Yokohama Tire Corporation's AVID W4s™ Back-to-Back Winner in Tire Rack Testing

Media Contact: Bill Groak, PCGCampbell, 310/224-4940, bgroak@pcgcampbell.com

FULLERTON, CA (Nov. 24, 2008) - For the second consecutive year, Yokohama Tire Corporation's AVID W4s(TM) was rated first among its ultra-high-performance all-season tire peers in Tire Rack's testing. The AVID W4s's ride comfort and noise was rated best on the road and the tire delivered competitive performance on the track.

According to Tire Rack, the AVID W4s featured "excellent road manners and dry traction." The report concluded that Yokohama produced "a refined tire well-suited to everyday road conditions."

All the tires were tested on 2008 BMW E90 328i Coupes on a 6.6-mile loop of expressway, state highway and county roads, as well as on Tire Rack's closed-course test track. For complete test details see: http://www.tirerack.com/avidtest

"It means a lot to have an independent organization such as Tire Rack do the testing and compare our tires against our competitors," said Shawn Denlein, Yokohama director of sales, Consumer Products. "Being named the best by Tire Rack two years in a row (2007 and 2008) validates Yokohama's commitment to produce the best tires on the road."

Yokohama Tire Corporation is the North American manufacturing and marketing arm of Tokyo, Japan-based The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., a global producer and distributor of premium tires since 1917. 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. For details on Yokohama's environmental efforts, go to www.ecotreadsetters.com.

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