Online destination Cars.com is expanding its mobile repertoire with an application that helps car enthusiasts navigate trade shows.

The Cars.com Auto Shows app is available for free download on iOS and Android devices. In addition to the new app, Cars.com has other apps available on iPhone, iPad and Android handsets as well as a mobile site.

?Our experts write hundreds of articles focused on news from the major auto shows every year,? said Sharon Knitter, senior director of mobile at Cars.com, Chicago. ?This app gives auto show attendees and those interested in news from the show all of the content from our experts, right in their pocket.?

?Our primary app is broad-reaching to include much of the same functionality and tools available on our desktop site,? she said.

?This app is a little more specialized to highlight popular content that focuses specifically on auto shows.  We know that new car shoppers attend auto shows to see all the options available to them. We also know that our experts? opinions are trustworthy and helpful in the decision-making process.?

Mobile show
The Cars.com app is designed to specifically help car shoppers navigate trade shows. 

Information about the trade shows, such as hours, ticket price and directions can be accessed via the mobile app.

Via the app, consumers can access articles from major auto shows, including breaking news and information on the production and concept cars. Articles can also be shared via social media.

Users can set up the app to search for different car manufacturers and body styles at a specific trade show.

Consumers can watch videos and flip through photos of the cars at the shows.

Consumers can also use a Cars.com financial calculator and shopping tools while at the trade shows.

The app serves a niche group of consumers, which could add some longevity for consumers who go to trade shows regularly.

?While our mobile app focuses on car shopping with research included, our auto show app focuses more on content and research, with the added ability to easily find a dealer when they want to take that next step,? Ms. Knitter said.

?This app will more intuitively connect the show experience with the actual purchase process by integrating transition points from the Auto Shows app to the larger Cars.com shopping app and mobile site,? she said.

Drive on mobile
Cars.com has a variety of mobile tools for consumers, which all serve different purposes.

For example, last year the company rolled out an iPad app to target new car owners (see story).

Additionally, the company ran an ad on CBS in 2010 for the Super Bowl that resulted in 6,500 app downloads (see story).

?We?ve been on the cutting edge of mobile car shopping since it really started gaining traction with shoppers and it remains a focus for us,? Ms. Knitter said.

?We released our award-winning iPhone app in 2010 and have since released apps for Android and iPad,? she said.

?We also have a mobile version of our desktop site for users who prefer to interact with our site on their mobile browser. As more and more car shoppers use mobile, we?ll continue to offer them products to help them with their search to find the perfect car.?

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is associate reporter on Mobile Marketer, New York