Dunlop has confirmed that they will partner with the HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship as official tyre supplier for the next three years.

Dunlop have been official tyre supplier to the BTCC, Britain's premier motorsport championship, since 2003, and will continue to develop their Dunlop Sport Maxx slick and wet racing tyres for the series.

"The BTCC has grown through the drive, vision and ambition shared between the teams, promoters, circuit owners and sponsors. Dunlop is proud to be part of the BTCC success story and are confident that the next three years will see further growth of the championship, reaching audiences across the UK and overseas" stated Gary Wassell, Manager Car Motorsport EU.

Dunlop is the leading choice for touring car championships around the world, with the German DTM and Australian V8 Supercar series also racing exclusively on Dunlop tyres in 2008. In addition to their touring car successes, Dunlop have also secured the Le Mans Endurance Series GT2 crown in 2007 with Virgo Ferrari and on two wheels have dominated the 125cc and 250cc MotoGP classes.

Dunlop has been manufacturing winning tyres in Birmingham since 1902. The Birmingham plant now produces around 250,000 specialist competition tyres a year for UK and export markets all over the globe and employs a 300-strong group comprising research, development, manufacturing, engineering and commercial teams.

Jonathan Palmer says the opening rounds of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at his Brands Hatch circuit this weekend (31 March-1 April) will be one of the venue's major highlights of 2007.

His MotorSport Vision company has confirmed that advanced ticket sales for Brands's BTCC fixture - the circuit's first big race meeting of the year and which marks the start of the UK's 2007 motor sport calendar - are up on compared to 12 months ago.

The Brands Hatch circuit, just off the M25 and M20 motorways, enjoys a world-famous reputation among sporting venues and, with the BTCC's own popularity continuing to grow, Palmer says there will be no better place for the public to visit for a top-class bill of entertainment this coming weekend.

Palmer said: "There is clearly a great desire among the public to see the BTCC in action and with its race meeting at Brands marking the start to the motor racing calendar this should truly be a spectacular start to the season."

Palmer says the BTCC has many elements that appeal to the public as well as motor sport enthusiasts. Indeed, on BTCC race day the crowds - including children - are invited to cross the track to meet the star drivers in the Pit Lane for an autograph session that includes team give-aways.

"Another of the BTCC's major appeals is that the cars racing on the track are identifiable with those driven home later in the day by the spectators," added Palmer. "If your car wins then you drive out of the gates feeling like a champion. Furthermore, the BTCC grid is incredibly closely-matched meaning plenty of overtaking and side-by-side racing - scraped panels and wing mirrors getting knocked off is not uncommon, particularly around the Brands Indy lay-out.

"Those attending will also be able to watch all the action unfold as the viewing we have on offer is among the very best in the country - spectators really can see virtually the whole of the Indy Circuit.

"Since we took ownership of Brands Hatch a few years ago, MotorSport Vision has put an enormous effort into upgrading our facilities for the public while still keeping ticket prices low. Admission for children remains free.

"I can think of no finer way to spend Sunday afternoon on 1 April than coming to Brands Hatch to enjoy the start of the BTCC season with us."

For all the latest BTCC news and information visit the championship's official website www.btcc.net.

A triumphant start for the new Dunlop SP Sport FastResponse: The German Automotive Club ADAC awarded Dunlop's new high performance tyre SP Sport FastResponse with the top grade "highly recommendable" in its 2007 summer tyre test. The ADAC testers of Germany's largest automotive club with more than 15 million members were impressed most of all with the outstanding performance on both wet and dry roads.

The new SP Sport FastResponse is Dunlop's first tyre developed with the focus on Dunlop's new concept 'Touch Technology'. "These great test results confirm our continued efforts to develop excellent performing tyres that on top deliver outstanding road feedback", said Frederic Schilling, Brand Marketing Director Dunlop, Europe, Middle East and Africa. "The SP Sport FastResponse is very well-balanced at a high level and has no flaws," was the ADAC's overall assessment. The asymmetrical non directional tyre performed exceptionally in wet and dry handling as well as in road stability. It was also at the top of the class in terms of dry braking, rolling resistance and aquaplaning resistance. The ADAC tested 17 summer tyres (205/55 R16 V) for use on vehicles like the Volkswagen Golf, Audi A3, BMW 3-series and Mercedes C-class. The SP Sport FastResponse is Dunlop's new high performance tyre for demanding drivers of compact and mid-sized cars.

