In what might be the most German response to "that's powerful enough" since BMW decided to put 1,300 horsepower in an electric M3, Brabus has announced new tuning packages for Mercedes' latest AMG models. And they're absolutely mad. Let's start with the AMG GT 63. Now, you might think that a twin-turbo V8 sports car making enough power to restart the death star would be sufficient. But Brabus looked at the standard car and thought "needs more everything." Their solution? The PowerXtra B40S-750 upgrade package, which sounds like something you'd use to launch satellites but is actually a pair of new turbochargers that boost power to 750 horsepower. The result? It'll now hit 62 mph in 2.9 seconds, which is about the same time it takes most people to say "PowerXtra B40S-750." Top speed is limited to 196 mph, presumably because any faster and you'd start traveling backward in time. But they haven't stopped there. Remember the new C 63? The one that caused mass hysteria by replacing its V8 with a four-cylinder hybrid setup? Well, Brabus has gotten their hands on that too. Their PowerXtra B20E-730 kit - they really do love their complicated names - boosts the combustion engine by 50 horsepower, bringing the total hybrid system output to 730 hp. That's right - a C-Class with 730 horsepower. It's like giving a librarian a flamethrower. It'll now do 0-62 mph in 3.2 seconds, which means you'll arrive at the golf club before you've finished saying goodbye to your driveway. The estate version is slightly slower, but only because physics occasionally remembers it exists. They've done the same to the GLC 63, because apparently what the world really needed was a family SUV that can outrun most supercars. It gets the same 730 hp hybrid setup, allowing it to hit 62 mph in 3.3 seconds. That's quick enough to rearrange your internal organs and probably your shopping too. Of course, this being Brabus, they haven't just fiddled with the engines. Each car gets enough carbon fiber add-ons to make a Formula 1 team jealous, special forged wheels that probably cost more than most normal cars, and sports exhaust systems that can switch between "quiet enough for the neighbors" and "waking the dead." Inside, they'll trim everything in whatever leather you want, add illuminated sill plates that change color with the ambient lighting (because why not?), and generally make the whole thing feel like a very fast living room. Though given how quick these things are now, you might want to bolt the furniture down. And if you're wondering about fuel economy... well, Brabus has helpfully provided the figures. The GT 63 manages 14.1 l/100km, which is actually quite impressive when you consider it has more power than most small aircraft. The hybrid C 63 and GLC do better at around 11 l/100km, though I suspect that's only if you drive them like they're normal cars, which rather defeats the purpose. And on that note, I'm off to explain to my accountant why I need three different versions of essentially the same engine upgrade. Though I suspect "because they all go very fast in slightly different ways" might not be the most convincing argument.
