BMW OF NORTH AMERICA ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH THE WILLIAM LEHMAN INJURY RESEARCH CENTER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI/JACKSON MEMORIAL MEDICAL CENTER TO CREATE NATIONAL ACCIDENT RESEARCH PROJECT

Woodcliff Lake, NJ - March 2, 2007... BMW of North America today announced a
partnership with the prestigious William Lehman Injury Research Center at the
University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center to create a nationwide,
multidisciplinary Accident Research Project (ARP), which will partner BMW's
esteemed engineers with trauma experts in the medical field. Together, the
teams will conduct biomechanical accident analyses that will aid in the
determination of the cause of injuries in crashes. Their findings will in turn
be used to develop new safety features in future BMW cars.

"BMW is proud to fund this collaboration with the William Lehman Injury
Research Center and the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center and
to underscore our commitment to safety," said Tom Purves, President of BMW of
North America. "BMW already features the highest standard of active and
passive safety features. This project will allow us to raise the bar even
higher."

"More young adult lives are lost each year to trauma than to disease in the
U.S.," said Dr. Jeffrey Augenstein, Director of the Ryder Trauma Center, which
houses the William Lehman Injury Research Center (WLIRC). "This study of real
world crashes will directly translate into safety features and information that
will save more lives. We are thrilled to partner with BMW for the venture."

BMW first saw the impact of using real world accident analysis to refine
product design three decades ago in Germany. In1976, the Bavarian police began
reporting severe accidents involving BMWs to the carmaker and continue to do so
today. BMW used the information provided by the police to upgrade safety
features in its vehicles.

Today, BMW takes another stride forward in improving and creating
state-of-the-art safety technology by using real world accident research from
U.S. roadways. This project takes a multi-disciplinary approach pairing BMW's
engineering prowess with the medical trauma expertise of the UM/Jackson Ryder
Trauma Center. BMW and the trauma center will dispatch a team to inspect
damaged vehicles after an accident and then through an accident reconstruction
and a biomechanic evaluation of the injuries, the real world performance of the
vehicle will be discussed. The results will be constantly fed to various
development departments for further enhancements in the design of BMWs.

"To supplement safety development by analyzing real world car accidents is a
sophisticated approach to safety, but it gives us the most effective tools to
make a safer product when it counts most - in a real world accident." said
Peter Baur, Head of the Accident Research Program in the U.S. "While a great
knowledge base is available from our research in Germany, we decided to conduct
intense research in the U.S. as well considering the differences in the traffic
environments."

Advancement of Head Protection
BMW already has dramatic proof of the value of accident research. In 1997, BMW
was the first car manufacturer to invent the Head Protection System (HPS) based
on their accident research. The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS)
recently published a study stating that head protection systems with torso side
airbags reduces death on nearside side-impact crashes by 37% and side airbags
without head protection by 26%. BMW's HPS is just one of many advancements
that the company has offered its customers first. It is a key example of how
the carmaker's real world research has affected safety implementation in all
BMWs.

A Company of Ideas
Unlike other car companies, BMW is an independent company that has the autonomy
to pursue innovative ideas. Safety, performance and agility are the number one
priorities for BMW and the carmaker is always looking to the newest technology
to offer to its customers. BMW began its relationship with Lehman Center by
funding a study to develop an algorithm to predict the risk of injury after an
accident based on crash data. This will allow BMW to improve post-crash care
significantly. BMW's Automatic Crash Notification already provides post-crash
care by reporting the vehicles position and establishing a two-way
communication to BMW Assist. For 2007 models, the BMW Safety Plan is available
as part of the Ultimate Service at no cost for the first 4 years.

William Lehman Injury Research Center
The internationally recognized William Lehman Injury Research Center is part of
the Miller School of Medicine and is located in Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson
Memorial Hospital. Funding began in 1991 by the U.S. Department of
Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Jeffrey Augenstein, M.D, Ph.D., Director of both the Ryder Trauma Center and
the William Lehman Injury Research Center, has worked to create a national
model for the prevention of automobile related death and injury. The Center's
research over the last 15 years has focused on how occupants are injured in
motor vehicle accidents and what can be done to mitigate those injuries.
Funding for the Center now comes from both the federal government and industry.

BMW Group In America
BMW of North America, LLC has been present in the United States since 1975.
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC began distributing vehicles in 2003. The BMW
Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales, and financial
service organizations for the BMW brand, the MINI brand, and the Rolls-Royce
brand of Motor Cars; DesignworksUSA, an industrial design firm in California; a
technology office in Silicon Valley and various other operations throughout the
country. BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC in South Carolina is part of BMW Group's
global manufacturing network and is the exclusive manufacturing plant for all
Z4 models and X5 Sports Activity Vehicles. The BMW Group sales organization is
represented in the U.S. through networks of 339 BMW passenger car centers, 334
BMW Sports Activity Vehicle centers, 143 BMW motorcycle retailers, 80 MINI
passenger car dealers, and 30 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers. BMW (US) Holding
Corp., the BMW Group's sales 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.bmwgroupna.com
www.bmwusa.com
www.bmwmotorradusa.com
www.miniusa.com
www.rolls-roycemotorcars.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. Broadcast quality video footage is available via The
NewsMarket at www.thenewsmarket.com.

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