MINI COOPER S HARDTOP CLAIMS TOP SPOT AT SCCA SOLO NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP AT HEARTLAND PARK

MINI USA Recognizes Winner with MINI Motorsport Contingency Award for First
Place Finish

Woodcliff Lake, NJ - Oct. 10, 2008... A 2007 MINI Cooper S, piloted by Craig
Wilcox of Blue Springs, Missouri, claimed first place in G Stock at the 36th
Tire Rack(R) SCCA Solo National Championship at Heartland Park in Topeka,
Kansas. The four-day contest of precision driving -- an exhilarating face-off
that pushes the driver's ability and the car's handling characteristics to
their limits on an autocross course -- attracted more than 1,000 entrants
competing in 32 classes.

MINI USA rewarded Wilcox for his first-place win with a $1000 purse through its
MINI Motorsport Awards Program which honors its proud racing heritage and
celebrates the accomplishments of MINI entrants in U.S. motorsport
competition. In the past Wilcox has been the recipient of several such awards.

In just six short weeks before the Championship, Wilcox and team purchased and
tuned the Cooper S Hardtop to perfection with the help of his co-driver Joe
Silva and sponsors QuickSilver Exhausts and Hoosier Tire. In Topeka, he turned
in a stellar performance on three runs the first day of competition, edging out
a 0.1-second lead going into the final rounds. Facing a competitive field on
day two, Wilcox clinched the top spot in G Stock going into his final run -
finishing with a time of 84.169 and a best run-time of 40.315 seconds extending
his lead to 1.177 seconds.

An experienced racer of MINIs since 2004 and now a two-time winner of the SCCA
Solo National Championship, Wilcox's performance in the competition has
improved as the MINI Cooper S has improved. In 2004 he competed with a 2004
model to take seventh place; in 2005 with a 2005 model he finished in sixth
place; he claimed his first Championship title in 2006 with a 2005 model; and
last year in a 2007 model he placed second - by a mere .017-second margin off
the lead.

The 2007 MINI Cooper S Hardtop model that secured Wilcox's title in this year's
Championship has proven to be an especially strong performer in autocross
competition even when compared to the previous generation Cooper S, which had
reigned as the darling of G Stock.

"I have received so much support form MINI USA, without it, competing around
the country would not have been possible for me," said Wilcox. "I am now on my
5th MINI Cooper S in as many years, and am definitely appreciative of all the
support that MINI USA has given me through the MINI Motorsport Awards Program."

The MINI Motorsport Awards Program was established to reflect MINI USA's
commitment to increase its presence in new and burgeoning motorsport venues for
both grassroots and professional racers. During the 2008 season, MINI USA has
awarded more than two dozen prizes to top MINI motorsport competitors in a
number of racing series.

For more information about MINI USA and the MINI Motorsport Awards Program,
visit: MINIUSA.com

MINI in the US
MINI is an independent brand of the BMW Group. In the United States, MINI USA
operates as a business unit of BMW of North America, LLC which 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
of motor vehicles, including motorcycles, 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, X5 Sports Activity Vehicles and X6 Sport Activity Coupes. The BMW
Group sales organization is represented in the U.S. through networks of 338 BMW
passenger car centers, 335 BMW Sports Activity Vehicle centers, 142 BMW
motorcycle retailers, 83 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.bmwmotorcycles.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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