Michelin(R) Pilot(R) Exalto PE2(TM) Continues the Year of Performance - Rally Style!

GREENVILLE, S.C., June 7 -- Michelin has incorporated its innovative tire technology plus vital lessons learned in the hotbed of World Rally Championship competition into the new Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2 tire that was launched today for the North American sport compact market.

Continuing Michelin's Year of Performance, the Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2 shares some of the innovative design and performance features found on the flagship Michelin(R) Pilot(R) Sport PS2(TM) ultra-high-performance tire that was launched earlier this year.

Technological advances including the Variable Contact Patch(TM) system are used on both new tires. Thanks to the unique architecture and design of the tire, more rubber is placed in contact with the road during extreme cornering in order to greatly enhance grip and performance.

The Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2 tire also includes an asymmetric tread design that features more grooves for water evacuation on the inside shoulder of the tire. The outside shoulder has massive tread blocks for enhanced handling and superior grip in both wet and dry conditions.

The new Michelin tire is available in 15- to 19-inch rim diameters and is ideally suited for vehicles such as the Ford Focus SVT, Acura RSX, VW Golf GTI, Mitsubishi EVO, Subaru WRX, BMW Z3 and BMW Z4, Mazda RX7, and older Porsches, Corvettes and Mustangs.

The Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2 tire is available now at authorized Michelin dealers in the United States. It will be available initially in 19 sizes, with an additional 9 sizes available by mid-2005.

While the Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 was inspired by Michelin's Formula One tire competition, the development of the Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2 tire has benefited from lessons learned from Michelin's race-winning efforts in the World Rally Championship.

"The WRC-inspired design and architecture of the Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2 provides greater stability in the tread and contact area under extreme cornering conditions," said Sheryl Henderson, director, Michelin brand, Michelin Americas Small Tires. "We have worked hard to develop a tire for the sport compact market which enhances the vehicle both in terms of performance and aesthetics."

The tread design of the Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2 tire is supported by two high-tensile, lightweight steel-cord belts that are further reinforced by size-optimized, BAZ Technology (spiral-wrapped nylon Banded At Zero degrees to the tire's rotation). Michelin's BAZ Technology helps control the shape of the tire and improve handling characteristics by resisting high-speed centrifugal deformation.

  Additional features of the Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2 tire include:

  *  Acoustically tuned asymmetrical tread pattern for reduced tread noise.

* Rayon carcass with ultra-reinforced sidewalls and lightweight rim protectors to provide powerful, predictable cornering.

* Life Maximized Adherence (LMA(TM)) tread compounding - highly specialized race-derived tread compound provides excellent wet handling and maximum dry grip throughout the life of the tire.

Michelin-partner teams have dominated this year's World Rally Championship, winning four out of the first five rallies of 2004 and holding eight of the top ten point scoring positions. Michelin is a technology partner of the Citroen, Ford, Mitsubishi and Peugeot WRC factory teams.

The launch of the Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2 tire is the second of four major releases during Michelin's Year of Performance in 2004. The launch coincides with the release of the Michelin(R) Pilot(R) XGT(R) Z4 tire -- an all-season ultra-high performance product. The Michelin(R) Pilot(R) Alpin(R) PA2(TM) tire will be introduced in September 2004.

Michelin manufactures and sells tires for every type of vehicle, including airplanes, automobiles, bicycles, earthmovers, farm equipment, heavy-duty trucks, motorcycles and the space shuttle. The company also publishes travel guides, maps and atlases covering Europe, Asia, Africa and North America. Headquartered in Greenville, S.C., Michelin North America Inc. (http://www.michelinman.com/ ) employs 23,920 and operates 21 plants in 17 locations.