Touch Technology - a wide range of tyre technologies

Touch Technology comprises a wide range of tyre technologies, which all together ensure that the tyre delivers enhanced road feedback:

Multi Radius Tread (MRT):

MRT permits the calculation of an exceptionally accurate tread surface. The more accurately the tread shape is calculated, the more homogeneous the pressure deployment in the contact patch becomes. The more even the pressure deployment, the more the tyre is on the road.

This bigger contact patch improves the dry handling capabilities. The improved pressure distribution also facilitates a smooth transition from straight driving into cornering. The biggest advantages of MRT are seen when the tyre performs in extreme conditions at cornering and high speed. MRT also ensures precise road feedback, allowing the driver to react faster.

Flatter profile:

The new SP Sport FastResponse features a flatter tread profile. The shape of the tyre depends on the ratio between camber and tread width. Camber describes how much the tread drops, measured from centre to shoulder. When camber is reduced, the contact patch becomes more square and 4-8% bigger depending on size and type, so the tread profile is flatter than before.

A flatter profile with bigger contact patch delivers better impulse, more stability and enhanced road feedback. The tyres respond quickly, accurately and with precision.

Tight connection between rim and tyre:

In addition to MRT and a stiffer sidewall, Dunlop developed a specific bead seat system strengthening a tight link between tyre and rim. Like the grip between a hand and the steering wheel, it ensures maximum control and another extra in sensitive road feedback.

Two ply design and reinforced side wall:

To boost the benefits of the Multi Radius Tread and the flatter tread profile design, Dunlop added a stiffer side wall and stiffer shoulders to the tyre, using 2- ply technology and a reinforcement strip. This adds to stability and precision.

Variable 'land to sea' ratio

The variable 'land to sea' ratio with less negative on the outside shoulder provides high steering precision and cornering stability. This means more control in both straight line and heavy cornering - and more control means a more relaxed driving experience.

Mireval, France, March 20, 2007 - Dunlop, one of the world's leading manufacturers of high and ultra high performance tyres, has a long history with the racing car industry and has successfully transferred its unparalleled science and technology to everyday tyres. Dunlop is able to bring advanced levels of refinement, grip, braking power, cornering, enjoyment and road-handling benefits to enthusiastic as well as everyday drivers through Touch Technology's superior road feedback. "Dunlop tyres are the best in providing outstanding road feedback. It is Dunlop's advanced tyre technologies, and the enhanced two-way communication flow between the driver and the road, through the speed of transferring the driver's commands into car response and the excellent road feedback, that determines a driver's actions," said Frédéric Schilling, Brand Director of Dunlop, Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Dunlop is dedicated to improving the driver's ability to 'feel' the road and to creating the ultimate driving experience, every day. The tyres are pushed to the limits in the harshest of testing environments, which results in the tyres outperforming on everyday roads.

The design process: the tyre pattern design has a profound effect on the handling of the drive. Dunlop's engineering team laser-carves prototypes from hand sketches and then uses computer-aided design (CAD) for pattern definition. There are a number of tests carried out on public roads, race tracks and proving grounds. The design process is redefined according to the results.

Two-way communication flow: the greatest success of Touch Technology is its ability to enhance the driver's feel of the road. To ensure this, it is essential for the driver to have a precise two-way communication flow between him or her and the surface of the road, to enable the correct response at the right time whilst driving. The tread pattern has been designed with stiff blocks on the outside part of the tyre. The stiffer sidewalls provide better handling performance.

Additionally, it is linked to both the seating system and the rim to guarantee a tight connection. Multi Radius Tread (MRT) has a profound impact on safety and road feedback. A more precise curvature manages the pressure across the tyre, which in turn means the shape of the tyre changes more smoothly when driving from a straight to a curved road. Effective in all challenging conditions, the MRT ensures both safety and better road feedback.

