Cooper Unveils Zeon 2XS at San Antonio Test Track

FINDLAY, Ohio, April 3 -- COOPER TIRE & RUBBER COMPANY today announced its latest advancement in ultra high performance tires -- the Cooper Zeon 2XS. The tire was unveiled to the tire industry trade media at Cooper's 1,000 acre state-of-the-art, Tire and Vehicle Test Center (TVTC) in Pearsall, Texas, near San Antonio. At today's launch, Cooper's executive management, high performance team and racing professional, Johnny Unser, gave customers and media a firsthand look at the quality and performance of Cooper's new Zeon 2XS. As the name implies, the Zeon 2XS takes performance and handling "to excess."

The Zeon 2XS is the first in a new family of Zeon performance tires to be marketed by Cooper. In the coming months, Cooper has aggressive plans to launch several additional performance lines including all season UHP, sport truck performance, sport truck touring and tuner performance models. Previously, Cooper added 15 sizes in the popular Lifeliner SLE H and V lines to match OE fitments.

Utilizing a racing inspired tread compound, the Zeon 2XS was benchmarked against Cooper's Avon race division technology. The tire offers a number of technological advanced features, from the construction and tread compound, to its dramatic, tapered tread design. The end result is a tire with outstanding handling performance in wet or dry driving conditions. Cooper's new Zeon 2XS is ideal for consumers looking for performance tires without compromise- handling, aggressive looks, grip and reliability of original equipment at an affordable price. Cooper offers a free 45-day road test on the new Cooper Zeon 2XS to assure complete consumer satisfaction.

"Our high performance initiative fits not only with Cooper's strategic direction but also with the trends in the replacement tire market," stated Dick Stephens, president, Cooper Tire. "In the past, Cooper has been fairly quiet about our technology, but we've now started to tell the world about our expertise in the performance area and our intent is to help our dealers get their fair share of this market with the increasingly popular Cooper brand."

The W speed-rated tire is offered in 29 sizes, ranging from 15, 16, 17 and 18-inch diameters. Cooper Zeon's will be produced at the company's Melksham, England; Findlay, Ohio; and Tupelo, Miss., manufacturing facilities. The Cooper Zeon 2XS will be supported by trendy and stylized point of sale materials to match the exotic look of the tire and to attract consumers convincing them that, with Cooper, you "Don't give up a thing."

Cooper tires are sold through independent tire dealers worldwide. For more information about Cooper's high performance product lines, contact Carl Casalbore, Vice President Retail Sales and HP Tire Development, Cooper Tire, Findlay, Ohio, 45840, 1-419-424-4121.

For electronic copies of the Cooper Zeon logo and Cooper Zeon 2XS tire artwork contact Amy Switzer at alswitzer@coopertire.com.

Company Description

Cooper Tire & Rubber Company, with headquarters in Findlay, Ohio, specializes in the manufacture and marketing of automotive products including auto, motorcycle and truck tires, inner tubes, tread rubber and equipment. Cooper-Standard Automotive is an original equipment supplier of sealing, trim, NVH control systems and fluid handling systems for the automotive industry in North America, Europe, Australia and South America. Cooper has more than 20,000 employees and 52 manufacturing facilities in 13 countries. In 2002, Cooper tied for "Best Customer Satisfaction in Replacement Tire for Light Truck Vehicles" in the J.D. Power and Associates' Replacement Tire Customer Satisfaction Study. For more information about Cooper, visit www.coopertire.com .