Nashville, Tenn. (July 28, 2005) – Summer heat continues, but Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC (BFNT) is already preparing for the winter months ahead with size additions to the Bridgestone® Blizzak™ LM-22 RFT, Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25, Bridgestone Blizzak DM-Z3 and Winterforce™ tire lines.

“It may be hot outside now, but winter is just around the corner - and with it comes hazardous snow and ice conditions,” said Phil Pacsi, executive director, North American Consumer Tire Marketing, BFNT. “The Blizzak and Winterforce winter tire lines are rapidly growing as customers appreciate and value their ability to handle unpredictable driving situations with ease.” Many of these winter tires are also Run-Flat tires, which provide an added benefit by allowing drivers to travel up to 50 miles at 50 mph after loss of air.

The Bridgestone Blizzak family of Winter Tires was named as official tires of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press group, an organization of professional automotive journalists who live and drive in the diverse and rugged Rocky Mountain region.

The Bridgestone Blizzak LM-22 is a uni-directional, studless winter tire developed for high-performance vehicles. The new sizes are targeted for the new BMW 3 Series vehicles, which will be facing their first winter season this year. The Blizzak LM-22 provides well-balanced overall performance in winter and in wet or dry conditions. The uni-directional tread pattern features super-slant grooves to reduce the risk of hydroplaning, while the tread compound’s high silica content enhances both winter and wet performance. UNI-T® technology further improves handling performance in all conditions.

The new sizes of the Blizzak LM-22, available now, and their target vehicles are

	Size		Target vehicles
	225/45R17	BW RFT	BMW 3 Series
	205/55R16	BW RFT	BMW 3 Series

The Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25 (conventional and RFT fitments) with UNI-T, a directional, studless H- and V-speed rated winter tire, delivers excellent snow and ice traction for high-performance vehicles. With its 3D sipes, the Blizzak LM-25 provides great dry performance, and the UNI-T technology provides well-balanced performance in wet conditions. Silica added to the tread further enhances winter and wet traction.

The new sizes of the Blizzak LM-25, available now, and their target vehicles are:

	Size			Target vehicles
	195/55R15		BW	Acura RSX, Honda Civic, Hyundai Tiburon
	205/50R16		BW	Ford Focus, Mitsubishi Lancer, Volvo 850, SAAB 900
	215/55R16		BW	Saturn L300 Sedan, Audi A4, Mercedes-Benz E320, Saab 9-3 & 9-5, Vol S60 & S80
	225/55R16		BW	Audi A6, BMW 525, Jaguar S-Type, Lexus GS430, Mercedes-Benz E320
	225/45R17		BW	Audi TT; Mercedes-Benz C-Class, CLK-Class & SLK-Class; Porsche Boxter; Saab 9-3 & 9-5; Volkswagen Jetta & Passat
	235/45R17		BW	Audi A4, BMW 528, Mercedes-Benz E420
	245/45R17	XL	BW	Lexus IS300, Audi A6, Mercedes-Benz E320 & E500
*	245/40R18	XL	BW	Audi A6; Mercedes-Benz E320, E500, CLS500 & SL500, BMW 545
*	255/40R18	XL	BW	Lexus IS300; BMW M3; Mercedes-Benz SL55, SL500 & SL600
*	265/35R19		BW	Nissan 350Z
**	205/45R17		BW RFT	Mazda Miata
*Available Nov. 2005 **Available Oct. 15, 2005

With a winning combination of technologies, the Bridgestone Blizzak DM-Z3 with UNI-T technology handles ice and snow conditions. The TUBE MULTICELL compound improves control on ice by cutting through thin layers of surface water. The 3D sipes enhance dry performance while UNI-T technology combined with silica helps keep traction strong in wet conditions.

The new sizes of the Bridgestone Blizzak DM-Z3, available Nov. 1, and their target vehicles are:

	Size		Target vehicles
	P205/75R15	BW	Chevrolet Blazer & S-10, GMC Canyon & Sonoma
	P215/75R15	BW	Dodge Dakota, Ford F150, Jeep Wrangler
	P225/75R15	BW	Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon, Ford Escape & Ranger, Jeep Wrangler
	P235/75R15	BW	Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon, Ford Ranger, Mazda B3000 & B4000, Nissan Frontier
	215/70R15	BW	Pontiac Aztek, Toyota Tacoma
	P225/75R16	BW	Jeep Liberty, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Isuzu Rodeo
	P245/75R16	BW	Chevrolet Silverado,GMC Sierra, Mazda B4000, Toyota Tacoma, Nissan Pathfinder
	P265/75R16	BW	Chevrolet Silverado, Hummer H3, Nissan Frontier, Nissan Pathfinder & Xterra
	225/70R16	BW	Hyundai SantaFe, Toyota Highlander, Lexus RX300, Volvo XC90
	P255/70R17	BW	Ford F150
	265/70R17	BW	Chevrolet Tahoe & Silverado, GMC Yukon
	P245/65R17	BW	Chevrolet Trail Blazer, Ford Explorer, GMC Envoy, Infiniti QX4
	P255/65R17	BW	Ford F150
*	235/60R18	BW	Mazda Tribute
*	P265/50R20	BW	Infiniti FX45 & FX35
	LT235/75R15	BW	Small pick-up
*Available Nov. 15, 2005

The Winterforce is designed for excellent winter performance. With its directional, computer-modeled tread design, this tire delivers confident snow, wet and ice traction. The Winterforce provides a quiet and comfortable ride regardless of the weather conditions.

The new sizes of the Winterforce, available now, and their target vehicles are:

Size		Target vehicles
P265/75R16	114S	Chevy C/K, Chevy Silverado, Chevy Tahoe, Dodge Ram, GMC C/K, GMC Sierra, GMC Yukon, Mazda B4000
P265/70R16	111S	Cadillac Escalade, Chevy Avalanche, Chevy Suburban, Chevy Tahoe, Dodge Dakota, Dodge Durango, Ford F-150, GMC Yukon, Nissan Frontier, Nissan Xterra, Toyota 4Runner, Toyota Sequoia, Toyota T100, Toyota Tacoma, Toyota Tundra
P265/70R17	113S	Cadillac Escalade, Chevy Avalanche, Chevy Suburban, Chevy Tahoe, Dodge Ram, Ford Expedition, Ford F-150, GMC Sierra, GMC Yukon, Nissan Xterra, Toyota Sequoia
205/60R16	92S	Acura CL, Acura TL, Chrysler Sebring, Dodge Stratus, Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata, Hyundai XG350, Lexus ES300, Mazda6, Mercury Sable, Toyota Avalon, Toyota Camry
225/55R17	97S	Audi A8, Audi Quattro, Chrysler 300M, Chrysler Concorde, Chrysler LHS, Dodge Intrepid, Infiniti Q45, Land Rover Freelander, Lexus LS430, Mercedes CL, Mercedes S, Mitsubishi 3000GT, Nissan Maxima, Pontiac Grand Prix