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Brabus tunes Mercedes-AMG GT up to 600 horsepower

"You can never have enough power," says Brabus in the statement below, "especially in a sports car." Hence the beast you see here. It's based, as you can plainly see, on the Mercedes-AMG GT. But instead of 469 horsepower in the base model or 503 in S spec, Brabus has boosted it up to 600 metric horsepower. That works out to 591 hp by our standards, a figure backed up by an equally impressive 553 pound-feet of torque – up from 443 or 479. With all that power and twist, the Benz tuner of record says its take on the GT will top out at an autobahn-crunching 201 miles per hour, reaching 62 along the way in 3.6 seconds. Of course, Brabus didn't just tinker with the engine and leave the rest alone. It'll build customer vehicles to individual requirements, but has outfitted this demo vehicle with a full aero kit (in clear carbon fiber), monoblock alloys (20 inches up front, 21 at the back), a retuned suspension dropped by 0.6 inches, and a fully refitted interior. We'll be keeping an eye out for the Brabus GT at the Frankfurt Motor Show this week, but judging from the photos above, it would be hard to miss. Related Video: World premiere at the IAA 2015 BRABUS refines the Mercedes-AMG GT S 441 kW / 600 HP, 750 Nm of torque, a top speed of 325 km/h, carbon components and 21-inch high-tech forged wheels Lending an exclusive car an even more thrilling appearance has been the domain of BRABUS (Brabus-Allee, D-46240 Bottrop, phone + 49 (0) 2041 / 777-0, fax + 49 / (0) 2041 / 777 111, Internet www.brabus.com) for almost four decades. At the IAA 2015 in Frankfurt am Main, the exclusive sports program for the Mercedes-AMG GT and GT S models celebrates its world premiere. With an output increase to 441 kW / 600 HP (591 bhp) and a peak torque of 750 Nm (553 lb-ft), the two-seat car reaches a top speed of 325 km/h (201 mph). From the outside, the sports car with BRABUS design impresses with aerodynamic-enhancement components made from clear-coated carbon, ultra-light BRABUS Monoblock F forged wheels, a sports suspension with a multitude of selectable settings for damping and ride height, and a sports exhaust system made from especially lightweight titanium with electronically controlled sound management. BRABUS fine leather interiors and inlays made from real carbon and precious wood upgrade the cockpit of the two-door car. You can never have enough power, especially in a sports car.

2016 British Grand Prix kept mostly calm and carried on

Three bursts of chaos decided the course of the British Grand Prix. The first was a literal cloudburst a dozen minutes before the race, which poured water on the Silverstone Circuit while drivers sat on the grid. Six minutes before the lights-out, the race director decided to start the race behind the Safety Car. The field loped around the wet track for five laps. When the Safety Car pulled off, the three leaders – Mercedes-AMG Petronas' Lewis Hamilton, followed by teammate Nico Rosberg and Red Bull's Max Verstappen – stayed out. Behind them, the second chaotic moment occurred: a big group of drivers made pit stops for intermediate tires. When Manor's Pascal Wehrlein spun at Turn 1 on Lap 7, officials issued a Virtual Safety Car. With the rest of the field slowed down, the three leaders ducked into the pits on Lap 8 for intermediates. The fortuitous timing meant all three drivers rejoined the track in their original positions. By Lap 9, with racing resumed, Hamilton had a 4.9-second lead on Rosberg. From that point, even as the track dried, no one bothered Hamilton during what one commentator called "a measured drive." The Brit won his home grand prix, taking the checkered flag seven seconds ahead of Rosberg. Rosberg had to earn second place on track. The German's car didn't respond well to the intermediate tires, so Verstappen excecuted an outstanding pass on Rosberg on the outside through Chapel on Lap 16. After everyone switched to slicks, Rosberg's Mercedes reclaimed its mojo and the German hunted Verstappen down, passing the Dutchman on Lap 38. The final touch of chaos happened when Rosberg's gearbox threw a tantrum on Lap 47 of the 52-lap race. Rosberg radioed his engineer, "Gearbox problem!" His engineer replied, "Affirm. Chassis default zero one. Avoid seventh gear, Nico." The race stewards allowed the engineer's first two statements, but stewards said the instruction about seventh gear contravened the rule that "the driver must drive the car alone and unaided." After the race, officials added ten seconds to Rosberg's time, demoting him to third behind Verstappen. Rosberg's is the first penalty arising from radio communication restrictions. Unsurprisingly, Mercedes will appeal. At this year's Baku race the radio controversy stemmed from engineers refusing to tell drivers what to do. Now we know what happens when the pit wall gets loose lips.

Recharge Wrap-up: BMW i8's Engine of the Year, biodiesel producer guilty

BMW has won International Engine of the Year for the hybrid system in the i8. The i8 PHEV uses a 1.5-liter, three-cylinder gasoline engine with a hybrid drive unit including a 96-kilowatt electric motor. BMW beat Ford's 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine by a small margin to win the award for best overall engine. It also took the award for the 1.4-liter to 1.8-liter category, as well as best new engine. Tesla beat BMW to win the green engine category for the electric powertrain of the Tesla Model S. Read more at Green Car Congress, or see all of the results from the International Engine of the Year Awards. The head of Audi powertain development is quitting as the automaker steps up electrification. Stefan Knirsch has worked at Audi since late 2013, and previously worked at Porsche as the head of quality management and engine development. Germany's Auto Motor und Sport magazine had reported that Knirsch was leaving Audi, which Audi confirmed without giving a departure date or saying if he would be working elsewhere. Audi has been feeling pressure from its competitor Mercedes-Benz, and has been working on improving its EV offerings and autonomous vehicle technology. Read more from Reuters. The owner of a biodiesel company has pleaded guilty to fraud. Philip Joseph Rivkin, aka Felipe Poitan Arriaga, took part in a scheme to defraud the EPA, falsely claiming to be producing millions of gallons of biodiesel. This allowed his company, Green Diesel, to receive renewable fuel credits and sell them to oil companies and brokers. "These crimes are a serious threat to an important program that helps combat climate change," says Cynthia Giles of the EPA. "Companies and individual managers should get the message that there are serious consequences for breaking the rules and undermining the integrity of this program." Rivkin faces over 10 years in prison and $51 million in restitution. Read more in the press release below. Biodiesel Fuel Company Owner Pleads Guilty to Fraud and Clean Air Act Crimes Connected to Renewable Fuels Scheme Philip J. Rivkin faces more than 10 years imprisonment and $51 million in restitution WASHINGTON – Philip Joseph Rivkin, a.k.a. Felipe Poitan Arriaga, 50, today pleaded guilty to a Clean Air Act false statement and mail fraud as part of his role in a scheme to defraud EPA by falsely representing that he was producing millions of gallons of biodiesel fuel.