Charlotte, NC (January 21, 2007) – Continental Tire North America, Inc. (CTNA) is proud to announce the launch of the first true winter tire for the General Tire brand, the Altimax™ Arctic.  The Altimax™ Arctic is the first in a series to be launched under the new Altimax™ family name.  The Altimax™ made its debut at the 2006 SEMA show with a preview of the Altimax™ HP and Altimax™ RT, a powerline also scheduled for launch this year. The technologically advanced Altimax™ Arctic is a welcome addition to the General Tire family as the brand continues to revitalize itself in the market. 

The Altimax™ Arctic tread combines systematic grooves and sipes with a modern compound to offer high performance at low temperatures.  Features of the Altimax™ Arctic are attributed to Quad-Tech Technology which includes a multi-angle sipe system, a directional tread pattern with a center stability rib, Reactive Contour Technology, and an all-weather dual tread compound.  The multi-angle sipe system provides 270 degrees of biting sipes that improve traction. The directional tread pattern and center stability rib promote enhanced water evacuation and straight line stability.  The Reactive Contour Technology allows the contour of the Altimax™ Arctic to react to different road conditions for optimum road contact throughout the life of the tire, while the all-weather dual tread compound provides exceptional cold-weather flexibility and excellent wet traction.  “We are truly excited about this new endeavor for the General Tire brand and expect a tremendous positive response from the market toward this tire. The Altimax™ Arctic will cover over 72 percent of the Canadian market and 68 percent of the US studdable winter tire market segment,” said Tony Talbert, Product and Brand Manager for CTNA. The studdable Altimax™ Arctic is currently available in twenty-six 13-17 inch sizes, with a Q speed rating. 

For more information on the Altimax™ Arctic log on to www.generaltire.com.

Continental Tire North America, Inc. (www.continentaltire.com), based in Charlotte, North Carolina, is a group company of Germany-based Continental Corporation, a leading supplier of brake systems, chassis components, vehicle electronics, tires and technical elastomers. In 2005 the corporation realized sales of EUR 13.8 billion (USD 17.2 billion). At present it has a worldwide workforce of about 85,000.