Action Aplenty at SEMA for Yokohama Tire Corp.

Two new tires on display, off-road racer Cameron Steele signing autographs and a special blackjack tourney highlight redesigned booth #40709 during 4-day trade show

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (Oct. 27, 2006) – It’s a sure bet the Yokohama Tire Corp. booth (#40709) at the SEMA Show will be where the action is. New tires, a celebrity racer, cool cars and even a blackjack tournament is scheduled during SEMA’s 4-day run at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

"Our booth has been redesigned to highlight our ‘Innovative Engineering Spirit’ theme and to spotlight our tire lines, making them more accessible for attendees to see," said Fred Koplin, Yokohama’s director of marketing. "We’ll have the full range, from our ADVAN flagship line to our newest tire, S.drive. We’ll even have a passenger jet tire on display."

Highlights of Yokohama’s show presence include:

* Launch of S.drive tire line: S.drive provides extraordinary grip and handling, thanks to the latest in nanotechnology. "The S.drive performs better in both wet and dry conditions than the ES-100 it replaces," said Dan King, Yokohama’s director of sales, consumer products. "The S.drive is quieter, features more even wear and is available in a much greater range of sizes than the ES-100 and the best competitors in the class." Sizes fit the broadest range of sport sedans and coupes from Europe, Asia and North America, as well as popular vehicles as the BMW 3-series, Honda Civic and the Ford Mustang. The S.drive is available in sizes to fit 15-20 inch wheels, in aspect ratios from 30-55 and in sizes up to 285/30R20 99Y. A total of 71 different sizes will available in 2007.

* Debut of AVID W4s: Since launching in 1997, the AVID line has topped the 10 million tires sold mark. The latest tire in the line is the W4s, which is the first AVID to achieve a W-speed rating. W4s is ideal for sport sedans such as the BMW 5-Series, Subaru WRX, Cadillac CTS, Lexus LS430 and Mercedes Benz E-Class, and sports cars such as the BMW Z4, Mazda RX-8, Nissan 350Z, Pontiac GTO. Sizes range from 205/40R17 to a 255/35R20. "The AVID W4s is engineered to deliver balance on a variety of requirements," according to King. "Today’s vehicles place a lot of emphasis on safety, environmental efficiency, power, handling and ride comfort. Yokohama engineers designed the AVID W4s to meet these demands while keeping with the popular AVID series pricing."

* Cameron Steele at booth: Off-road champ Steele, along with his Desert Assassins trophy truck, will be in the booth. The truck, outfitted with Yokohama’s Geolandar A/T-S 37-inch concept tires, will also be featured at the booth the duration of the show. Steele, who will be chasing a Baja 1,000 trophy later in the month, is scheduled to sign autographs on Tues., Oct. 31 and Wed., Nov. 1 from 11 a.m.-noon and 3 p.m.-4 p.m.

* "Beat the Odds" blackjack tourney: On, Wed., Nov. 1, from 5 -7:30 p.m., about 40 tire dealers will vie for big prizes in this single-hand elimination contest. Prizes are a 2007 Lotus Exige S (with Yokohama ADVAN A048 tires on it) for first place, and $5,000 and $1,000 in casino chips for second and third place, respectively. It’s the first official showing of the Exige S and Yokohama is the exclusive tire supplier for it and all Lotus models.

* Booth vehicles: A broad selection of vehicles, all with Yokohama tires, will be on display in the booth. The vehicles are:
-- Hummer H2 with Parada Spec-X 325/35R28 tires
-- BMW 650i with ADVAN Sports
-- Infiniti M45 Kenstyle with new S.drive tires
-- Lotus Exige with ADVAN A048s
-- Cameron Steel’s Desert Assassins Trophy Truck with Geolandar A/TS 37-inch concept tires

Yokohama Tire Corporation is the North American manufacturing and marketing arm of Tokyo, Japan-based Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., a global producer and distributor of premium tires for more than 89 years. Servicing a network of more than 4,500 points of sale in the U.S., Yokohama Tire Corporation offers a complete line of tires including high-performance, light truck, passenger car, commercial truck and bus, as well as off-the-road mining and construction applications. For more information on Yokohama’s extensive product line, visit www.yokohamatire.com.

Yokohama is a strong supporter of the tire care and safety guidelines established by the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA) and the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration (NHTSA). Details can be found at the "Taking Care of Your Tires" section at www.yokohamatire.com.