Ford S-MAX Vignale Concept revealed

The Ford S-Max Vignale (pictured) arrives to top the S-Max range The arrival of the Ford Mondeo Vignale Concept last year made it clear Ford were ready to do a 21st century version of the ‘Ghia’ badge engineering to create a range-topping sub-brand with the Vignale badge with all the whistles and bells on it. Today’s arrival of the Ford S-MAX Vignale Concept reinforces that conclusion. Just like the Mondeo Vignale, the S-Max Vignale comes with plenty of upmarket materials and toys, like 21″ alloys, chrome mirror caps, Vignale Grill, embossed leather with quilting, tablet docking and a Milano Grigio paint job.

Mercedes launches Attention Assist

By Ben Whitworth Motor Industry 13 August 2008 13:28 Mercedes-Benz researchers call it the ‘one-second nap’ – that instant when fatigue overcomes you at the wheel on a long trip and you wake up in hospital. To counter dozing off while driving, which Mercedes claims accounts for a quarter of all major motorway accidents, its engineers have developed an innovative driver support system called Attention Assist. As well as registering linear and lateral acceleration, indicator and pedal operation and vehicle speed, the system also monitors steering response - the most important indicator of fatigue according to Mercedes, is tired drivers have difficulty in keeping their vehicle precisely on track.

GM's Bob Lutz put off retirement and put life back into a sagging lineup

Originally published: Sept. 14, 2008 Editor's note: This story comes from 100 Years: How General Motors Changed the World, published by Automotive News to commemorate the 100th anniversary of GM. In 2001, with seven years left to go in General Motors' first century, CEO Rick Wagoner knew that his product lineup badly needed upgrading if the company was going to have a second hundred years.