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Lexus GS gets Supercharged for SEMA 2012

A Lexus GS350 has been titivated and Supercharged by VIP Auto Salon ahead of a reeval at the 2012 SEMA Show. Last year – at the 2011 SEMA Show in Las Vegas – Lexus introduced us to the sporty side of the new GS with the debut of the GS F-Sport, a titivated GS with more aggressive looks and a more sporty character  But this year we’re getting something with a bit more oomph – a Lexus GS350 F-Sport with a nice meaty supercharger bolted on. We don’t actually get the GS350 in the UK – we have the choice of the GS250 with a 2.5 litre V6 or the GS450 V6 hybrid – but on the other side of the Pond they get the V6 we get in the 450h but without the hybrid gubbins, which offers 300 horses, and that’s the GS model VIP Auto Salon have given new life to.

Who's Where: Martin Smith joins Ford Europe design team

Martin Smith has been appointed as Executive Director of Design at Ford Europe. Smith, a native of Sheffield, England, brings a wealth of design experience to Ford, having held positions at Porsche, Audi, and most recently as Director of Design for Opel/Vauxhall. In his new position, he will report to product development chief, Derrick Kuzak and to Ford's global group vice president for Design, J Mays.

Denza confirmed as brand name for Daimler BYD joint venture

Denza - the JV brand of BYD and Daimler The joint venture between Mercedes (Daimler) and BYD in China is to market cars under the Denza brand. It seems to have taken a very long time for the partnership between Mercedes Benz’ parent company Daimler and China’s BYD to come up with product or even a name. Well, they’ve managed the name although we’re still not too sure what exactly they’ll be flogging.