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Europe trailing on ESP safety

NOT ENOUGH new cars in Europe are being specified with an electronic stability programme (ESP) that is proved to be most important safety system in prevent collisions. Research by Frost and Sullivan has found Europe is lagging behind North America, where there is almost 100% success with fitting news cars with ESP. Despite ESP being included in the European New Car Assessment Programme since 2011, the study shows there has been only a minimal increase in the number of cars sold that have ESP.

Gorden Wagener on how Mercedes is "moving from a traditional luxury brand to a modern luxury brand"

Mercedes' 'home' design studio in Sindelfingen, Germany is housed in an expansive 30,000-square meter building designed by Renzo Piano. The lobby is unassuming, but we're soon through into what Mercedes' grandly calls 'the Vision Room.' It's here that strategic meetings are held with the firm's board, and where we meet Gorden Wagener, Mercedes' head of design since 2008. It's in the Vision Room that Wagener convinced the Mercedes board of the merits of his overarching design philosophy: 'sensual purity'.

Lexus LF-CC

Lexus is set to debut the LF-CC mid-size coupe concept at next week's Paris motor show that will give us a glimpse of the design and technology ideas that will influence the brand's future models. The LF-CC shares a lot of the same design cues featured on the LF-LC 2+2 sports coupe concept seen in Detroit in January, not least the new spindle-shaped grille that are found on all new Lexus models. It is set in a deep, metal-finish surround and is framed by the hood lip, deep lower spoiler and the projecting front wing tips – this is designed to give it a 3D look.