The Mystery Car in the BMW Museum. An unusual puzzle in 3D.

Note: This press release is a 1:1 copy of the original issued by BMW headquarters in Germany. No adaptations have been made to cater for the UK market.

Munich. From 13 March to 30 April 2012, the BMW Museum will be showcasing a rather unusual exhibit – a 3D puzzle created by legendary puzzle writer CUS and presented on the BMW LMR V12, winner of the 1999 Le Mans and one of the most fascinating racing cars in BMW history. The so-called “Mystery Car” will be parked in the foyer of the BMW Museum and can be viewed without an admission ticket.

The exterior surface of the race car is designed as an extremely challenging brainteaser: puzzle fiends with plenty of ingenuity are called for. The puzzle contains no words whatsoever, consisting solely of symbols, mysterious numbers and letters, as well as images, pointers and abbreviations. Only those who correctly interpret all 16 parts of the puzzle, then work out the relationship between them and understand the mechanics by which all the parts mesh together, will be able to solve the puzzle and come up with the sentence concerning the BMW LMR V12 that is the correct solution.

The person who dreamed up and devised the puzzle is CUS, who hides his identity behind this acronym. To a large community of brainteaser fans, he has been known for several years as the author of “Germany’s most difficult puzzle” – the Großes Rätselrennen (big puzzle contest) that appeared in the magazine supplement of the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper until 2007. Today he still composes a cryptic crossword for the magazine, while for the Neue Zürcher Zeitung he writes “Switzerland’s most difficult puzzle”. CUS is also the author of famous puzzles for Langenscheidt’s Goldwörterbuch (gold dictionary), the Schatzmarathon (treasure marathon) and the TV series IQ-Denksport (IQ mental exercises). CUS has also written several books on the subject of brainteasers.

Answers should be submitted online by 30 April 2012 to mysterycar@bmw.de. All correct solutions will be entered into a draw for four attractive prizes. The main winner, for example, will be granted an unforgettable day on the Nürburgring in the BMW M3 as part of the “BMW M Experience. BMW M Power Insider” programme.

Further information on the puzzle, terms and conditions of entry and available prizes will be posted on the BMW Museum homepage from 12.03.12: www.bmw-museum.com/mysterycar.

The site will also publish further detail images of the Mystery Car puzzle on a weekly basis.

For any queries regarding this press release, please contact:

Corporate Communications BMW Group

Manfred Grunert

Spokesperson Heritage

Phone: +49-89-382-27797

mailto: Manfred.Grunert@bmw.de

Internet: www.press.bmwgroup.com

BMW Museum – Hands-on history

Visitors of all ages can explore the past, present and future of the BMW brand at BMW Welt, the BMW Museum and the BMW plant. The BMW Museum plays an important role in this. Since re-opening in 2008, it has been successfully presenting the history of BMW and offering a glimpse of the future. The museum also explores the theme of mobility for the benefit of younger visitors. The Junior Museum organizes a special program for children and young people, basing its educational concept on learning through play. The museum also has a history of its own: it is one of the oldest automobile museums in Germany, was built in 1973 and declared a historic monument in 1999

The BMW Group.

The BMW Group is one of the most successful manufacturers of automobiles and motorcycles in the world with its BMW, MINI, Husqvarna Motorcycles  and Rolls-Royce brands. As a global company, the BMW Group operates 25 production and assembly facilities in 14 countries and has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.  

During the financial year 2010, the BMW Group sold 1.46 million cars and more than 110,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax for 2010 was euro 4.8 billion on revenues amounting to euro 60.5 billion. At 31 December 2010, the BMW Group had a workforce of approximately 95,500 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been built on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain, comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy. As a result of its efforts, the BMW Group has been ranked industry leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes for the last seven years.