CERTIFIED POPULAR: USED VEHICLE CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS GROWING IN POPULARITY: STUDY SHOWS HIGH CONSUMER EXPECTATIONS ARE OFTEN UNMET BMW Cuts Through the Clutter, Offers Tips on Becoming 'CPO Savvy'

Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey, February 6, 2002... More than 45 million used
vehicles are expected to change hands in the coming year. That's three times
the number of new vehicles sold. Certified pre-owned vehicles represent a
growing segment of the used car market in the U.S. According to a recent
BMW/Dohring Company poll of used vehicle buyers, more than half (56%) said they
would consider purchasing a certified pre-owned (CPO) vehicle.

In fact, a majority of those surveyed (52%) have an increasingly favorable
impression of CPO programs, and have very high expectations for what these
programs can deliver. But, do all CPO programs measure up?

Certified: The Unregulated Term
"'Certified' is an unregulated term," said Bill Bates, pre-owned marketing
manager at BMW of North America. "There is no one standard to which certified
used vehicles must adhere, nor is there any one watchdog group that ensures
qualifications are met. A 'CPO savvy' consumer, however, can test a program's
merit by simply asking a few key questions."

Those questions include:

* What are the dealers' criteria for selecting and certifying a vehicle?
* What is covered under the warranty?
* How long is the warranty period?
* Is the warranty transferable?
* Who provides service if it is required?

Consumer Expectations and Realities
Consumers have extremely high expectations of certification programs. According
to the BMW/Dohring survey, 98 percent of respondents said they would expect CPO
programs to include inspections performed according to a specific set of
manufacturers' guidelines. Another 98 percent said they would expect CPO
programs to include comprehensive warranties with a clear explanation of terms
and conditions. But consumer expectations and CPO realities do not always
match.

"Anyone can call a vehicle 'certified,'" said Bates. "Consumers should be
aware that there is a wide variety of certified pre-owned vehicle programs out
there, and not all CPO programs are created equal."

A Good Bet in 2002
In today's economic environment, anything that reduces a consumer's risk is a
good thing," said Bates. "By its very nature, the purchase of a used car
entails risk. Used car certification programs are designed to reduce that risk,
while providing consumers with greater peace of mind."

Two other factors have led to the increased popularity of CPO programs: a
greater number of vehicles coming off-lease after two to three years in nearly
new condition, and dramatic improvements in durability, quality and reliability
of new cars over the past decade.

The advent of the spring car-buying season together with the end of some of the
aggressive new-car financing programs of last year will bring even more
attention to CPO programs.

"More consumers are recognizing the added value of manufacturers' pre-owned
vehicle programs," said Daniel Gorrell, director of Strategic Vision, a San
Diego, CA-based consumer research and marketing firm. "They offer not only
financial value in terms of vehicle affordability, but also psychological value
by providing a sense of trust and confidence in the product. That value must
be protected by making certain there are distinctions made between CPO
programs."

The pre-owned vehicle business has taken on increasing importance in the
automobile industry in general, and BMW in particular. For the year 2001, BMW
sold 39,883 certified pre-owned vehicles to lead the luxury CPO segment. In
December 2001, 4,007 CPO vehicles were sold - a 24 percent increase over the
3,228 units sold in December of 2000.

BMW Group in America
BMW of North America has been present in the United States since 1975. Since
then, the BMW Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales
and financial service organizations for the BMW and MINI brands; a South
Carolina manufacturing operation; DESIGNWORKS/USA, an industrial design firm in
California; a technology office in Silicon Valley and various other operations
throughout the country. The BMW Group is represented in the U.S. through a
network of 340 car, 327 Sports Activity Vehicle and 148 motorcycle retailers.
BMW US Holding Corp., the Group's 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 http://www.bmwusa.com, http://www.bmwmotorcycles.com and
http://www.miniusa.com.