And Now There Is One Lexus LS 460 Declared 2007 World Car Of The Year

April 5, 2007 – New York, NY – At a press conference presented by the MIDWAY
GROUP and hosted by the New York International Auto Show at the Jacob Javitz
Centre in Manhattan, New York, the Lexus LS 460 was declared the 2007 World
Car of the Year.
 

The Lexus LS460 was chosen from an initial entry list of twenty-eight (28) contenders
nominated by World Car jurors from 22 countries throughout the world.

Rather than being just a popularity contest, the objective was to ensure that
the World Car of the Year would be the product of a fair and thorough assessment
process that considered the needs and wants of consumers the world over. The
process began with individual jurors evaluating and rating the candidates using
a variety of standardized parameters – everything from styling and quality,
to performance and safety. The jurors then voted in January 2007 in order to
establish a top ten shortlist. The World Car of the Year was chosen from those
finalists as tabulated by the international accounting firm KPMG.

WCOTY jurors considered the prestigious LS 460 to be the embodiment of the Lexus
brand’s "pursuit of perfection." Still new in some markets, Lexus
continues to build its resume with this luxury flagship boasting many firsts,
including a novel automatic parking system and an 8-speed automatic transmission.
Classically luxurious, with modern execution, unquestioned quality, and more
than ample power it also offers a green alternative in the form of the LS 600h
hybrid variant for those who seek guilt-free indulgence.

The top three contenders for the third annual World Car of the Year in addition
to the Lexus LS460 were the Audi TT and the MINI.

"We are honored to receive this prestigious award recognizing the LS 460
as the ‘2007 World Car of the Year," said Bob Carter, Lexus group vice
president and general manager. "From the outset, it was our goal to develop
a luxury flagship vehicle that would be recognized as one of the finest cars
in the world. The response to the LS 460 by our customers and awards such as
this go a long way towards realizing our goal."

Background
The global marketplace is a reality. Nowhere is that global reality more apparent
than in the automotive industry. European vehicles engineered in South Korea.North
American vehicles developed in Australia.Japanese vehicles designed in Europe.American
vehicles built in China. And that is just the beginning. Cars from everywhere
are being sold everywhere else.

The World Car of the Year (WCOTY) awards were inaugurated to reflect that reality,
to recognize and reward automotive excellence on a global scale, and to create
consumer awareness of that recognition. This award is intended to complement,
not compete with existing national and regional Car of the Year programs.

The inaugural World Car of the Year in 2005 was the Audi A6. In 2006, the BMW
3 Series won the World Car of the Year title.

Announcing the annual World Car of the Year awards at the New York show is a
fitting finish to the auto show season that begins each fall with either the
Paris or Frankfurt motor shows. Next, it’s on to Tokyo in alternating years.
The Detroit show takes centre stage in January while Geneva claims the spotlight
in March. Finally, in April, the international auto show season concludes with
its grande finale at the New York International Auto Show.

The World Car of the Year Awards Association acknowledges the support of the
Midway Group in the presentation of the awards press conference and thanks them
for their contribution.

Photos of all winners, and the press conference, are available for downloading
by visiting the World Car web site at www.wcoty.com. Questions? E-mail or call
Beth Xenarios, Executive Manager, at beth@wcoty.com, 1-905-342-2220.

About World Car of the Year Awards
The World Car of the Year Awards program is initiated by, organized by, and
conducted by, automotive journalists from around the globe. It was established
in 2003 and officially launched in January 2004. A non-profit association guided
by a Steering Committee of journalists from Asia, Europe, and North America
administers the awards program. WCOTY is intended to complement, not compete
with, existing COTY awards by raising consumer awareness of regional Car of
the Year award programs as well as the World Car of the Year.

About the New York International Auto Show
Kicking off the springtime selling season, the 2007 New York International Auto
Show will feature an impressive collection of cutting-edge design and remarkable
innovation. More than four floors of displays from the world’s automakers will
feature the newest vehicles and futuristic concept cars. More than 1,000 cars
and trucks will be on display at the Javits Center, filling 846,000 square feet
of exhibit space. In addition, dozens of World and North American vehicle debuts
are expected at the Show. NYIAS is owned and produced by the Greater New York
Automobile Dealers Association.

The New York International Automobile Show is owned and produced by the Greater
New York Automobile Dealers Association. www.autoshowNY.com

About the MIDWAY-GROUP
MIDWAY-GROUP, a member of the Hankey Group of Companies, is a global automotive
solutions firm with strategic regional headquarter locations serving the United
States, Canada, Western Europe, China, Korea and Japan. The MIDWAY-GROUP, specializes
in Vehicle Acquisition and Supply, Comprehensive Transportation, Insurance Underwriting
and Market Data Services utilized by automobile manufacturers, marketing, training,
advertising, consumer research, engineering, media services and certified testing
agencies. www.midway-group.com.

Credit: Lexus USA

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