Tokyo—The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., today announced that it would participate in AUTO CHINA 2002, the largest motor show in China to be held from Thursday June 6 through Thursday June 13, 2002 in Beijing, People's Republic of China. The company's purpose in joining the show is to strengthen Chinese people's awareness on the YOKOHAMA brand by showing them a wide range of products including high performance tires, tires for four-wheel drive cars, motor sports tires and tires for trucks and buses. In order to strongly appeal high performance image of YOKOHAMA brand tires, the company will exhibit Gemballa Porsche GTR600 that used YOKOHAMA tires when it recorded the world's fastest lap as a streetcar at the northern course of the Nurburgring in Germany.

High performance tires to be exhibited at the show include the AVS ES100, which is highly popular in Asian markets, and the AVS dB launched this year in Europe. Asian introduction of the AVS dB is also scheduled for spring of 2003. In addition, Yokohama Rubber will bring the AVS Sport that is used as original equipment by Boxter and Boxter S from Porsche and V12 Vanquish and DB7 from Aston Martin. It will also bring tires for four-wheel drive cars, including the GEOLANDAR A/T+II and the AVS S/T Type-1 as well as the GEOLANDAR H/T G038 that is equipped to Mercedes-Benz G Class cars. Other exhibits from Yokohama Rubber include the ADVAN NEOVA and the ADVAN A048 for motor sports and the RY023, the RY237 and the Y773 for trucks and buses.

Held once in every two years in Beijing and Shanghai alternatively, the AUTO CHINA 2000 is the country's largest showcase for a large number of cars, motorbikes, components, accessories and technologies as well as a variety of automotive trial and inspection systems. In 2000, approximately 850 companies including 50 automakers from 20 countries participated in the show that attracted over 400,000 visitors. This year, approximately 900 companies from 21 countries plan to join the show.