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Prestigious Journalists and PR Experts Join Porsche TeamStuttgart. Porsche is adapting the organization of its Press Department to the new structure of the group: Anton Hunger (59), for many years Head of Press and Public Relations of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG and – since November 2007 – also of Porsche SE, will be exclusively responsible for managing the newly-created Press and Public Relations Department of the Holding from July 1. Together with him, Frank Gaube (47) will be changing over to Porsche SE, where he will head the Financial Press and Investor Relations Department, with the continued support of Frank Scholtys (47).

Anton Hunger

Frank Gaube, Frank Scholtys

Dirk Erat (36) has been appointed Head of Corporate Press at the Porsche SE. He comes to Porsche from Siemens AG, which he joined following teacher training studies at the University of Konstanz and a traineeship in journalism in the year 2000 as press relations officer. From 2004 onwards, he headed External Communications at the Siemens Mobility Divisionin Erlangen. Erat will be taking up his new duties on September 1. The team will also have the support of Josef Arweck (31) who, after studying politics, history, psychology and economics, worked from 2002 onwards as press relations officer for McKinsey & Company, and will also be fulfilling this function for
Porsche SE as of July 1.

Dirk Erat, Josef Arweck

Anton Hunger’s successor as Director of Corporate Communications at Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG from July 1 will be Christian Dau (46), who has been on the staff of the Porsche Press Department since September 1997 and has been Hunger’s official Deputy since 2003.

Christian Dau

Dr. Albrecht Bamler (50) continues to be responsible for the Corporate Press and Michael Baumann (43) for the International Press of Porsche AG. However, there has been a change in Product and Technology Communication: on June 1, 2008 Hans-Gerd Bode (47) took over as Head of Department from Stefan Marschall (52), who is setting up his own independent PR consultancy. Bode came to Porsche from Volkswagen AG, where he had been in charge of Brand and Product Communication since 2001. When working for the Stuttgart sports car manufacturer he will be cooperating closely with Eckhard Eybl (54), whose activities focus on the Product Press,and with Oliver Hilger (34), who continues to supervise the Motorsport Press.

Dr. Albrecht Bamler, Michael Baumann

Hans-Gerd Bode, Stefan Marschall

Oliver Hilger, Eckhard Eybl

The team will be completed by Hermann Josef Stappen (46), who will be looking after the Technical Press from September 1 onwards. Stappen studied mechanical engineering and has the best prerequisites for the job: after a traineeship in the press office of the specialist journal “Autohaus”, he worked from 1997 onwards for the Testing and Technology Office of the motoring journal “Auto Motor und Sport”. Stappen replaces Götz Fuchslocher (44), who has going to the specialist journal “Automobil-Produktion”.

Achim Stejskal (35) is coming to Porsche from Daimler AG. From July 1, he will be heading the new Porsche Museum at the Zuffenhausen headquarters and will report to the Director Corporate Communications of Porsche AG. Stejskal first studied education, before going in 1999 to what was then the DaimlerChrysler AG; he worked for the Stuttgart enterprise in various capacities in the ‘Classic Vehicles’ Department. In 2006, he became Deputy Head of the Mercedes-Benz Museum and was appointed Head of the Administrative and Shop Management Department. In this area, Klaus Bischof (59) will continue to be in charge of Porsche’s so-called ‘Rolling Museum’, which comprises approximately 400 historic vehicles.

Achim Stejskal, Klaus Bischof

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6/19/2008

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Mazda Motor Corporation today received permission from Japan’s Ministry of Land Infrastructure and Transport (MLIT) to test the Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid minivan on public roads. Mazda’s newest hydrogen rotary engine vehicle features a hybrid system that increases the vehicle’s power by 40 percent and doubles the hydrogen fuel range to 200 kilometers. Mazda aims to complete the road trials and start commercial leasing in Japan during fiscal year 2008. The Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid is the world’s first hydrogen hybrid car with a dual-fuel system that enables the car to run on either hydrogen or gasoline.

Separately, Mazda has also announced that it will display and demonstrate its hydrogen rotary vehicles at the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit in July 2008. The Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid will debut alongside the previously released RX-8 Hydrogen RE at the summit’s Environmental Showcase*1.

Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid

Akihiro Kashiwagi, Mazda’s program manager in charge of hydrogen RE development, said, “We are committed to improving the performance of our hydrogen rotary engine vehicles to help promote a more eco-friendly place for the automobile in society. Getting permission from the transportation authorities in Japan to begin public road testing the Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid in time for the Hokkaido Toyako Summit is extremely significant, because the eyes of the world will be focused on Japan’s environmental technologies. Going forward, we will continue to advance our development program and strive to start commercial leasing during this fiscal year.”

The Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid incorporates the acclaimed dual-fuel system*2 from the RX-8 Hydrogen RE, which became the world’s first commercially available hydrogen rotary engine vehicle in 2006. The Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid also features a hybrid system that combines an electric motor with Mazda’s hydrogen rotary engine to realize significantly enhanced performance. Mazda’s other environmental technologies showcased on the vehicle include “Mazda Biotechmaterials.” Used for some of the vehicle’s interior plastic parts and seat covers, these plant-derived materials contribute to reduced CO2 emissions.

Under its Sustainable Zoom-Zoom environmental plan, Mazda is dedicated to pursuing harmony between driving pleasure and environmental and safety features, while working toward an advanced Zoom-Zoom future by developing vehicles that “look inviting to drive, are fun to drive, and make you want to drive again.”

