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Mercedes-Benz has taken a chisel to its original SUV and updated both the M-Class and the high-performance ML 63 AMG model. The M-Class has come a long way since it first debuted as a competent albeit small SUV with doughy styling. It's grown into a much larger shape that's crisper and more expensive looking, and MB has augmented that this year with tweaks to both the front and rear ends. The headlight shape is completely new and dips down toward the grille now, while a new radiator opening between the widely set fog lamps is particularly dominant. A faux undergaurd completes the look of manufactured manliness, while a new rear bumper, tweaked rear taillights and larger side view mirrors round out the exterior upgrades. The interior also gets updated with richer materials and a four-spoke multifunction leather steering wheel. MB has also added a host of infotainment options to the order list, as well.

The ML 63 AMG also gets the exterior tweaks, but adds a meaner front bumper with an even larger radiator grille, bigger fog lamps and a corrugated chromed undergaurd that trumps the base model's in both its inability to guard anything level of gaudiness. The grille also features just two horizontal cross bars rather than the cheese grader effect on standard MLs. The chrome undergaurd also appears on the new rear apron through which two pairs of chrome tailpipes peek out. New 20-inch 5-spoke AMG wheels look nice, but MB also has 21-inchers available for the ballers out there. The engine, however, is where it's at. The 6.3L AMG V8 produces 510 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque, which gets fed through an AMG SPEEDSHIFT 7G-TRONIC transmission into the SUV's permanent all-wheel-drive system that's split 40:60 front to rear. The suspension and brakes have also been AMG-ified. Clearly, you want to move to the right lane when this thing appears in your rearview mirror.



[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

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Brabus, when it's not busy messing around on little things like the world's fastest sedan, actually makes performance modifications that "regular" Benz drivers can put to use on a daily basis. Case in point: the newly-introduced PowerXtra D8 (III) kit for Mercedes-Benz's GL and ML 420 CDI models. The upgrade, which suposedly only takes 30 minutes for a dealer to install, provides an instant 44 horsepower boost.

Translation: 350 post-upgrade horsepower and a monstrous 590 lbs (800 Nm) of stump-yanking torque (though we wonder if anyone ever puts these things to work in that way). 62 mph arrives in a smidge over 7 seconds for the big GL-Class sled, and six seconds flat for the ML. That's plenty peppy either way you look at it. For maximum stealth, you can leave your ride stock-looking. If you're more of an extrovert (and something tells me that Mercedes owners browsing the Brabus catalog fall into this category), you can check in with any number of Brabus mods as seen in the little photo gallery attached to this post.

[Source: Brabus]