They are the Conti Touring Tires. The same as the originals that are on the rear. But as I said the response I got was directly from a rep. at continental. It does seem strange unless there was a "goof" in a new batch they just put out. Not being a safety issue so they don"t want to set a precedent and admit there is something not quite right. They may just feel,"ignore it and it will go away."