NEXEN TIRE MAKES HUGE SPLASH AT SEMA 2018 – ADDS NEW BOOTH LOCATION, SEVERAL TOP-TIER CUSTOMIZED VEHICLES AND ONE GROUND-BREAKING PRODUCTION VEHCILE – TRICKED-OUT DODGE CHALLENGER BUILT FOR AMERICAN HEROES’ CAMPAIGN MAKES ITS DEBUT AT THE ANNUAL SHOW IN LAS VEGAS 

-- Leading Manufacturer of High-Performance and Off-Road Tires Returns to SEMA on a Mission to Highlight Brand-Versatility Across Several Automotive Platforms --

DIAMOND BAR, Calif., October 25, 2018 – Nexen Tire America, Inc., a worldwide leader in high-performance, passenger, SUV / light truck and winter tire technology, announced the company will roll into the annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas on October 30-November 2 ready to affirm its remarkable lineup of tires with several incredible builds. Spread across three separate booth locations this year, Nexen Tire is celebrating the company’s growth and position as a top tire manufacturer with one of its top accomplishments – the Custom Nexen Tire Purple Heart Dodge Challenger R/T. Dubbed the ‘American Muscle for American Heroes’ campaign, Nexen Tire has partnered with The Purple Heart Foundation and Zero to 60 Designs to create a custom 2019 Dodge Challenger R/T 392 Scat Pack that will be given to a U.S. military veteran who is a member of The Purple Heart Foundation, and who was awarded a Purple Heart Medal. The Custom Nexen Tire Purple Heart Dodge Challenger R/T will make its first-ever debut at this year’s SEMA Show in the Nexen Tire booth in booth #61012 alongside some of the company’s premier show vehicles. The Nexen Tire Purple Heart Challenger was just featured live in New York City on Fox & Friends.

American Muscle for American Heroes

Nexen Tire USA, along with The Purple Heart Foundation and Zero to 60 Designs, teamed up to give back to those who have made incredible sacrifices for our nation. The Custom Nexen Tire Purple Heart Dodge Challenger R/T is a way of saying “Thank you” to the men and women who were wounded in combat while fighting for the nation. Several top-tier aftermarket companies have also stepped in to help see the custom Dodge Challenger R/T come to life.

The Custom Nexen Tire Purple Heart Dodge Challenger R/T features:

• Nexen Roadian HP Street Sport All-Season radial tires
• VIS Racing carbon fiber hood, front bumper, deck lid and splitters
• PPG Custom paint job
• Eibach front and rear sway bars
• ST Suspensions coilover kit
• Magnaflow cat-back exhaust system
• ORACLE Lighting custom headlights
• SolarGard window tint
• StopTech big brake kit – six-piston front brakes, four-piston rear brakes
• SAVINI wheels

Nexen will also have several top-tier vehicles on display that were hand-selected by the company for SEMA this year. With last year's announcement of the brand’s first true mud-terrain extreme tire, Nexen Tire brings back the mighty Roadian MTX tire on a handful of vehicles, including a Zero to 60 Designs’ Ford F-350 ‘Nighthawk’ custom-luxury SUV, a classic 1975 Ford Bronco, Nexen Tire’s Mercedes-Benz Unimog and Animal Rescue Rigs’ 2018 Nissan TITAN Pro-4x XD ‘PAWS ONE.’ The Nexen Tire Roadian MTX ‘Mud Terrain Xtreme’ off-road tire is the ultimate off-road tire. An aggressive tread design and huge, burly lugs allows the Roadian MTX the versatility to tackle any type of off-road terrain, thanks to its standard 3-ply construction and an F-Load weight rating.

Key vehicles in the Nexen Tire USA booth locations include:

• Mercedes-Benz Unimog and Nexen Tire Motorsports trailer
• Zero to 60 Designs’ Ford F-350 ‘Nighthawk’ custom ultra-luxury SUV designed by Kenny Pfitzer featuring Nexen Tire Roadian MTX extreme off-road tires
• A premier 1975 Ford Bronco built by Zero to 60 Designs and most recently upgraded by RAW Motorsports with LINE-X upgrades and Nexen Tire Roadian MTX extreme off-road tires
• Animal Rescue Rigs’ ‘PAWS ONE’ 2018 Nissan TITAN Pro-4x XD built to provide support in all-weather conditions for rescuing animals during and after natural disasters – will also feature Nexen Tire Roadian MTX extreme off-road tires

The Integral Success of the Nexen Tire N’Fera SUR4G Extreme Ultra High-Performance Tires

Formula DRIFT proved to be very successful this year for the Nexen Tire Motorsports team. The season concluded on October 13 with round eight at Irwindale Speedway. Eight of the sport’s top Formula DRIFT Pro 1 drivers took three first place wins and several podium finishes. Most notably, Fredric Aasbo, driver of the Rockstar Energy / Nexen Tire Toyota Corolla hatchback, finished in second place in the final race. He also took second place in the overall driver standings, just four points shy of the overall victory for the season.

“We couldn’t have asked for anything more from the Nexen Tire Motorsports team this year,” said Paul Jho, motorsports senior manager at Nexen Tire America Inc. “Our motorsports team continues to put up a solid performance in professional drifting, and we are honored to provide them with the support they need which includes supplying our N’Fera SUR4G street-legal race tires. The passion that each driver on the team shares for this sport is immeasurable, and we can’t wait to channel that energy and dominate the season next year.”

A Reputation for Success

“We have a variety of vehicles this year that truly showcase the brand, but the Purple Heart Dodge Challenger is the one vehicle that is very special to Nexen Tire. This vehicle is about those that have served and continue to serve our country. We are bringing attention to the needs of our veterans through the development of this special car that will be given away in December. We want SEMA attendees to see how we as a tire brand are bringing vets together with cars,” said Kyle Roberts, senior director of marketing for Nexen Tire. “For SEMA directly, selecting a handful of vehicles was no easy task by any means. We had so many special and unique vehicles to choose from this year. However, when all was said and done, we selected an exclusive handful which we believe embodies the Nexen brand and lifestyle. Really, at the end of the day, that’s what Nexen is all about – living the lifestyle – and we believe these vehicles truly embrace that.”

Nexen Tire will have several booth locations at this year’s SEMA Show, including:

• One booth located in the South Hall for information purposes (booth #40081)
• Silver lot showcasing Nexen passenger and light-truck tires, as well as the Custom Nexen Tire Purple Heart Dodge Challenger R/T and Mercedes-Benz Unimog (booth #61012)
• Additional outdoor location featuring Nexen Tire Roadian MTX extreme off-road tires and custom vehicles (booth #62123)