*1 The Environmental Showcase is an exhibition and demonstration of Japan’s latest environmental and energy-saving technologies that will be held at the International Media Center for journalists covering the Hokkaido Toyako Summit.
*2 The dual-fuel system allows the driver to select either hydrogen or gasoline fuel with the push of a button.

Mazda’s new global Zoom-Zoom communication style visually expresses the company’s evolution at a glance -
HIROSHIMA, Japan—Mazda Motor Corporation today announced the launch of its new global brand visual identity which will be rolled out progressively around the world. Following a successful pilot in Australia, the first major region to introduce this new visual identity direction will be Japan, commencing on June 20, 2008, when Mazda updates its Japan websites with distinctive new features. This will be followed by its full adoption in advertising, commencing on July 8 with the launch of the new mid-size Mazda Biante high-roof minivan in Japan.

The new global visual identity was created to evoke strong emotional connections between Mazda and its customers across all touchpoints, and convey the brand’s unique personality and distinctive profile. Mazda’s brand symbol and the brand essence will not change. The new visual identity is intended to express the new direction the Mazda brand is taking, its evolution and the innovation that lies at its core. This fresh new way of articulating the Mazda brand will be integrated into every facet of Mazda’s future brand communications.

The new global brand visual identity uses distinctive visual cues to express Mazda’s brand personality. These include the use of dynamic angles to convey a sense of movement; a new Mazda typeface to complement the other elements of the new visual identity; and a new ‘dynamic wing’ graphic which contains the Mazda brand symbol and captures Mazda’s confident, bold spirit. In addition, launching the new visual identity will ensure clarity and consistency in all Mazda communications across the globe.

“The launch of Mazda’s new global visual identity will enable us to communicate Mazda’s core brand values and attributes more clearly and with greater energy than ever before,” says Dan Morris, Mazda’s senior executive officer in charge of marketing and overseas sales. “We want to connect more powerfully with our customers around the world in a consistent manner with this newly refined element of the Zoom-Zoom brand.”

Mazda introduced its existing corporate identity (CI) in 1975 and developed its corporate mark as an easy-to-read standard for use in its global communications. The brand symbol was created in 1997 as one element of Mazda’s efforts to strengthen its brand image. Since the launch of the original Mazda6 in 2002, Mazda’s Zoom-Zoom brand message has gained currency all over the world.

Looking to the future, Mazda will continue to pursue harmony between driving pleasure and environmental and safety features, and delight its customers with exciting vehicles that ‘look inviting to drive, are fun to drive, and make you want to drive them again.’ With the introduction of its new global visual identity, the Hiroshima-based company will aim for continued improvements in its brand value.

Honda (http://www.honda.com) has fully deployed its fleet of Auto-Max® railcars, achieving a significant reduction in the fuel consumption and CO2 emissions associated with its automobile distribution activities in the United States. The 400-car fleet of more space-efficient Auto-Max railcars is the only such automaker-operated fleet in use in the United States. Including the Auto-Max fleet shipments, American Honda currently transports about 82 percent of its Honda and Acura automobiles across the country by rail, achieving the highest rail-shipping rate of any automaker.

Each multi-level Auto-Max railcar holds up to 22 vehicles and can hold both trucks and cars to reduce unused space. The result is less fuel usage per vehicle shipped and no compromise to quality. An average bi-level railcar can transport only 10 trucks, generally of a single vehicle type.

Honda’s Auto-Max railcars have a 50-year estimated lifespan versus standard railcars, which typically require a major overhaul after just 20 years of service. Honda participated with the Greenbrier Companies (NYSE:GBX) in designing Auto-Max, which is exclusively manufactured by Greenbrier.

“Honda is adopting a holistic approach to minimizing its greenhouse gas emissions, addressing not only the production and on road use of our products, but also new, more fuel-efficient strategies for how we transport our products to dealers,” said Dennis Manns, assistant vice president, Sales & Logistics Planning for American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “Rail is the most environmentally responsible method available to move our products, and our Auto-Max railcar fleet can make a good system even more fuel efficient.”

To further support Honda’s strategy to increase product distribution by rail, Honda this year invested approximately $7 million to redesign the rail infrastructure at its automobile plants in Marysville and East Liberty, Ohio. The redesign added rail capacity, enabling American Honda to ship more units via rail. Further, inbound and outbound trains at the plant can now operate at a faster pace; pull easier on upgraded tracks; and, require less railcar switching in the yard, reducing fuel consumption, CO2, and other air pollutants emissions that are produced while engines are left idling.

According to CSX, which serves Honda’s rail operations in Ohio, the infrastructure improvement contributes an annual savings of 2,436 gallons of fuel and 54,432 pounds of CO2 per year.

Honda is globally committed to minimizing air emissions from its products and factories. Honda is working to achieve its goals by reducing CO2 emissions by improving the energy efficiency of Honda manufacturing plants and by improving the fuel efficiency of its automobile, powersports and power equipment products. Honda’s legacy of environmental leadership includes a long list of industry firsts, including the world’s first low-emission vehicles, America’s first gasoline-electric hybrid car, and the world’s first EPA-certified hydrogen fuel cell vehicle. In 2007, Honda was named the “Greenest Automaker” by the Union of Concerned Scientists for the fourth consecutive time.