Autoextremist.com, the Auto Industry's Most Respected and Influential Source for Online Commentary and Editorial Opinion, Announces New Automotive Research Division

DETROIT, Sept. 15 -- Autoextremist.com, the website weekly that started out as a controversial thorn in the auto industry's side, but which has grown to become the most influential and respected commentary and editorial opinion site about the auto business, announces a new research division.

Peter M. DeLorenzo, Founder and Publisher of Autoextremist.com, made the announcement today in Detroit. "When I founded Autoextremist.com, we set out to 'influence the influencers' in the automobile business, and in just five years, we have succeeded beyond all expectations. Autoextremist.com has become the 'conscience' of the industry, and we effectively lead the hot-topic discussions of the moment that concern top executives in the business. Today, I'm happy to announce that we're expanding on our industry-leading role by bringing our laser-accurate insights and influential perspectives to the consumer research field."

Dr. Allen Bukoff, a Social Psychologist with more than 25 years of professional research experience, will lead the new research effort. "Allen brings a wealth of experience to his role as Director of Research. He also brings genuine creative vision and a dynamically influential perspective to the consumer insight research arena, which is thoroughly in keeping with the Autoextremist mission, and something that's distinctly lacking in other current auto industry research sources," said DeLorenzo.

"Most automotive consumer research concerns itself with specific products and specific issues among specific consumer target groups," explained Bukoff. "Every so often, however, it is a good idea to start over and ask the most simple and fundamental questions, and this is the approach we are taking at Autoextremist Research."

In the new research study, "How consumers, auto industry professionals, and enthusiasts view the auto industry" (http://www.autoextremist.com/research/order.shtml ), US new-vehicle intenders, auto enthusiasts, and auto industry professionals were asked their views about the auto industry. The questioning was open-ended, and all participants responded in their own words.

Among the study's key findings:

* The biggest factor influencing one's views toward the auto industry is not gender, age, or income but is the type of vehicle one prefers.

* Are consumers holding a grudge about quality? They give the auto industry much more credit for safety improvements, for hybrid vehicles, for fuel economy improvements, and for styling and design improvements than for quality improvements.

* Hybrids and "alternative fuel technologies" have captured the imaginations of new-vehicle buyers -- but it is not clear that people really understand what these technologies are.

* Auto industry professionals do a fairly poor job of predicting basic consumer preferences and views -- despite considerable spending on consumer research. Most surprisingly, those working in the auto industry are better at predicting the vehicle preferences of women than they are of men.

* The auto industry is in the middle of a cultural skirmish over SUVs. Although large numbers of SUVs are being sold, car people and high-income people are the most likely to cite SUVs -- especially for size and for guzzling gas -- as being one of the most negative things in the auto industry.

"The Autoextremist.com study is a refreshing and possibly breakthrough bit of research by going backwards -- back to sound, fundamental research which is respondent-centric," said Joseph Plummer, PhD, Executive Vice President, Director of Research & Insight Development, McCann-Erickson World Group. "This research on the auto industry makes no assumptions about the issues. It begins and ends with a consumer perspective not a product perspective, yet the implications for the future are straight-forward, simple and potentially revolutionary for the auto industry."

Autoextremist is firm in its belief that the auto industry needs to truly lead -- which means more than just asking consumers what they want and then trying to deliver that -- but actually leading automotive consumers to new designs, technologies, functions and a future that consumers may not even understand or embrace yet.

"Putting consumers, automotive professionals, and enthusiasts on the same perceptual map allows us to stand back and take an unprecedented look at how these three groups are currently approaching the auto industry," continued Bukoff, who has worked on 48 brands -- including 10 automotive -- in 20 countries.

"We believe that this 30,000-foot broad-stroke view corresponds to the level at which fundamental strategic and leadership decisions get made," said Janice J. Putman, Associate Publisher and Editor, Autoextremist.com. "This approach also corresponds to our long-term goal at Autoextremist -- to provide the kinds of insights and perspectives that will help the industry lead, and enable it to offer consumers the most exciting and most-desired vehicles ever created."

The company is also designing and producing custom studies for OEM clients, suppliers and partners. Inquiries should be directed to research@autoextremist.com .

About Autoextremist.com

Autoextremist.com (http://www.autoextremist.com/ ) -- an Internet magazine devoted to news, commentary and analysis of the automotive industry, automotive marketing, strategy and product development -- made its debut on June 1, 1999. Since then, Autoextremist.com has become a weekly "must-read" for leading professionals within and outside the industry, including top executives at the car companies, suppliers, dealers, journalists, financial analysts, people directly involved in motorsports, and enthusiasts. Autoextremist.com is published weekly, with a new issue posted every Wednesday.