BMW CAPTURES FIVE SPOTS IN THE 1999 AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE "ALL-STARS" AWARDS

Detroit, MI. January 6, 1999.. At a press conference today at the North
American International Auto Show, it was announced that the editors of
Automobile Magazine bestowed five All-Star awards on BMW. With three model
lines as well as the company honored, awards BMW received were:

* 328i - All-Star for "Best Entry Level Luxury Sedan " This is the
seventh consecutive year the 3 Series has been named an All-Star

* 540i - All-Star for "Best Sports Sedan" This is the second year in
a row for this car.

* M coupe - All-Star for "Best Sports Car"

* M coupe - All-Star for "Design of the Year"

* BMW - All-Star for "Best Car Company"

The full All-Star awards program will be detailed in the magazine's February,
1999 issue.

"For the BMW brand and our products to receive such an honor is a testament to
our long-standing tradition of building cars that truly embody the meaning of
the ultimate driving machine," said Victor Doolan, president of BMW of North
America, Inc. "Ours is a car company full of enthusiasts dedicated to creating
cars that people love to drive. We are thrilled to receive these awards."

After six award-winning years with the previous generation 3 Series, the all
new BMW 328i sedan carries on the tradition by cinching an All-Star spot for
1999. In choosing the new 328i, the editors of Automobile Magazine commented,
"That the new BMW 3 Series in something special is clear the first time you
walk up to it. The body is tight and aggressive, its power is held in check
just below the surface."

The BMW 328i continues to define the sport sedan, combining performance,
handling and quality in a roomier, yet agile package. The
3 Series sedan is also available with a 2.5-liter six-cylinder engine. Badged
as the 323i, this sedan represents value without compromise.

For the second year in a row, the 540i with the six-speed manual transmission
has graced the All-Star list. As one editor declared, "Drive the 540i really
hard and it seems to shrink around you, becoming a convincing surrogate for a
pure sports car - tight, precise and responsive."

For 1999, the 5 Series offers two new models, the six-cylinder 528i sport
wagon and the V-8 540i sport wagon. The wagon variants offer added versatility
and cargo capacity for active lifestyles without compromising the kind of
performance for which the sedans are renowned. In keeping with BMW's
performance lineage, the 528i sport wagon is available with a manual
transmission and the 540i sport wagon is available with a 5-speed Steptronic
automatic transmission. Both cars carry on the high level of standard safety
features such as BMW's Head Protection System (HPS).

Perhaps the most exciting performance-oriented All-Star winner for BMW is the
new M coupe. With a 240-horsepower engine and sport-tuned suspension, the M
coupe is a thinly disguised race car, capable of 0-60 mph sprints in 5.1
seconds. Yet this car not only wins an award for it's race car performance and
handling, the M coupe wins the All-Star for "Design of the Year." One editor
commented, "...the M coupe is all business. It has an undeniable presence -
blocky, solid, strong and single-minded. You know what it is for and what it
will do just by looking at it."

BMW of North America, Inc. was established in 1975, at which point the company
assumed marketing and distribution responsibilities of BMW automobiles in the
U.S. from the previous private distributor. Motorcycle marketing and
distribution was added in 1980. Since then the company's North American
operations have grown to include marketing, sales and financial services
organizations in the United States and Canada; a South Carolina manufacturing
operation; a design firm in California; and various other operations throughout
the U.S. and Canada. BMW is represented in North America through a network of
more than 375 automobile and 190 motorcycle retailers in the United States and
Canada. BMW (US) Holding Corp., the marque's North American headquarters, is
located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.