Ward.s Names ''Ten Best Engines'' Award Winners for 2007

NEW YORK--The winners of Ward’s 10 Best Engines awards for 2007 prove that it’s possible for auto makers to pack today’s engines with real power while still delivering impressive fuel economy. Selected by the editors of Prism Business Media’s Ward’s AutoWorld^® magazine, the 2007 list marks the 13^th year for the Ward’s 10 Best Engines program, the auto industry’s highly anticipated annual barometer of powertrain prowess.

Ward’s 10 Best Engines for 2007 (engine and tested vehicle) are:

-- Audi AG:               2L FSI turbocharged DOHC I-4 (Audi A3)

-- BMW AG:                3L DOHC I-6 (Z4 3.0si)

-- BMW AG:                3L turbocharged DOHC I-6 (335i)

-- DaimlerChrysler AG:    3L DOHC V-6 turbodiesel (Mercedes-Benz E320
                          Bluetec/Jeep Grand Cherokee CRD)

-- DaimlerChrysler AG:    Hemi 5.7L OHV V-8 (Chrysler 300C)

-- Ford Motor Co.:        Duratec 35 3.5L DOHC V-6 (Ford Edge/Lincoln
                          MKX)

-- Ford Motor Co.:        4.6L SOHC V-8 (Mustang GT/Mustang Shelby GT)

-- Mazda Motor Corp.:     2.3L DISI turbocharged DOHC I-4
                          (Mazdaspeed3)

-- Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.: 3.5L DOHC V-6 (Infiniti G35)

-- Toyota Motor Corp.:    3.5L DOHC V-6 (Lexus IS 350)

"This year, in many ways, is going to be highly transitional for the auto industry, and I think our 10 Best Engines selections reflect that," said Bill Visnic, Ward’s senior technical editor. "The preponderance of small- and medium-displacement forced-induction engines winning 10 Best Engines awards may signal to the industry -- and public – that infatuation with displacement is waning. Instead of displacement, we're seeing a number of technical means to deliver the power all drivers find satisfying and comforting, while enabling a shift towards increased fuel economy that will improve the environment and enhance the nation's energy security."

The awards will be presented at a banquet in Detroit during the North American International Auto Show on January 10, 2007. Details of the Ward’s 10 Best Engines will be featured in Ward’s AutoWorld magazine, Ward’s Engine & Vehicle Technology Update newsletter, and on the Web site www.wardsauto.com in January 2007.

This year, six Ward’s editors nominated 33 different engines for the 10 Best Engines competition. Over a nearly 2-month period, the editors evaluated and scored each engine against all others in a number of objective and subjective parameters. Each engine must be available in a regular-production, U.S.-specification model on sale no later than the first quarter of 2007 in a vehicle priced no more than $54,000, a price cap indexed to the average cost of a new vehicle. For further information on the awards, please contact Drew Winter, editor in chief at (248) 799-2625 or email dwinter@wardsauto.com

Ward's Automotive Group is a world-leading provider of auto industry news, data and analysis, having served the industry's information needs for nearly 80 years. Ward’s AutoWorld is a monthly magazine serving more than 68,000 automotive professionals globally. The twice-monthly newsletter Ward’s Engine & Vehicle Technology Update provides analysis of engineering advancements and technical issues. WardsAuto.com is an online subscription service delivering virtually all the industry news, data and analysis compiled by Ward’s Automotive Group, the world’s leader in automotive industry information. Based in Southfield Mich., Ward’s Automotive Group also offers a wealth of other automotive information services including reference annuals, online databases, and customized data reports. Ward’s is part of Prism Business Media’s Transportation Group, which also includes includes American Trucker^®, Bulk Transporter^®, FleetOwner^®, FleetSeek^®, Refrigerated Transporter™, Truck Body Builders^® and the Truck Blue Book^®, as well as a variety of industry-specific rich data services.

Prism Business Media Inc. is a leader in business-to-business communication and information, connecting qualified buyers and sellers in 21 industry sectors. Prism's growing portfolio of market-leading brands spans 71 magazines, 170 e-newsletters, 17 industry trade shows and more than 500 rich data products. Each month, more than 3.3 million unique visitors utilize Prism Web sites and services. Prism Business Media is owned by U.S. Equity Partners II, an investment fund sponsored by Wasserstein & Co., LP, and by co-investors Highfields Capital Management and Lexington Partners. For additional information on the company and its businesses, visit www.prismb2b.com.