Winners of the 2004 Automobile Magazine Awards Announced

Winners of the 2004 Automobile Magazine Awards Announced
January Issue Recognizes Automobile, Man, Design, Technology, and Racing Car of
the Year 


NEW YORK, Dec. 11  /PRNewswire/ -- AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE, America's leading
automotive lifestyle publication, this week announced the winners of the 2004
AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE Awards, recognizing the most significant automobile, man,
design, technology, and racing car of the year.

"AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE is proud to recognize these significant achievements in the
automotive industry and believes that all of this year's winners have truly
risen above the rest in their field," said Jean Jennings, editor-in-chief of
AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE.  "The editorial team and myself are committed to selecting
only the very best in each category before giving the AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE seal
of approval."

  This year's winners of the coveted 2004 AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE Awards are:

  2004 Automobile of the Year: Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution


The Automobile of the Year award honors the most significant, the most
groundbreaking, or simply the most fun-to-drive vehicle of a given model year,
and for 2004, Mitsubishi's Lancer Evolution has come out on top. Though the
Mazda RX-8, the Cadillac CTS V, the Porsche 911 GT3, and the Audi A8L came
close, the Lancer Evolution won over the AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE editorial staff
with its speed, its spacious and comfortable cockpit, and its affordable price
(about $30,000). The Evolution also has a great sense of control and is one of
the best performance cars on the market.

2004 Man of the Year: Martin Leach

In the wake of his departure from Ford of Europe, Martin Leach receives this
year's Man of the Year award, a sign that Ford's loss could be someone else's
gain. After his 24 years with Ford and Mazda, Leach has a well-earned reputation
as a car nut, one of the very few visionaries of the trade, an excellent
engineer and driver, a pragmatic team player, and a genuinely nice guy.

2004 Design of the Year: Toyota Prius

Toyota's Prius is turning heads as the first hybrid to hit the market that
appeals to both the eye and the economy. This second-generation Prius's
dramatically new interior and exterior design has earned it the title of
AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE's 2004 Design of the Year, marking Toyota's hybrid as one of
the all-around best-looking vehicles on the road.

2004 Technology of the Year: BMW Active Steering

The editors of AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE feel that the joint venture among Bosch, ZF,
and BMW chassis experts has created the most important development of the year
in automobile handling: BMW Active Steering. An integral part of the 2004 BMW
5-series, Active Steering is a revolutionary new way to improve agility, enhance
stability, and help with rapid countersteering corrections.

2004 Racing Car of the Year: Williams FW25-BMW

With an engine that weighs less than 200 pounds and pushes out more than 900
horsepower, the Williams FW25-BMW was chosen by AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE as its
Racing Car of the Year. By establishing a closer relationship with BMW and
Michelin, Williams demonstrates that integration is a key to success in racing.

About AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE

AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE, a PRIMEDIA publication, was founded in 1986 by veteran
automotive journalist David E. Davis, Jr., and has a circulation of 645,000 and
a total readership of 4 million. Recipient of more editorial awards than any
other major automotive publication, AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE is designed to appeal to
the interests of passionate automotive enthusiasts. Its diverse editorial mix
includes behind-the-wheel experiences in the world's most fascinating cars, as
well as personalities, travel destinations, automotive art, vintage cars and
industry trends. 

DATASOURCE: PRIMEDIA



CONTACT:  Michelle Alvarez, [phone], , for

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