NEW YORK, NY -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 04/05/07 -- For the second straight year, Porsche earned the top score as the most prestigious luxury automobile brand in the 2007 Luxury Brand Status Index (LBSI) survey from the independent New York-based Luxury Institute. Mercedes and Lexus tied for second place; BMW was rated third.

What wealthy consumers familiar with the brand had to say about Porsche:

--  "Fantasy, power, style and excitement."
--  "Well built, good reputation, good styling, and good performance,
    holds value, sporty, powerful, recaptures youth."
--  "It has always been a high-end car with design and elegance, and
    represents an accomplished person."
--  "It's a brand that I trust and respect. I own one and am proud of it."
    

"We enhanced our impartial surveys by asking for candid consumer comments as to why they would, or, would not, recommend luxury auto brands to people they care about most," said Milton Pedraza, CEO of the Luxury Institute. "Wealthy consumers tell us that Porsche stays true to its core values and to their enthusiasts. While consumers have had to endure bouts of schizophrenia and identity crises from some of their beloved luxury auto brands, Porsche remains, according to wealthy consumers familiar with the brand, an automobile that never loses its way on the luxury highway, even at high speeds."

Brands rated (alphabetically): Acura, Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Hyundai-Azera, Infiniti, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lexus, Lincoln, Mercedes, Porsche, and Volvo.

The summary results of this survey are available to members of the Luxury Board (www.luxuryboard.com), the world's first online community for luxury professionals, executives, and entrepreneurs.

The proprietary Luxury Brand Status Index (LBSI) survey is the only measure of the reputation of leading brands among wealthy Americans. A national sample of over 1,600 wealthy American consumers, with an average income of $313K, and average net worth of $3.3 million, was surveyed online. Survey results are weighted to match demographic and net worth profiles of the same audience according to the latest Survey of Consumer Finances from The Federal Reserve.

About the Luxury Institute

The Luxury Institute is the uniquely independent and impartial ratings and research institution that is the trusted and respected voice of the high net-worth consumer. The Institute provides a portfolio of proprietary publications and research that guides and educates high net-worth individuals and the companies that cater to them on leading edge trends, high net-worth consumer rankings and ratings of luxury brands, and best practices. The Luxury Institute also operates the Luxury Board (www.luxuryboard.com), the world's first global, membership-based online community for luxury goods and services executives, professionals and entrepreneurs. To reach the Luxury Institute, please call 646-792-2669 or go to www.luxuryinstitute.com.

Contact:
Martin Swanson
Vice President, Business Development
The Luxury Institute
(office) 914-909-6350
(cell) 914-715-3357
Email Contact
www.luxuryinstitute.com