's output. A stout 850 horsepower is teamed with an electronically limited 848 pound-feet of torque. There's more to this modded Mercedes than that, though, as Brabus claims the 5.9-liter is actually capable of turning out a silly 1,069 lb-ft, but that it needed to be limited "in the interest of the longevity of the entire powertrain." All this extra oomph comes from a pair of "special" Brabus turbochargers, as well as new exhaust manifolds and a stainless steel exhaust system. A new intake module also helps breathing, while the engine's ECU has been updated for extra performance. Aside from a new set of paddle shifters, the S63 AMG's seven-speed gearbox was left unaltered, as was the 4Matic all-wheel-drive system. Oh, and if you live in Europe and really want to scare yourself, Brabus will offer the same engine treatment to the rear-drive S63 AMG that we don't get Stateside.

Apple lends prestige to a new Mercedes-Benz music system

Not often does Apple offer its name to products or technologies that emerge from beyond the walls of Fortress Cupertino. Could a partnership with Mercedes-Benz signal the start of something new? Mercedes’ new audio system unveiled this past weekend centers on the integration of Apple MusicÂ’s Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos surround — a music enhancement generally heard in headphone-listening environments — in selected (and optional) Burmester audio systems. Plans are to offer the components initially in the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class, the S-Class as well as the EQE, EQE SUV, EQS and EQS SUV. No prices for the options were announced. Also partnering in the project is the Universal Music Group, one of the worldÂ’s leading music publishers. According to Mercedes, the Dolby tech “empowers musicians and audio engineers to place discrete audio elements or objects in a three-dimensional sound field, which goes beyond the capabilities of standard stereo productions. The system adapts to any playback environment, meaning fans can listen to music with unparalleled clarity that matches the artist's original vision in the studio.” We would expect no less from 31 speakers in a Maybach, powered by a pair of amps churning out 1,750 watts. Imagine Keith Richards cranking guitar through 31 speakers in an enclosed car cockpit. Almost three out of four music consumers say that they listen mostly in a car, says Mercedes Chairman Ola Kallenius. ”Through this exceptional partnership, we are giving our customers the extraordinary in-car audio experience they expect from Mercedes-Benz,” he said. “Both Apple and UMG share our vision and values and, together with Dolby, we will create a seamless and unique experience for our customers." Partnerships between automakers and audio companies have become common in recent years, and there have been mixed results from systems attempting to create a "surround sound" experience that goes beyond stereo. Bose put its systems into General Motors cars decades ago, and others followed, including Bowers & Wilkins, JBL and even the legendary McIntosh. Most recently, famed Italian speaker designer Sonon faber found a home in Maserati's new Grecale, and British speaker maker KEF is working with Lotus.  

Daimler employees can set email to auto-delete during vacation

The Internet has shrunk the world in terms of the way people communicate by making it possible to send an email from Oslo and have it show up in Cleveland almost immediately. But that instant contact has wrecked the work/life balance for many. They get home from a long day at the office, yet they can never fully put their feet up and relax because another hour or more of checking and replying to emails awaits. However, German automotive giant Daimler is putting an end to that churn, at least while its employees are on vacation.
About 100,000 Daimler employees in Germany are eligible to opt-in to a new program called Mail on Holiday, according to The Atlantic. When the workers go on vacation, they can switch it on, and the service auto-deletes all of their incoming email. "Our employees should relax on holiday and not read work-related emails," said Wilfried Porth, board member for human resources, to The Financial Times as cited by The Atlantic.
Mail on Holiday puts a thumb on the scale of work/life balance in favor of a little more free time. The system means that Daimler employees shouldn't even be tempted to check their email on vacation because there's nothing there - and it also avoids them coming back from a relaxing holiday only to find a mailbox packed full of hundreds of unread messages. These days, people are absolutely obsessed with their work, often to the detriment of their health, not to mention spending time with their families and friends. On one hand, Mail on Holiday sounds like the sort of vacation breakthrough we'd need to truly unplug and unwind, but on the other hand, it makes our skin crawl just thinking about the lack of communication. What's your perspective? Have your say in Comments.