AutoTrader.com, the smarter place to buy and sell a car, noted substantial increases in searches for the vehicle models featured in the third installment of the movie series "The Fast and The Furious" with the opening of "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift" over the June 16 - 18 weekend. Starring models such as the Mazda RX-7, Mazda RX-8 and Nissan 350Z are now in high demand on AutoTrader.com.

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The combined listings received nearly 15 percent more than the average amount of views over the June 17 - June 18 time period and generated subsequent views for similar models. The previous two movies, as well as other popular movies featuring specific cars, have produced similar affects on AutoTrader.com - showing the strength of the culture and bond between movie- goers and automotive consumers.

In 2001, the Toyota Supra was not even in the top 50 among most searched vehicles in AutoTrader.com's inventory. Following the opening weekend of the original "The Fast and The Furious" movie, which highlighted the Supra, the vehicle rocketed to the fifth most popularly searched model.

"Whenever a new movie, television show, DVD, or video game is released, if a vehicle is featured, AutoTrader.com sees an impact," said Shawn Tucker, content manager for AutoTrader.com. "We're tracking models featured in recent media and entertainment, and expect the impact to be similar for these latest automotive stars."

The phenomenon is not limited to "The Fast and The Furious" series. Page views of the Land Rover LR3, featured in "Mission Impossible III," increased by over 10 percent in the month of May, following the May 5, 2006 opening.

  Additional impact details will be released as they are made available.

  About AutoTrader.com

AutoTrader.com, created in 1997 and headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., is the Internet's leading auto classifieds marketplace and consumer information website. AutoTrader.com aggregates in a single location more than 3 million vehicle listings from 40,000 dealers and 250,000 private owners, which provide the largest selection of vehicles attracting more than 11 million qualified buyers each month. Through innovative merchandising products such as multiple photos and comprehensive search functionality, AutoTrader.com unites buyer and seller online - dramatically improving the way people research, locate and advertise vehicles. AutoTrader.com is a majority-owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises. Other investors include Landmark Communications, ADP, Inc., and the venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.

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PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

SOURCE: AutoTrader.com

CONTACT: Jason Jager of AutoTrader.com, +1-404-568-5947, or
jason.jager@autotrader.com

Web site: http://www.autotrader.com/