REDMOND, Wash., Jan. 28, 2002 — MSN® Carpoint®
service, a leading car-buying and car-ownership site visited by more than 7 million visitors monthly, today announced the winner of its People’s Choice Best of Show vehicle award for the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) 2002.
The new Ford GT40 concept car, a modern-day version of its legendary GT40 race car, received the People’s Choice Best of Show award from Carpoint.com, the official Web site for NAIAS for the fifth consecutive year. Between Jan. 12 and Jan. 21, more than 220,000 votes were cast by consumers for the Best of Show vehicle on Carpoint.com. The Ford GT40 placed first with 23 percent of the votes, followed by the Dodge M80 concept car with 20 percent of the votes. Other popular nominees were the Cadillac Cien concept, Nissan 350Z, Lamborghini Murcielago, MINI Cooper S, Volvo XC90, the Chrysler Pacifica concept and the Toyota ccX concept.
More than 4 million unique users to date have visited Carpoint.com to view unveilings and read editorial reviews of every major vehicle showcased at the NAIAS. The high-performance GT40 is the newest addition to Ford’s Living Legends lineup of concept cars, and despite new body dimensions, it was designed with the original GT40’s mystique in mind.
“We are honored that so many consumers embraced the Ford GT40 and voted this concept the People’s Choice Best of Show on Carpoint.com,” said J Mays, vice president of design for Ford Motor Co. “The blue oval is best known for legendary cars that resonate with people, and it’s good to see we’ve lived up to the challenge and continued the legacy.”
On Jan. 6, Carpoint.com, the official Web site of NAIAS, opened its Virtual Show Floor to 270 million consumers on MSN.com, providing instant access to reportage, extensive photography, more than 50 interactive spinning-car surround videos and more than 50 Windows Media (TM) -based streaming videos. In addition, users of six live Carpoint webcams generated more than 750,000 personal snapshots of the show floor. Translated versions of Carpoint global show coverage appeared in Canada (English and French editions), Australia, South Africa, Sweden, France, Spain, Italy, Belgium and the United Kingdom.
“With more than 4 million unique users experiencing NAIAS via Carpoint.com and the record number of responses the Best of Show award received, we’re excited to continue our position as the leading partner of the nation’s premier international auto show,” said Ryan Hamlin, CEO of MSN Carpoint. “We will continue to utilize Microsoft®
technologies together with consumer and automotive expertise to provide the most comprehensive coverage of industry events, research and buying and ownership services available.”
Starting Feb. 13, Carpoint will also serve as the official consumer site for the Canadian International Auto Show.
About Carpoint
Launched in October 1995, Carpoint ( http://www.carpoint.com/ ) is the leading online automotive marketplace, visited by more than 7 million consumers each month. From product reviews and surround video features to new- and used-car pricing, Carpoint helps consumers find the car they love, at a price they can afford. With details on more than 10,000 car models and 100,000 used vehicles, visitors can research and compare cars of virtually every make and model, identify local dealers, and receive instructions for post-purchase service and maintenance. Carpoint has a network of more than 5,000 affiliated dealers nationwide and is exclusively endorsed by the American International Automobile Dealers Association.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software — any time, any place and on any device.
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