BMW X 3 wins German automobile association's "Yellow Angel 2008" award - three BMW models range among the top four contenders.

Quality ranking proves outstanding reliability. BMW Chairman of the
Board of Management, Dr. Norbert Reithofer, is voted "Personality
of the the Year 2008". Munich. The name BMW Group has always been
associated with premium-level quality. The prestigious "Yellow
Angel" award presented to BMW by the German automobile association
ADAC for best performance in the "Quality" category is
another impressive example of the outstanding performance of every
member of the BMW and MINI family. Voted the most reliable car on
Germany's roads by the largest automobile association in the world, the
BMW X3 has now won the prestigious "Yellow Angel 2008" award.
With the BMW 1 Series in third and MINI in fourth place, two other BMW
Group members range among the top four performers in this quality
ranking. The award winner is selected by means of the annual breakdown
statistics compiled by the German automobile association ADAC and the
results of a customer satisfaction study carried out by
"ADAC-Motorwelt", the association's official publication.
According to the association's breakdown statistics, both BMW and MINI
models of any kind are extremely unlikely to experience a technical
breakdown. The automobile association's technicians, who help out at
accidents and breakdowns, commonly referred to as "Yellow
Angels", did not have much work with BMW X3 models. The automobile
association's expert Thomas Kroher's comment on the excellent
performance: "Little more than one failure per 1,000 registered
models is a result that is hard to beat". Front-Runner BMW X3:
Reliable and Successful. This year's award winner also received top
marks in many other categories. With its superior agility and exemplary
efficiency, the BMW X3 is the leading performer in its segment and in
many categories. A total of 22,197 BMW X 3 models registered 2007
(January through December) ensured that the BMW X3 was rated as the
best-selling car in its segment yet again. The compact Sports Activity
Vehicle has been awarded many times over for its excellent dynamic
driving performance and the "Yellow Angel" award is another
milestone in this model's history of success. Dr. Norbert Reithofer
voted "Personality of the Year 2008". Dr. Norbert Reithofer,
BMW AG's Chairman of the Board of Management also received the
"Yellow Angel 2008" award from the president of the German
automobile association, ADAC. Dr. Norbert Reithofer was presented with
the award in the "Personality" category for "his
successful, sustained management and credibility as Chief Production
Officer and in his position as Chairman of the Board of Management of
BMW AG, which he assumed in 2006" the association's statement
reads. It goes on to explain that "the man from Penzberg/Germany
successfully shifted the focus of all production processes to maximum
efficiency and top quality. Reithofer's efficiency program is a major
contribution that helped and is still helping BMW AG stay abreast of the
competition without closing down facilities. Whatever he does, Norbert
Reithofer, who joined BMW in 1987, always has the best interests of
brand and those of the people working for the company at heart."
Shortly after this success, Reithofer was voted "most credible
German manager" by readers of "Journalist", a German
media publication. For his excellent work, BMW AG's Chairman of the
Board Reithofer received two awards within a short period of time.
"Yellow Angel": Quality Kitemark with Practical Relevance. The
results of the German automobile association's quality ranking are based
on the analysis of the association's breakdown statistics compiled from
about 400,000 call-outs per year and a diversified customer
satisfaction study conducted by "ADAC Motorwelt", the
association's customer magazine. The study refers to series that have
not undergone any major changes in three consecutive years and achieved
an annual sales volume of more than 10 ,000 units in the German market.
The ranking list is compiled from the number of breakdowns per 1,000
cars and listed according to model year. The compilation shows that cars
made by BMW Group are among the most reliable vehicles of their category
not only in the year of their initial registration but also in the
following years.