Continental Macht Künftige Weltmeister

Press release Tyres for all-wheel-drive vehicles

The Barum Bravuris 4x4

Hanover / Essen, June 2010. The Bravuris 4x4 for all- wheel-drive vehicles and SUVs is designed in such a way that it builds up good road holding for lateral guidance and braking when driving on the road, and in light off-road conditions it provides sufficient grip. The balanced pressure distribution through the very flat tyre contour means low wear and thus high mileage performance, making this 4x4 tyre an attractive option for a whole variety of all-wheel-drive vehicles. The Bravuris 4x4 is available in 19 sizes with aspect ratios from 80 to 55 per cent, suitable for 15" to 18" rim diameters with widths of up to 265 millimetres. The range also includes a tyre for light vans and one model in an inch size for American SUVs.

Traditionally the tyre developers at Barum aim for low-cost models that meet high safety standards and that is what makes the design of this 4x4 tyre from Barum impressive - delivering driving safety at an attractive purchase price. The tyre has large, sturdy shoulder lugs for high stiffness during braking and the tread compound has been developed to provide safe grip on wet roads.

The sturdy design of the three ribs in the tread centre enables the tyre to respond quickly and safely to steering movements, so that commands can be implemented

1 effectively, even in critical situations. The Bravuris 4x4 also achieves positive results for grip in the wet and water discharge. The four wide tread grooves mean large quantities of water can be picked up from the road, with the grooves in the open tyre sidewall channelling this out quickly. As a result, the Bravuris 4x4 offers substantial safety on wet roads, both when driving on the straight and during cornering.

The developers also notched up a success in terms of rolling noise on the Bravuris 4x4 - varying numbers of tread lugs in the centre and shoulder section of the tyre, plus the use of sipes to subdivide the tread, mean that rolling noises are spread across different frequency ranges, keeping the overall noise level low.

As with any other summer tyre Barum recommends driving the new Bravuris 4x4 until the tread is worn down to a depth of 3 millimetres. To show drivers when this level has been reached, the new tyre features not only the normal Tread Wear Indicator (TWI - small ridges 1.6 mm high between the tread lugs), but also a summer TWI. This is also made up of ridges between the tread lugs, but in this case they are 3 mm high. If the remaining tread depth is any less than this, braking distances on wet roads increase substantially and at the same time the risk of aquaplaning.

The Barum 4x4 tyre is suitable for a wide range of vehicles, including such popular models as the Hyundai Tucson, Land Rover Defender, Mercedes M-Class and Porsche Cayenne.

Size range:

2 80 / 75 Series: 70 Series: 205/80 R 16 104 T XL 205/70 R 15 96 T 235/75 R 15 109 T XL 265/70 R 15 112 H 245/75 R 15 C 109 / 107 T 215/70 R 16 100 H 185/75 R 16 92 T 225/70 R 16 102 H 225/75 R 16 104 T 235/70 R 16 106 H 245/70 R 16 107 H 65 Series: 265/70 R 16 112 H 215/65 R 16 98 H 255/65 R 16 109 H 60 Series: 235/65 R 17 108 V XL 235/60 R 16 100 H 235/60 R 18 107 V XL 55 Series: 255/55 R 18 109 V XL Inch size: 31 x 10.50 R 15 LT 109 S

Barum is a tyre brand of Continental AG.. With sales of approximately €20 billion in 2009 Continental is among the leading automotive suppliers worldwide. As a supplier of brake systems, systems and components for powertrains and chassis, instrumentation, infotainment solutions, vehicle electronics, tires and technical elastomers, Continental contributes enhanced driving safety and global climate protection. Continental is also a competent partner in networked automobile communication. Continental currently employs approximately 138,000 in 46 countries.

Continental is the European market leader for passenger and light truck tires. More than 30 per cent of all new European cars leave the factory fitted with Continental tires. The tire divisions are an official sponsor of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™. For further details, please go to www.ContiSoccerWorld.com.

Alexander Lührs Klaus Engelhart Head of Media and Public Relations Press Officer Continental Reifen Deutschland GmbH Continental Reifen Deutschland GmbH Büttnerstraße 25 Büttnerstraße 25 30165 Hannover 30165 Hannover Tel.: +49 (0) 511 938 2615 Tel.: +49 (0) 511 938 2285 Fax: +49 (0) 511 938 2455 Fax: +49 (0) 511 938 2455 E-Mail: [email protected] E-Mail: [email protected]

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