Mercedes anticipates the future with new S-Class

Mercedes-Benz, using networked electronic systems (sensor fusion), is introducing on its new S-Class a step-change suspension system that can “see” (via a stereo camera) the road surface ahead and make ultra-high-speed decisions on how to deal with it.

The letters “IFS” once represented the pinnacle of suspension development. They stood not just for independent front suspension but also were used by automotive marketers to establish a certain elitism for a product: a step-change ride-and-handling solution about which customers could boast.

Earle S. MacPherson's renowned strut was-literally-at the forefront of this advance, using a coil spring and damper to great effect on monocoque cars from 1949; it remains an independently sprung suspension member still favored by many of today's chassis engineers.