BMW Toronto Area Retailers announce the 'BMW X5 HOCKEY EDITION' charity auction

Toronto. The BMW Retailers of Greater Toronto announced today at the Canadian
International AutoShow that 30 'BMW X5 Hockey Edition' vehicles will be up for
auction on eBay Canada (www.ebay.ca) beginning Friday, February 17, 2006
(www.bmwx5auction.ca).

"This is a unique auction where BMW and its GTA retailers have brought together
professional hockey heroes like Tie Domi, Mats Sundin, and Darcy Tucker," says
Gary Okla, Regional Manager, Central Region, BMW Group Canada. "BMW wants to
give back to the community which is why the proceeds will go to Variety - The
Children's Charity and SickKids Foundation."

The BMW GTA Retailers are participating in raising funds by selling the Sports
Activity Vehicles on eBay Canada. The BMW GTA Retailers generously agreed to
completely donate 100% of the funds raised from auctioning two of the limited
edition vehicles to charity. These funds are committed to the support of two
leading children's charities, with proceeds going to the SickKids Foundation
and to Variety - The Children's Charity. A portion of the proceeds of the
remaining 28 vehicles will also be given to both charities.

"We thank BMW Canada and the BMW GTA Retailers for their support and
contribution to improve the lives of children and their families in Canada and
around the world," says Michael O'Mahoney, president SickKids Foundation.
"SickKids Foundation believes that healthier children lead to a better world.
This initiative will support us as we continue our legacy of treating the
children of tomorrow even better than we treat the children of today."

"We're very excited to partner with BMW and be part of this auction on eBay,"
says David Allen, president and CEO of Variety - The Children's Charity. "The
funds raised will go a long way towards supporting our efforts to make a
difference in the lives of children with special needs and their families.
Variety is committed to improving the quality of life and integration into
society of these children with special needs. We want to help them to
recognize their own potential, experience what is possible, and develop the
skills to realize their goals. Variety Village, our flagship project, is a
world-renowned sport training and fitness centre that delivers inclusive sports
and recreational programs."

The BMW X5 Hockey Edition was inspired by professional hockey heroes. Among
the 23 current drivers are Tie Domi, Mats Sundin, and Eric Lindros. The 23
player-driven vehicles will be presented to the winning bidder by the
respective hockey player. Winning bidders will also receive signed BMW hockey
memorabilia and can request their vehicle be autographed. The vehicles include
unique features designed to appeal to hockey fans and car collectors worldwide.
Limited edition identification badges are affixed to each vehicle and a plaque
containing the individual number of the limited edition.

Each of the 30 'BMW X5 HOCKEY EDITION' vehicles up for auction on eBay Canada
are LeMans Blue metallic in colour with a BMW Individual Cream Beige Nappa
leather interior and LeMans Blue trim. It is equipped with BMW's renowned 3.0i
inline six-cylinder engine, producing 225 horsepower, and xDrive All-Wheel
Drive - perfect for Canadian winters full of snow and ice. The 'BMW X5 HOCKEY
EDITION' equipment also includes a Premium Package, a Sport Package and an
Activity Package in addition to the high level of standard features. Suggested
retail price for a X5 3.0i with equal equipment is $72,800 Canadian, plus taxes
and delivery.

BMW Group Canada, based in Whitby, Ontario, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BMW
AG and is responsible for the distribution of BMW luxury performance
automobiles, Sports Activity Vehicles, Motorcycles, and MINI. BMW Group
Financial Services Canada is a division of BMW Group Canada and offers retail
financing and leasing programs on new and pre-owned BMW and MINI automobiles,
as well as retail financing for new and pre-owned BMW Motorcycles. A total
network of 39 BMW automobile retail centres, 18 BMW motorcycle retailers, and
22 MINI retailers represents the BMW Group across the country. The Greater
Toronto Area BMW Retailers include BMW of Mississauga, Maranello BMW, BMW
Toronto, BMW Autohaus, Budds' BMW, Parkview BMW, BMW Durham, Open Road BMW, and
Town + Country BMW.

Variety - The Children's Charity in Ontario focuses on creating and
implementing projects and programs that make a difference in the lives of
children with special needs and their families. Dedicated to promoting
inclusion and integration across Ontario, Variety assists children to recognize
their own potential, experience and what is possible, and develop the skills to
achieve their goals. Variety Village, the flagship project of Variety - the
Children's Charity, is a world-renowned sport training and fitness centre
delivering sports and recreational programs and services that meet the mandate
of the Charity.

SickKids Foundation was established in 1972. Its mission is to inspire its
communities to invest in health and scientific advances to improve the lives
of children and their families in Canada and around the world. Its vision:
Healthier children. A better world. The Foundation, with its National Grants
Program, is the largest non-governmental granting agency in the area of child
health in Canada.

eBay is the World's Online Marketplace™. Founded in 1995, eBay created a
powerful platform for the sale of goods and services by a passionate community
of individuals and businesses. On any given day, there are millions of items
across thousands of categories for sale on eBay. eBay enables trade on a
local, national, and international basis with customized sites in markets
around the world. Through an array of services, such as its payment solution
provider PayPal, eBay is enabling global e-commerce for an ever-growing online
community. In Canada, eBay was visited by more than 8.8 million Canadians in
December 2005. (ComScore Media Metrix, 2005)

-30-