Brabus unveils 850-hp grocery getter

It wouldn't be the Essen Motor Show without German tuning house Brabus introducing its own versions of one or two of Mercedes-Benz cars, with borderline-unbelievable power figures. And this year the Bottrop-based outfit didn't disappoint, rolling out the Brabus 850 6.0 Biturbo based on the 2014 E63 AMG station wagon. For starters, Brabus has increased the V8 engine's displacement from 5,461cc to 5,912cc, installing custom-made forged pistons and a precision balanced billet crankshaft, and replacing the stock turbos with ones of their own design featuring larger compressor units.

Motorway pile-up 'like pinball'

DRIVERS involved in a fatal pile-up on a motorway entered a "wall of blackness" before suffering numerous impacts as if they were "a pinball machine", a jury heard. Seven people died and 51 were injured after 34 cars collided when a section of the M5 in Somerset was suddenly "engulfed in thick smog". Anthony and Pamela Adams, Maggie and Michael Barton, Malcolm Beacham, Terry Brice and Kye Thomas died in the incident, on November 4 2011.

Mercedes GLA Edition 1 announced

The Mercedes GLA Edition 1 (pictured) is a luanch edition for the new GLA SUV The new Mercedes GLA Compact SUV had its public debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show last week, and is due to go on sale in November. But when it does go on sale, sales will start off with a limited run of GLA Edition 1 cars, just as Mercedes did with the CLA 45 AMG Edition 1, but in the case of the GLA you’ll be able to spec the Edition 1 pack on any GLA model. With a choice of four exterior colours - Cirrus White, Mountain Grey Metallic, Orient Brown Metallic and Designo Magno Mountingrau – the Edition 1 comes with 19″ AMG alloys, bi-xenons, aluminium roof rails, extra chrome, leather flat-bottomed steering wheel, comfort seats and splashes of aluminium trim and stainless steel pedals.