Press Kit MY 2003: M3 - Extensive detail refinements for two spectacular sports cars

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BMW M3 for 2003: Extensive detail refinements for two spectacular sports cars

Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey, November 1, 2002...For enthusiasts of ultimate
automotive performance, it's a magic name: BMW M3. Combining the all-around
excellence of the BMW 3 Series with the spectacular performance and handling
prowess of BMW M, the two M3 models are formidable BMW sports cars that have
won - again and again - the accolades and comparison-test victories of the
world's motoring critics while providing their buyers with real performance and
equally real practicality.

For 2003, the two M3 models continue - the M3 Coupe at $47,195 and the M3
Convertible at $55,195 (destination charge included). Both offer a variety of
evolutionary refinements:

- Rain-sensing windshield wipers and automatic headlight control, formerly
optional, are now standard.

- The optional BMW Onboard Navigation System gets functional improvements and a
DVD database.

- The standard in-dash CD player can now be ordered in combination with the
Navigation System; previously the cassette player (still available at no extra
cost) was required with the Navigation System.

- New aluminum interior trim is offered as an option.

Two further refinements were phased into the Series during model year 2002:

-19-inch forged/polished M Double Spoke wheels with lower-profile tires were
introduced as an option.

- Reinforcing braces were added to the front suspension's strut towers.

- Labeling of the optional Sequential Manual Gearbox (SMG) was revised.

During the new-generation M3s' second model year, 2002, accolades continued to
pour in from the world's critical media:

"If you want a car that doubles as plaything and workhorse, the M3 has got it
all," raved Automobile Magazine in its January '02 issue, declaring the M3 one
of its All-Stars.

Popular Science executive editor Bill Phillips described SMG, "In a year of new
paddle-shift SMGs, BMW's is by far the best. And it's the most flexible we've
ever seen..."

"The BMW M3 is about as good as it gets," said AutoWeek in its January 14, '02
issue.

Motor Trend, in its January '02 Car of the Year story, stated that "In the end,
however, it's the BMW M3 that defines the notion of total performance. As we
said, M defined the formula and still executes it better than just about anyone
else."

The second model year saw introduction of BMW M's Sequential Manual Gearbox II
(SMG II), and that earned its own share of critical acclaim:

"The most sophisticated transmission available in a production car," concluded
Motor Trend in its August '02 issue.

"On the freeway, SMG provides a luxury you just can't get with a conventional
stick shift, and at the track, well, it makes you feel like a race driver,"
reported Road & Track in September '02.

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Please download number one of the attached documents to read the entire 2003 M3
story.