NASHVILLE, Tenn. (October 4, 2006) - Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC (BFNT) is looking ahead to the winter months with a number of new offerings to its highly acclaimed Bridgestone® Blizzak™ tire line-up.

"The Bridgestone Blizzak has an impeccable reputation in the industry. From its introduction in the U.S. market in 1992, the Blizzak continues to offer an incredible array of sizes and options for drivers anywhere to maximize their vehicle’s winter capabilities," said Phil Pacsi, vice president, consumer tire marketing, BFNT.

The Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25™ 4x4 is a brand new entry into the Bridgestone Blizzak lineup and is designed specifically for high-performance, luxury sport utility and cross-over vehicles. The H-speed rated tire features a unidirectional tread design and three-dimensional sipes in a parallel pattern to increase the mobility of sport utility vehicles and crossover utility vehicles in harsh winter conditions. The Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25 4x4 will be offered in seven popular sizes:

	Size	Target Vehicles
	235/65R17 108H XL	Acura MDX BMW X5 Cadillac SRX V6 (F) Chrysler Pacifica Mercedes-Benz ML350 Porsche Cayenne Volvo XC90
	255/60R17 110H XL	Cadillac SRX V6 (F) Mercedes-Benz ML32 Mercedes-Benz ML350 Volkswagen Touareg
	275/55R17 109H	Mercedes-Benz ML350 Mercedes-Benz ML430 Mercedes-Benz ML500
	255/55R18 109H XL	Cadillac SRX V8 (F) Land Rover Range Rover Mercedes-Benz ML500 Porsche Cayenne Saab 9-7 Volkswagen Touareg
	255/55R19 103H	Mercedes-Benz ML500
	255/50R19 103H	BMW X5(R)
	285/45R19 107H	BMW X5(R)

Bridgestone is also welcoming several size additions to the Blizzak brand family of tires this year, including six new Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25™ sizes. The Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25, with UNI-T technology, is a directional, studless H- and V-speed rated winter tire, which delivers excellent snow and ice traction for high-performance vehicles. The new sizes and their target vehicles are:

	Size	Target Vehicles
	205/45R16 83H	Mazda Miata MX-5
	P225/60R18 99H	Chrysler 300; Dodge Magnum
	255/45R18 99H	Pontiac Grand Prix (F)
	225/50R18 95H	Pontiac Grand Prix (R
	245/45R19 98V	Lexus LS (97 MY)
	P245/50R20 102H	Mazda MPV (97 MY)

Using a patented Multicell® compound, the Bridgestone Blizzak DM-Z3™ delivers winning performances in ice and snow conditions. The Multicell compound improves control on ice by cutting through thin layers of surface water while the tire’s three-dimensional sipes enhance dry performance. Eight new Bridgestone Blizzak DM-Z3 sizes are now available:

	Size	Target Vehicles
	P235/75R17 108Q	Ford F-150
	P245/70R17 108Q	Dodge Durango, Ram; Chevrolet Silverado
	P265/70R18 114Q	Cadillac Escalade EXT; GMC Yukon XL; Infiniti QX56; Nissan Armada, Titan; Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban, Silverado
	265/60R18 110Q	Dodge Durango; Ford F-150; Infiniti FX35; Toyota 4Runner; Lincoln Mark LT; Mercedes-Benz G500
	275/60R18 113Q	Lexus LX470; Toyota 4Runner
	285/60R18 116Q	Lexus LX470
	235/55R18 100Q	Lexus RX330

About Bridgestone brand Blizzak tires:
The Bridgestone Blizzak is a studless snow tire that was originally developed in the 1980s for the Japanese market due to environmental concerns over studded snow tires.

Much of the Blizzak tire line uses a dual compound (cap and base) tire. The cap features the Multicell compound, and the base is comprised of a winter compound, allowing use as a basic winter tire. The Multicell compound is comprised of thousands of microscopic cells or pores, which resemble the consistency of Swiss cheese when examined through a microscope. The pores are uniformly distributed throughout the compound, so as the tire wears, new pores are constantly being exposed around the tire tread surface, creating thousands of biting edges that grip the road.

In addition to the biting action, the exposed pores remove the thin layer of surface water, which often develops on top of icy roads, allowing the biting edges to adhere to the surface with less interference. The result is enhanced resistance to hydroplaning and greater driving and braking force on ice- and snow- covered surfaces. When the Blizzak is 50 percent worn, a tread depth indicator on the tire tread lets the motorist know that only 10 percent of the remaining tread is the Multicell compound.