DETROIT,
Jan. 7, 2002 -- The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
announced today that its most durable off-road tire is standard
equipment on the 2003 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, the ultimate factory
off-roader. The Wrangler MT/R (maximum traction/reinforced) off-road
tire equips the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon -- a Jeep that can tackle
the Rubicon Trail "straight out of the box" -- in an
imposing LT245/75R16 size.
The radical
off-road vehicle was introduced here today at the North American
International Auto Show. Dave Bair, Goodyear engineering team
leader on the Jeep account, said Goodyear's Wrangler MT/R is "Rubicon-proven.
Our tire fits Jeep's engineered off-road package well. Together,
they can tackle the most extreme trails, and then drive it on
home." Northern California's Rubicon Trail offers the most
demanding 22 miles of off-highway driving in the United States.
Goodyear tested and proved Wrangler
MT/R's durability
and off-road performance on the Rubicon in 1999. The tire has
since shown its mettle on the slickrock of Moab, Utah, and in
the brutality of the Goodyear/Skyjacker Extreme Rock Crawling
Nationals championship off-road series. Bair said the company's
31-inch-tall tire on the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon features an aggressive
tread pattern that wraps around the sidewall to gain traction
on the rocks. The tire features Durawall technology -- a three-ply
sidewall and
advanced silica sidewall compounds for excellent abrasion- and
puncture-resistance.
"The
Wrangler MT/R is a real 'looker.' The tire's tread and sidewall
design turns heads on the rocks and at the grocery store parking
lot. It shines off-road, but the tire is surprisingly quiet when
it returns to the pavement," Bair said.
The Jeep
Wrangler Rubicon passed extensive durability and capability tests
created especially for this model. Engineers even recreated a
section of the"Little Sluice" from the famed Rubicon
Trail for testing, Jeep officials said. Likewise, Bair said, Goodyear's
Wrangler MT/R was engineered for the tire- piercing rocks of Moab
and the Rubicon. The off-road tire also has proven itself in Championship
Off Road Racing and the Best in the Desert Racing Series."Wrangler
MT/R and Jeep Wrangler Rubicon are a perfect match," Bair
added."The Jeep's suspension complements the tire's traction
capabilities.
Off-road
enthusiasts will approve of this package." Goodyear's Wrangler
MT/R tire also is a finalist in the 2001 Automotive News PACE
Award, which recognizes automotive suppliers for innovative contributions
to the improvement of automotive products and services. The Wrangler
MT/R is manufactured at Goodyear's facility in Fayetteville, North
Carolina.