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Weekly Recap for 8.12.16 | Autoblog Minute

A recap of the week in automotive news, including a look at a two-door Maybach coupe, FCA's Ram heavy-duty truck recall, and spy shots of POTUS' new car. Maybach Mercedes-Benz Autoblog Minute Videos Original Video autos limo maybach coupe

Brabus Mercedes-AMG GT is a 600-hp exercise in restraint

Big, wild, crazy vehicles from local tuners are one of the highlights of all European auto shows, where even high-performance cars get ludicrous amounts of horsepower and questionable body mods. Occasionally, though, one tuning shop comes out with something that is actually pretty reasonable in both departments. At the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show, that vehicle comes from Brabus and its take on the Mercedes-AMG GT, simply called the Brabus GT. Sure, it has 600 horsepower, which is a lot, but it's only 97 hp more than stock. Asking a European tuner to increase a car's horsepower by just 97 ponies is like asking a six-pack-a-day smoker to quite cold turkey – it requires a tremendous amount of self-control. It's a similar story on the body, where we get a new body kit, new wheels, and a slightly tweaked interior. Now, to be fair, the body kit is made from carbon fiber and the wheels are staggered, multi-spoke alloys, but neither mod is too garish. The cabin gets new black leather, which comes from cows and not some other typical Euro tuner hide, like whale foreskin. The steering wheel gets an Alcantara wrap, and there's some carbon-fiber and wood trim added as well. It's all very, very simple, and not just for a European tuner – we could picture Mercedes itself coming up with a very similar treatment if/when it does an AMG GT Black Series. We've got a wide array of live photos of the new Brabus GT from its Frankfurt debut. Scroll up and check them out. Related Video:

Mercedes-Benz Concept GLA gets official ahead of Shanghai

Mercedes-Benz has something special planned for the Shanghai Motor Show - a new CUV concept that we first saw when it leaked on the internet yesterday. The GLA Concept compact crossover will hit the show stand with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 208 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque mated to a seven-speed dual clutch transmission and 4Matic all-wheel drive, and likely previews a new production model that we've already spotted testing.
That's not news, but the laser-based headlamps with video-projecting capability certainly are. Mercedes-Benz says the array can project any image or video onto a screen, which is handy since there are a pair of HD cameras mounted to the roof rack. The cameras can be removed and taken with you on all sorts of adventures. The lamps also feature a visible cooling system comprised of a series of fans, and the system helps give the headlights their "sparkle" effect.
Step indoors and the GLA offers up the interior of a high-quality crossover, complete with contrasting leather and plenty of aluminum. The automaker says the cabin was inspired by saddle craftsmanship with "more than 65 feet of hand-stitched seams to hold the raw edges of the leather together."