Charley Boorman enters 2006 Telefónica Dakar Rally with BMW support

Actor Charley Boorman obviously doesn't like his challenges to be easy. As if
riding alongside close friend Ewan McGregor - while circumnavigating the globe
on BMW R1150 GS Adventures during the highly successful Long Way Round
television series - wasn't difficult enough, he now intends to enter the
world's toughest motorsport event, the 2006 Telefónica Dakar Rally.

The UK production team responsible for the Long Way Round will plan and manage
the project, and BMW Motorrad UK will be principle sponsor, provide competition
motorcycles, technical support and off-road training.

Commenting on his challenge ahead, Charley said: "The Long Way Round was one
of the hardest and most satisfying 'big trips' that I think every biker would
like to achieve at some point in their lives. However, competing in the Dakar
is really going to take me to another level."

Charley will team up with experienced Dakar competitor Simon Pavey and the team
will ride BMW F650 GS Dakar machines. Although a novice at this type of event
Charley will have the advantage of riding a relentlessly reliable
single-cylinder motorcycle that has a successful and well proven Dakar
history. Simon Pavey, his team-mate, is BMW's Off-Road Skills Course Chief
Instructor and has completed the Dakar event three times.

In fact, Simon Pavey was the instructor that trained Charley during his
preparation for Long Way Round and the two have already formed a close
friendship: "It is quite a high request to ask any rider to compete in the
Dakar and expect them to finish. However, I have been training with Charley
for over six weeks now and we have a consistent programme in place. His basic
riding ability is good and improves every day," said Simon. "The most
important factor is that Charley wants to compete and has such great
determination."

The Dakar event will test the team-mates' special relationship to the absolute
limit. Simon's immediate task is to accelerate Charley's natural riding skills
to a level good enough to tackle the toughest off-road riding in the world -
and to conquer the infamous sand dunes of the scorching Sahara.

Starting on 31 December for the first time in Lisbon, the riders are scheduled
to arrive in Dakar, Senegal 16 days later. Charley, Simon and their (as yet)
unnamed team-mate's main objective will be to simply finish the 6,000-mile
event - a feat considered to be a challenge in itself. Out of 230
motorcyclists that started the 2004 Telefónica Dakar Rally only 104 bikes
finished and the riding conditions were so uncompromisingly bad that the 2004
Rally is now regarded as one of the toughest ever.

Time Warner will publish a book of the Dakar project and a TV series of
Charley's adventure will be broadcast on Sky One in 2006.

Ends

For further BMW press information please contact one of the following:

Andy Dukes / Lauren Haslehurst 08000 131 282
Tony Jakeman 01344 480 185