BMW EARNS "TOP SAFETY PICK" AWARDS FOR 3 SERIES SEDAN, X5, AND X3 IN IIHS RANKING OF 2009 MODELS

Vehicles Bestowed Highest Rating of "Good" for Frontal Offset,
Side Impact and Rear Crash Protection Performance Woodcliff Lake, NJ -
BMW of North America announced that the Insurance Institute for Highway
Safety (IIHS) has awarded the 2009 BMW 3 Series Sedan, X5, and X3
models the top rating of "Good" in each of its series of crash
tests, earning each vehicle the Institute's coveted Top Safety Pick
Award. Receiving the Top Safety Pick for the 2009 BMW 3 Series Sedan,
X5, and X3 vehicles is one of numerous awards BMW has earned from the
IIHS over the years. In fact, as a result of IIHS crash tests in 2000,
the 2001 BMW X5 earned the unique distinction of not only being the
best SUV, but also being the safest vehicle ever tested by IIHS up to
that point. "BMW continues to be committed to both our active and
passive safety technologies, and we are pleased to receive the
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's Top Safety Pick award for the
2009 BMW 3 Series Sedan, X5, and X3," said Jim O'Donnell,
President of BMW of North America, LLC. The Institute rates vehicles
"Good," "Acceptable," "Marginal" or
"Poor" based on performance in high-speed Frontal Offset and
Side Impact crash tests as well as an evaluation of the vehicle's Rear
Crash Protection/Head Restraints, which protect against neck injuries
in rear impact crashes. In order for a vehicle to become a Top Safety
Pick, it must earn "Good" ratings in all three Institute
tests. Additionally, as of 2007, winning vehicles must also offer
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) - a standard feature on all BMW
vehicles, known as Dynamic Stability Control. The IIHS requires this
feature based on Institute research indicating that ESC significantly
reduces crash risk, especially the risk of fatal single vehicle
crashes, by helping drivers maintain control of their vehicles during
emergency maneuvers.