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Bridgestone Potenza RE-11 Tire Brings Formula One Inspiration To The Street


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Bridgestone Potenza RE11

NASHVILLE, Tenn. March 12, 2009; Race car drivers around the globe have long relied on the leading-edge technology in Bridgestone Potenza™ tires to carry them to the top of their sport. And now, as Bridgestone’s proprietary Stealth Technology – developed for Formula One™ rain tires – makes its way into the performance-oriented Bridgestone Potenza RE-11™ tire, everyday drivers can experience race-inspired performance and handling.

First launched in Japan, the Potenza RE-11 is already creating considerable buzz among performance enthusiasts, picking up where the Potenza RE-01R left off.

“The RE-11 offers consumers a product that will perform well both on the street and on the track,” said Phil Pacsi, Vice President, Consumer Marketing, U.S. & Canada Consumer Tire Sales Division, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (BATO). “We took the best and made it better. In our testing, the new RE-11 offered faster lap times, less under steer and better grip than our RE-01R, which has been dominating the field in Sports Club Car of America (SCCA) Autocross events over the last two years,” Pacsi added.

The Bridgestone Potenza RE-11 combines many of Bridgestone's technologies in an impressive package. The tire’s unique new sidewall shape and radical new "stealth" block, which was derived from Bridgestone’s Formula One race tires, promotes higher tread stiffness while enhancing water evacuation. An asymmetric cavity shape offers improved handling and ride characteristics. Large outer tread blocks improve cornering performance, and grooves around the tire’s circumference help channel water from the tire’s footprint to decrease hydroplaning.

Available in V- and W-speed rated sizes, the Bridgestone Potenza RE-11 has a UTQG of 180 A A and will be offered in 31 different sizes ranging from 15” -19” inch.

The tire is specifically targeting the sports car market segment such as the Honda S2000, Nissan 350Z, the Mini Cooper S and the BMW 3 Series.

The Bridgestone Potenza RE-11 comes with the Platinum Pact 3-Year Limited Warranty, which provides replacement at no charge (excluding taxes and disposal fees) if the tire should become unusable for any reason within the manufacturer’s control for up to three years from date of purchase or four years from date of manufacture.

About Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations:

Nashville, Tenn.-based Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (BATO) is a business unit of Bridgestone Americas, Inc., whose parent company, Bridgestone Corporation, is the world's largest tire and rubber company. Reporting into the BATO business unit are the company's Latin American tire operations, the U.S. and Canadian consumer tire businesses and the U.S. and Canadian commercial tire businesses. BATO develops, manufactures and markets Bridgestone, Firestone and associate brand tires. The business unit is focused on retail, wholesale and original equipment markets, supplying passenger, light truck, commercial vehicle, off road, motorcycle, agricultural and other tires to its customers in the Americas. In addition, through its Bridgestone Bandag Tire Solutions unit, retreading customers have access to industry-leading research and development, manufacturing, marketing and sales expertise, providing them with a total tire solution.