Mitsubishi Motors North America (MMNA) announced today its E-boost concept vehicle was awarded the 2005 Industrial Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) Gold Award in the category of Design Explorations. Presented for the last 25 years by the Industrial Design Society of America (IDSA), this year's IDEA competition is prominently featured on the cover of BusinessWeek and on www.businessweek.com with more images, additional information and an interactive slide show that includes Mitsubishi Motors' Gold Award-winning E-boost concept.

Photo: http://x.wieck.com/xMMNA/pvtn/2005/06/28/MIT2005062848388_pv.jpg

Mitsubishi's E-boost concept, along with the manufacturer's Sport Truck Concept, also are on display at the Pasadena Museum of California Art in the California Design Biennial exhibition, taking place through August 28 (www.pmcaonline.org). The exhibition pays tribute to the unique history and experimental design produced in California today and features displays in the categories of consumer products, transportation, fashion, furniture and graphic design.

The Mitsubishi E-boost concept car introduces a new direction for sports car design, demonstrating the possibilities for expanded performance hybrid systems of the future. E-boost combines the look and performance of an exotic car with sport-coupe fuel efficiency. Many of the design innovations in the E-boost are found in its mechanics with the electric motor also doubling as a performance-enhancing device. The car's evocative appearance and soft, athletic lines are a unique departure from the current automotive trend toward heavy, sharp, boxy forms. The exterior color features a specially developed pigment that appears to glow from within to create the effect of molten metal, while the interior styling is forward thinking with a clean, uncluttered instrument panel centered around an LCD screen.