NYTimes.com Announces the Relaunch of Its Automobiles Site
 |
But First Snide's Remarks: This sounds a lot like a copy of The Auto Channel...Naw the NYT wouldn't stoop to anything so low now...or would they? Let me know what you think, msnide@theautochannel.com.
NEW YORK--NYTimes.com today announced the relaunch of its Automobiles site. The redesigned site includes expanded content from both The New York Times and trusted industry sources, as well as a new listings section and a new vertical navigation.
“Our aim is to make the Automobiles site a one-stop destination for both car aficionados and consumers by offering New York Times content as well as a curated collection of information from around the Web,” said Vivian Schiller, senior vice president and general manager, NYTimes.com. “Now our users can find everything they need and ever wanted to know about a particular make and model all on one page.”
New automotive research components of the redesign include:
- Overviews consisting of vehicle details, pricing and available options
- Reviews from The Times and New Car Test Drive
- Mechanical and safety specifications
- Consumer information including crash tests, rebates, recalls and warranties
- A new car configurator feature enabling users to customize a vehicle and request a price quote from a local dealer
- Interior and exterior still photos and interactive 360-degree views
- Enhanced used car listing pages that integrate car reviews and consumer information
- An interactive dealer directory featuring Google maps and driving directions
- Easy search functionality and section navigation
The new features allow users to customize their experience, providing advertisers new opportunities to reach an even more engaged audience. Advertiser benefits include:
- Increased engagement with a more connected, niche audience
- More ad impressions and new sponsorship opportunities with the addition of thousands of new pages
As part of the redesign, “Wheels,” (http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/) originally introduced for the Detroit Auto Show earlier this year, is now a permanent blog on the site, beginning with coverage of all the news and the vehicles on display at the New York International Auto Show.
Later this spring, the Automobiles site will add a new and used vehicle comparison feature, a redesigned new cars subsection front and additional automotive research content from a variety of third party content providers. Later in the year a rate and review feature will be integrated on the site. NYTimes.com/Autos is powered by Gabriels Technology Solutions.
Last month, NYTimes.com introduced “Collectible Cars,” (http://collectiblecars.nytimes.com/List_Listings.asp) a share and view photo gallery that allows members to post photos and personal stories of each car, including its history, the journey of the restoration process and the characteristics that make each collectible car one of a kind.
NYTimes.com continues to reach a large, educated and affluent audience. It is the most visited newspaper site in the U.S. with an audience of 13 million unique users (February 2007 – Nielsen//NetRatings).
The New York Times Company , a leading media company with 2006 revenues of $3.3 billion, includes The New York Times, the International Herald Tribune, The Boston Globe, 15 other daily newspapers, nine network-affiliated television stations, two New York City radio stations and 35 Web sites, including NYTimes.com, Boston.com and About.com. The Company’s core purpose is to enhance society by creating, collecting and distributing high-quality news, information and entertainment.
