Dial Zero, Zero for Ultimate Performance

Pirelli P Zero Rosso and P Zero Corsa are the Sporting Numbers on Many of the World's Finest Automobiles, Including the Saleen S7 GENEVA, Switzerland, March 3, 2004 - The Saleen S7, America's mid-engine, exotic supercar, is making its first appearance in Europe on the Pirelli stand at the Geneva International Motor Show. And it is fitted with Pirelli P Zero Rosso tires on 19-inch rims up front and 20-inch rims at the rear. The car is already a motor racing legend in the United States, and it will make progress on the Continent, too. With Pirelli, of course. Powered by a 575 bhp V8 engine that produces a top speed of over 200 mph (more than 320 km/h) and a 0-60 mph (96.54 km/h) time of less than three seconds, the Saleen S7 is a masterpiece of aerodynamics. It is the car's ability to slice its way through the air so effectively that has helped the racing version, the S7R, to win eight different professional championships, nearly 40 races and sit on pole and set fastest race lap more than 50 times during the last three years. In 2004 the S7 will run in the FIA GT Championship with some powerful ambitions. The Saleen S7 fits P Zero Rosso tires as standard equipment in sizes 275/30ZR19 front and 345/25ZR20 rear-Pirelli's first ultra-low aspect ratio homologation in America for a tire that has now become the clear point of reference in the European motor industry. In fact, P Zero Rosso is fitted as original equipment to all the top models at the 2004 Geneva show, the most important new car showcase of the season, with the Ferrari Scaglietti and theMaserati Quattroporte, Coup and Spyder in the forefront. Then there are the Lamborghini Gallardo and Murcilago, a logical evolution in the story of the cars of the Raging Bull, which have been associated with Pirelli from the days of the Miura, Espada, Jarama, Countach and Diablo. A highly versatile tire, P Zero Rosso has also been selected to emphasize the sporting pedigree of the new generation Bentley GT and Arnage, to convey the performance of the Aston Martin Zagato, the Mercedes-Benz SLK and CLK and the three-pointed star's AMG models, as well as the Porsche GT2 and GT3. A top sports tire, P Zero Rosso is original equipment on the entire Audi range, the Saab 9-3 and 9-5, the BMW 7 Series, the Volvo S40 and V40, the Jaguar X-Type, including the recent SW version, the Peugeot 307, the Volkswagen Phaeton and the Alfa Romeo 166. Pirelli's Scorpion STR in size 225/55-17 is also fitted to Alfa's new 156 Crosswagon at Geneva. The outstanding performance qualities of the P Zero Rosso are now well known and recognized by all car manufacturers. These characteristics include sports handling, speed of response and progressiveness at the steering wheel, cornering power and precision of cornering trajectory. Then there is the tire's safety in the wet. Years of research into tread profiles, compounds and patterns have been carried out by Pirelli to ensure P Zero Rosso's maximum protection against aquaplaning. Right up to the exclusive concept of the Pirelli System: two different tread patterns, one for the front and the other for the rear axle, which return exceptional handling in both the wet and dry. Today, the highest level of comfort must be added to those top performance qualities, because the modern luxury supercar demands from its tires driving silence, the ability to absorb obstacles, regularity of handling and smooth running. P Zero Corsa P Zero Corsa is the ultra-high performance radial Pirelli has created for sports road cars that also compete on the race track. Born to race, P Zero Corsa is the right choice to ensure a car is always "glued to the asphalt" and gives the driver the certainty of being able to stop his car when and where he or she pleases. Dry pavement is the tire's natural battlefield, where it transfers hundreds of horsepower to the ground and exalts the dynamic qualities of a highly sophisticated chassis. Absolute grip, millimetric precision when inserting the car into a corner, great lateral rigidity for cornering on the limit and quick response at the wheel are among the tire's "racing" qualities, obtained in part because of the innovative development of a tread compound that adjusts the tire's grip to the thermal conditions in which it is working at the time. These special qualities of the P Zero Corsa have made all the difference. And now, the Pirelli ultra-low has been selected as original equipment for the Alfa 8C in sizes 245/40ZR20 front and 275/35ZR20 rear. P Zero Family Together with P Zero Nero and Scorpion Zero, P Zero Rosso and P Zero Corsa make up the family of super-low profile tires Pirelli offers the world's top motor manufacturers under the P Zero "brand", which has become synonymous with the high performance tire. To be the best is the objective with which the P Zero is conceived, built and tested, always in step with the carmakers, right from the drawing board stage, as a result of using the most advanced methods of analysis and design. # # # Pirelli Tire North America specializes in the manufacture and marketing of high-performance car, light truck and motorcycle tires and currently has three of its highly advanced MIRS™ (Modular Integrated Robotized System) modules in operation in a new factory near Atlanta, Georgia, to better serve the American OEM and Replacement markets. For more information, visit the Company's web site at: www.us.pirelli.com.