• by April 6, 2007

Taking a page from other popular news and affinity sites, NYTimes.com has relaunched and redesigned its auto site to include content from industry sources outside of The New York Times newspaper.

The new Automobiles site introduces aggregated feeds, a new listings section, and vertical navigation. The new features mirror recent moves made by sports site SI.com and Time.com, among others that aggregate content from other sources with the goal to create the best one-stop destination for visitors who are passionate about a subject.

One of the key enhancements of the redesign is that NYTimes.com's own auto content is now buttressed by information on car makes and models from other sources such as New Car Test Drive, a popular source of auto information.

"We wanted to surround our own auto content with supporting information for any new make or model [data, pricing, rebates, photos], as well as third-party content," said Ira Silberstein, vice president of product development, NYTimes.com. "We want to be a resource for consumers so that they can get a wealth of information...reviews from us, from other parties, ratings, pricing and specs all in one place."

The automotive category draws heavy display advertising, but is also fiercely competitive, with robust offerings such as that of leader Edmunds.com. Car sales also generate the highest sales on eBay.

Silberstein said Autos will add three to four other well-known and trusted industry sources for auto information over time, along with new features. J.D. Power and Associates' auto information is set to appear on the site next week.

Silberstein declined to specify other content brands. A new and used vehicle comparison feature, a redesigned new cars subsection front, and additional auto research content are due to launch in the spring. A rate and review feature will be added later in the year.

"The biggest thing about the redesign is it's more of a meta-search approach," Silberstein said. "By aggregating content around each of our reviews, we think we can become the one source where consumers start their research process."

The NYTimes.com Autos channel now includes overviews consisting of vehicle details, pricing and available options, reviews and safety specifications, information on crash tests, rebates, recalls and warranties, still photos and interactive 360-degree views.

There's also a new car configurator feature where consumers can customize a vehicle and request a price quote from a local dealer.

The used car listing pages integrate car reviews and consumer information, and there is also an interactive dealer directory featuring Google maps and driving directions.