technology spectrum

The Car of the Future

Steer, Stop: The last bastions of mechanical linkage fall.

When you hit the brakes on the new Mercedes SL500,
the car takes it as a digital recommendation, not a physical order. Mercedes has managed to consolidate most modern brake-control features into a single, integrated unit it dubs the Sensitronic brake system. The heart of the system is an electrically powered, high-pressure hydraulic supply that can apply considerably more force, more quickly, than an old-fashioned foot, even with power assist.

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