Continuous middle rib: Dunlop's dedicated research and testing team has successfully improved the high-speed straight-line stability with a stiff continuous middle rib. The well-designed rib pattern gives exceptional steering precision, supporting the two-way communication flow.

Road feedback is essential for the improvement of the drive. The tyres enable drivers to push their boundaries and heighten performance with quicker handling, better grip, braking power and superior control.

These elements enhance the overall excitement of the driving experience.

As the Touch Technology tyres touch the surface of the road they deliver a superior level of feedback. Drivers experience road feedback throughout the body during the drive. The inner ear, which controls the body's balance, interprets the car alignment. If the car is not travelling along the optimum track, the driver will feel the lack of balance and correct it. When the driver's hands touch the steering wheel, the driver is able to perceive the torque - less torque means worse grip. Through the seat, the driver receives feedback because it is connected to the suspension and alignment of the front and rear axles in conjunction with the tyres. The feedback is also received on the feet through the pedals, allowing the driver to perceive the grip level through the chassis of the car when braking. The entire Dunlop driving experience becomes more tactile, providing the driver with vital information, making all the difference to the drive.

Behind every set of Dunlop Touch Technology tyres is sophisticated innovation, delivering the ultimate driving experience.

Dunlop experts outline the need for tyre feedback, and give their experience of Touch Technology: "You get feedback from the road and the car as information is transmitted to the driver from the wheels to the steering wheel. This is vital information for any driver." - Jeremy Ferguson, Manager International Motorsport, Brussels, Belgium.

"Road feedback is feeling at one with the car, in total control, which results from the right feedback from the car." - Stephen Male, Manager Motorcycle Motorsports Europe, Birmingham, UK. "Road feedback reflects the complete feeling of the drive. It is a dynamic development of harmony between suspension, tyres and vehicle, which provides a positive subjective feeling of comfort and confidence and makes the driver feel in tune with his vehicle when driving." - Bernd Löwenhaupt, Director of

Consumer Tyre Technology, Hanau, Germany.

"What makes Dunlop tyres unique is the special way Dunlop uses its innovative technologies to create an improved road feedback. We support drivers in receiving a clear feeling of the road surface by developing tyres which directly execute the driver's reactions." - Harald Schmid, Manager Tyre Testing, Dunlop, Germany.

Dunlop, one of the world's leading manufacturers of high and ultra high performance tyres, has launched SP Sport FastResponse - a tyre with excellent dry and wet handling capabilities, superior cornering stability, high aquaplaning resistance and enhanced grip and steering precision. At the same time SP Sport FastResponse provides ultimate road feedback - following its recently introduced development concept 'Touch Technology'.

SP Sport FastResponse delivers excellent dry and wet handling performance. Against its predecessor SP Sport 01, mileage and handling results are significantly better. Additionally, the new tyre clearly outperforms its predecessor in tests for handling and aquaplaning in wet conditions. Dunlop's advanced tread compound technology improves the tyre's handling performance without compromising mileage, wet performance and rolling resistance. SP Sport FastResponse features an advanced Tri-Area tread design.

The tread design is split into three specialized zones. Zone one optimizes road feedback for better handling and responsiveness. Zone two has a continuous rib around the centre of the tyre, which aids stability at high-speed. Zone three has a larger and stiffer outside tread block to ensure drivers are in control of the vehicle especially when taking corners. In addition, the SP Sport FastResponse is equipped with a special silica compound, which significantly improves the tyre's durability. Frédéric Schilling, Brand Director of Dunlop, Europe, Middle East and Africa, explained: "The ability to literally feel and interpret the road, and to almost 'read' its surfaces with more precision and to get immediate feedback from the road, makes the difference to the driving experience."

SP Sport FastResponse tyre has been built with reassuring high aquaplaning resistance, providing an excellent performance in wet handling and braking. The tyre also benefits from a flatter tread profile compared with its predecessor. This new tread profile is proven to have a 5% larger contact patch, and as a result, prevents both heel and toe wear.

The tyre design is developed with Dunlop's Multi-Radius Tread

Technology (MRT), which results in a larger contact patch and better pressure distribution. "With MRT you have simply more tyre in contact with the road more of the time," said Schilling.