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2016 Mercedes-Benz C350 Plug-In Hybrid on sale this fall

The Mercedes-Benz C350 Plug-In Hybrid can go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in less than six seconds and can travel 20 miles in all-electric range. As for the more practical issues related to the new PHEV, well, those details will have to wait a bit longer. The C350 Plug-In Hybrid makes its official debut at the Detroit Auto Show this week. The electrified Mercedes will start US sales this fall as a 2016 model. The sedan's four-cylinder, 1.9-liter, turbocharged gasoline engine will be paired with an electric motor that will deliver a combined 275 horsepower. The car will also have such goodies as regenerative braking and collision-avoidance systems, not to mention a top speed of 130 mph. We're still waiting for the car's estimated fuel economy, of course. Not to mention its sticker price. Spy shots of the C-Class PHEV started popping up in May, as well as reports that the Daimler division was testing prototypes in Germany. Meanwhile, this past summer, Mercedes-Benz started taking payments for the S500 Plug-In Hybrid, the German automaker's first production plug-in vehicle. That model, which started European deliveries last September, can zip from 0 to 60 in about five seconds. It also costs about $146,000.

Brabus shows S65 Rocket 900 Desert Gold Edition in Dubai

If it packs 900 horsepower and it's painted gold, you're probably looking at the Brabus Rocket 900 Desert Gold Edition, an extreme S-Class that debuted at the Dubai motor show. The "normal" S65 sports a 6.0-liter twin-turbo V12 pumping out 621 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque, and that would have been enough for most. But Brabus is there to satisfy those for whom too much is never enough, and so it revealed the Rocket 900 at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year, raising the S65's output to 887 hp and 1,106 lb-ft of torque. Throw in upgraded aero, suspension, rolling stock, exhaust, and a fully refitted interior, and the Rocket 900 amounts to a complete transformation. Mercedes' 4Matic all-wheel drive system couldn't handle all the twist from the stock S65, so power is transmitted to the rear wheels alone. What sets the Desert Gold Edition apart from the existing Rocket 900 is its gold color scheme. The exterior is swathed in the deep gold paint, the black wheels have a gold rim on them, and even the interior gets gold updates. If you happen to be at the Dubai Motor Show, go check it out. World premiere at the DUBAI INTERNATIONAL MOTOR SHOW 2015 An homage to the Orient BRABUS ROCKET 900 "DESERT GOLD" Edition V12 with 662 kW / 900 HP, 1,500 Nm and 350 km/h plus BRABUS ROCKET 900 – that is the new reference for high performance in the luxury segment. BRABUS (Brabus-Allee, D-46240 Bottrop, phone +49 / (0) 2041 / 777-0, fax +49 / (0) 2041 / 777 111, Internet www.brabus.com) builds this supercar based on the Mercedes S 65. BRABUS developed the especially exclusive BRABUS ROCKET 900 "DESERT GOLD" Edition, which celebrates its world debut at the DUBAI INTERNATIONAL MOTOR SHOW 2015, as an homage to the Orient, where BRABUS maintains a company branch and a prestigious BRABUS Flagship Store in Dubai. The exclusive high-performance luxury liner is immediately recognizable not only due to its extraordinary "DESERT GOLD" special paintwork. The appearance of this special model is also characterized by BRABUS carbon aerodynamic-enhancement components and shiny black BRABUS Monoblock F "PLATINUM EDITION" 21-inch wheels with gold pin striping. The BRABUS fine leather interior is finished in a combination of gold and black leather. Gold-colored seams in a quilting pattern created specifically for this special model furthermore distinguish the classy interior appointments.

2016 German Grand Prix race recap: so-so racing, great questions

We can summarize the 2016 German Grand Prix in one sentence: Mercedes-AMG Petronas driver Lewis Hamilton started second on the grid, passed pole-sitter and teammate Nico Rosberg before the first corner, and dominate to the finish. In fact, Hamilton turned his engine power output down on Lap 3 and still took the checkered flag seven seconds ahead of Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo. Ricciardo's teammate Max Verstappen crossed the line another six seconds back. Rosberg fell to fourth at the first corner and couldn't find the pace to reel in the Red Bulls. His questionable pass on Verstappen didn't help when the stewards penalized Rosberg five seconds; the overtake reminded us of Rosberg's move on teammate Hamilton in Austria. That penalty turned into eight seconds when the Mercedes-AMG Petronas stopwatch didn't work in the pits. Ferrari pilots Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen finished fifth and sixth. Those six drivers all started in the top six, too. Behind them, on Lap 28 of the 67-lap race the next four drivers were Valtteri Bottas in the Williams, Nico Hulkenberg in the Force India, and Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso in McLarens. Low fuel and old tires put the kibosh on Alonso's pace just four laps from the finish, allowing Force India's Sergio Perez to pass, rounding out the top ten. The issues up for debate during the four-week break are far more interesting than the weekend's race. As bad as Ferrari's day might have been – and we'll get to that – Rosberg probably took the biggest hit, losing the race before the first corner for the second weekend in a row and falling 19 points behind Hamilton. Rosberg won the first four races of the season, then the teammates tripped over one another in Spain. Hamilton's won six of the seven races since Spain, Rosberg's best result in that time is a second-place in Hungary. Hamilton turned his engine down on Lap 3 (!) because he's used his entire season's allotment of five turbochargers and five MGU-Ks. Those early-season gremlins now have him on edge of grid penalties. Unless Hamilton's momentum cools off in August, however, that reliability danger might be the only dent in his armor. Rosberg, who once led the Championship by 43 points, will surely drown in his thoughts – and maybe schnapps – over the summer break. Whatever the Italian word for "meditation" is, there'll be a lot of it at Ferrari during the F1 summer break.