BMW PROGRAM PUTS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA HISPANICS IN THE EXPRESS LANE FOR SUCCESSFUL CAREERS AS AUTOMOTIVE TECHNICIANS

Initiative Provides Opportunities while Addressing Industry Need for Skilled
Service Technicians

Woodcliff Lake, NJ - March 7, 2006... In the first such partnership in the
industry, BMW of North America, LLC has teamed up with The U.S. Hispanic
Chamber of Commerce Foundation to reach out to Hispanics in Greater Los Angeles
interested in pursuing a career in automotive technical service. Modeled after
BMW's successful Service Technician Education Program (STEP), MetroSTEP aims to
encourage more Hispanics to pursue careers in automotive services and addresses
the industry shortage of skilled auto technicians. According to the U.S.
Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 35,000 new technicians
will be needed nationwide each year through 2010.

Successfully launched in Atlanta's African-American community a few years ago,
MetroSTEP has moved west to Southern California, where the focus is on the
Hispanic community. Working closely with the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Foundation, which has received a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, BMW
of North America has launched a pilot program providing 13 Hispanic students
from area technical schools with both classroom and hands-on training. A
similar initiative is also taking place in South Florida.

Tom Purves, Chairman and CEO of BMW of North America, LLC, recognizes the
importance of such initiatives to the future of the automotive industry. "BMW
is thrilled to expand the MetroSTEP program to Southern California," said
Purves, who is also chairman of Automotive Youth Education Systems (AYES). "We
are able to reach a pool of future BMW technicians who will not only help to
alleviate the problem of technician shortage, but contribute the skill of being
bilingual, a valuable asset to our business, particularly in areas like
Southern California."

The students selected for the Southern California MetroSTEP program represent a
wide range of ages and backgrounds. Some have previous automotive service
training, and others do not, but according to Ed Huzyak, BMW Regional
Aftersales Manager for the Western Region, they all have one thing in common:
"They all have a strong desire to succeed."

The BMW MetroSTEP curriculum includes twenty weeks of intensive instruction
that alternates between classroom sessions and dealer in-service at two-week
intervals. Students learn what would be considered basics like oil changes
and tire rotations as well as the more technical aspects of diagnosing a car.
They are paid throughout the training program and are guaranteed a full-time
job in one of the participating BMW dealerships when they graduate.

"A program like Southern California MetroSTEP is not only teaching these
students how to diagnose and repair cars, but ultimately gives them a choice
for a fulfilling career they may not otherwise have had the opportunity to
explore," said Frank Lopez, President of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Foundation. "This model program recognizes the importance and benefits of
diversifying the recruiting process in the auto service industry. BMW is
smartly investing in a community that is expected to grow exponentially over
the next several years and will be a driving force behind the country's
economic growth."

BMW established STEP nine years ago to address the shortage of automotive
service technicians. As a scholarship-based program for graduates of
post-secondary technical schools, students are afforded an unsurpassed
technical education and career opportunity. Since its inception, more than
2,000 technicians have completed the intensive training program and have been
placed in rewarding and satisfying careers. While STEP graduates with some
experience earn an average annual salary of $55,000, with further accreditation
they can earn more than $100,000 in major markets.