MINI LAUNCHED IN AMERICA WITH DAZZLING STUNTS AND A STARRING ROLE IN THE NEW AUSTIN POWERS FILM

Diminutive 11' 10" MINI Cooper Welcomed to the U.S. With Stunts Executed the
Day Before the New York Auto Show

New York, NY, March 26, 2002...The MINI Cooper's first-time availability in
America was celebrated today with dazzling stunt driving and the announcement
of its starring role in the new Austin Powers film.

With the same quirky, cheeky excitement that made the original Mini a legend,
the diminutive 11' 10" MINI Cooper burst upon the American scene today with
high-speed parallel parking and two-wheel driving stunts executed by famed
stunt driver Russ Swift. The display highlighted the car's exceptional handling
and maneuverability. Swift, who has been performing MINI stunts for years in
Europe, executed the stunts to welcome MINI to the United States the day before
the New York Auto Show.

MINI's handling and performance will also be showcased this summer, this time
on the big screen, as MINI makes its film debut in New Line Cinema's new Austin
Powers film. Austin Powers and MINI team up for some of the most dazzling
chase scenes yet, with MINI racing and cornering at high speeds through the
unlikeliest of places. MINI's size, speed and maneuverability promise to create
a whole new type of car chase in the world of film. And it will prove once and
for all that, in the words of Nigel Powers (Austin's father, played by Michael
Caine, of MINI's Italian Job fame), "it's not size that matters, baby, but how
you use it."

The original Mini was a British classic with 5.3 million sold and was voted
'European Car of the Century'. The MINI earned legendary status in the 1960s as
a favorite of celebrities from the Beatles and David Bowie to Peter Sellers and
the Queen of England. The spunky little car also inspired fashion designer
Mary Quant to create her famed mini skirt.

The modern development of a genuine classic, new MINIs are now available to
eager American drivers who have established fan clubs and web sites for the car
that, until this month, had not been available in this country. The new MINIs
will be sold at approximately 70 dealerships throughout the country.

Building on the classic Mini style, the new MINI Cooper offers the very latest
technology, and is one of the most advanced cars of its size in the world. It
was designed for handling and performance, and is extremely safe with a body
shell rigidity two to three times greater than the norm for cars of its size,
and features an array of new technology such as Dynamic Stability Control and
six airbags.

The new 115 horsepower MINI Cooper and 163 horsepower MINI Cooper S have
created a completely new market in the US: the small car, premium car segment.
The engine is a 16 valve, 1.6 liter unit and will be available with an optional
CVT automatic transmission. The base Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price is
$16,850 for the MINI Cooper and $19,850 for the Cooper S.

Austin Powers III is directed by Jay Roach and written by Mike Myers and
Michael McCullers. The film is produced by Mike Myers, John Lyons and Eric
McLeod along with co-producer Gregg Taylor. For more information, log on to
www.austinpowers.com

Founded in 1967, New Line Cinema is the entertainment industry's leading
independent producer and distributor of theatrical motion pictures. New Line
licenses its films to ancillary markets including cable and broadcast
television as well as to international venues. The company, which is a
subsidiary of AOL Time Warner Inc., operates several divisions including
in-house theatrical distribution, marketing, home video, television,
acquisitions, production, licensing and merchandising units.

BMW Group in America
BMW of North America has been present in the United States since 1975. Since
then, the BMW Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales
and financial service organizations for the BMW and MINI brands; a South
Carolina manufacturing operation; DESIGNWORKS/USA, an industrial design firm in
California; a technology office in Silicon Valley and various other operations
throughout the country. The BMW Group is represented in the U.S. through a
network of 340 car, 327 Sports Activity Vehicle and 148 motorcycle retailers.
BMW US Holding Corp., the Group's headquarters for North, Central and South
America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.

Information about BMW Group products is available to consumers via the Internet
at www.bmwusa.com, www.bmwmotorcycles.com and www.miniusa.com.

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Journalist note: Information about the BMW Group and its products is available
to journalists on-line at the BMW Group PressClub at the following address -
www.press.bmwgroup.com.

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