06/12/2006 Special Continental touring coaches head for the FIFA World Cup 2006^TM

Hanover, June 2006. As an Official Partner of the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany^TM, Continental has distributed a large number of tickets to guests and employees. Many of the tire manufacturer’s guests are coming from far afield to watch one of the matches. Thirty-eight coaches, all equipped with HSL1 bus tires and featuring a special Continental modified design, will be on the roads making sure those guests are carried in comfort to and from the stadiums. To give the luxury coaches their distinctive appearance they have been provided with an elegant black paint finish and an outsize Continental logo. Also, their tires have stylized footballs on the sidewall, plus an additional yellow logo marking.

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Continental has ordered 38 of these special coaches to travel all over the country during the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany^TM. They will be used to transfer the company’s guests to and from all match locations, and at the same time serve as an eye-catcher for the fans and passers-by. The shiny black coaches with their giant yellow logo really stand out – not least because of their striking, size 295/80 R 22.5 tires bearing a yellow Continental logo and stylized footballs on their sidewall.

The leading German tire manufacturer will above all be using the newest coaches from Mercedes’ Travego line. With an overall length of about 13.5 meters, the Travego is still maneuverable enough to get through narrow streets as well. It seats up to 57 guests. These luxury touring coaches are ideal for making sure that the football enthusiasts arrive at their match locations in good time. Weighing a maximum of 24 tons and featuring 338 kw (460 HP) of engine power, they have no trouble maintaining the maximum permissible speed of 100 km/h for coaches on Germany’s autobahns – even on long uphill stretches. Comfort and convenience features include relaxing upholstered seats with high side sections for extra support, on-board film entertainment, with light snacks and beverages available to anyone who gets hungry or thirsty.

“With these transfer touring coaches, we are of course showing our colors at the matches as well as documenting our commitment to football and enthusiasm for the sport”, says Libor Heger, Brand Manager Continental Truck Tires. “However, it’s just as important for us to know that our guests are arriving safety and comfortably – something which is assured, last but not least, by our bus tires which combine ultra-quiet operation with short braking distances and a long service life.”

The Continental Corporation is a leading supplier of tyres, brake systems, chassis components, vehicle electronics and technical elastomers. In 2005 the corporation realised sales of EUR13.8 billion. At present it has a worldwide workforce of more than 80,600.

The tyre business unit is an Official Partner of the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany^TM and an Official Sponsor of UEFA EURO 2008^TM. For further information visit the websites ContiSoccerWorld.com, www.conti-online.com and www.ContiFanWorld.com.