News

Osaka, Japan, August 19, 2015 – In its latest expression of brand spirit, Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd. has unveiled YouTube video ‘Surprising the world’. （https://youtu.be/iyhzFF4s_A8）

In this latest video, two Audi R8 super cars, equipped with Toyo Tires’ flagship brand, Proxes, ultra-high performance tires, dual, demonstrating  the tires’ potential. With the Audi R8s' exhaust notes blaring out under acceleration, the high-speed drifts and smoke-curling doughnuts, the exciting film moves to its 'surprise' conclusion.

The video embodies everything that the company strives for in setting itself apart from the competition, says Yoshiyuki Morikuni, Branding Team Leader for Toyo Tires. "With creations that, on the foundation of our unique technological innovations, look to give us an edge over others, we’ll always be pursuing optimal performance. This is a video that expresses the 'spirit' of what we provide as a brand – that being new values and surprises not found elsewhere. ‘Surprising the world’ is loaded with such strong feelings. The video packs a punch, so I really hope that people enjoy it."

‘Surprising the world’ is the second in a series of globally targeted video content from the Japanese tire manufacturer – the successor to the November 2014 release of ‘AC Milan vs Super car by Toyo Tires’, which recorded more than 7.5 million total views online. （https://youtu.be/M092PBHytC8）

The Drivers
To capture the live action of a masterful driving performance, Team Toyo Tires Drift drivers, Masato Kawabata and Akinori Utsumi, were brought in. The combination of the two drivers and their flamboyant techniques heightens the level of surprise in the video.

Masato Kawabata
Participating in Japan’s national pro drifting championship, D1 Grand Prix (D1GP), since 2002, Kawabata joined Team Toyo Tires Drift in 2007. He promptly went on to win his first series championship that year – a feat that he repeated in 2013. Having swept up a host of awards, last season Kawabata began competing in the first Nissan GT-R in the history of D1GP. Kawabata is currently leading the pack again in first place this season.

Akinori Utsumi
Participating in D1GP since 2001, Utsumi joined Team Toyo Tires Drift in 2011. Within two years of his move, Utsumi finished with a personal best of fifth position in the 2013 season rankings. While excelling at approach angles and maintaining high speeds through corners, Utsumi’s aggressive drifting style complements a colorful talker and popular character.

Toyo Tires’ promotional video, ‘GT-R Drift on Turnpike Hakone by Toyo Tires’, Kawabata’s GT-R produced a spectacular hill climb run. Using footage captured from a variety of angles with GoPro cameras, the video showcases Kawabata’s incredible arsenal of handling skills and footwork co-ordination. The video also picks up the roar of the GT-R’s tires as Kawabata moves from straights into curves, while illustrating the contrast between the white smoke and the black tire marks that are left by drifts on the mountain pass of beautiful the Hakone turnpike.

GT-R Drift on Turnpike Hakone by Toyo Tires: https://youtu.be/cq6JF99s3aM

■Information about the vehicle used in ‘Surprising the world’
・Tires: Proxes T1 Sport - /tire/pattern/proxes-t1-sport
・Car: Audi R8
・Location: Fuji Speedway, Japan


About Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd.
Toyo Tire and Rubber Co., Ltd. develops its business activities across the globe, focusing on manufacturing and sales of its core products: tires. Founded in 1945, Toyo Tires has reached its 70th anniversary in 2015, having developed as a company and expanding its operations worldwide. Now in over 100 countries and regions, Toyo Tires deals in automobile parts made of rubber – focusing on tires – as well as seat cushion parts made of urethane. The company produces tires that are outfitted on the cars of Audi, Japanese carmakers and US “Big Three”.