"SAFE CAR OF THE MILLENNIUM" AWARD PRESENTED TO

"SAFE CAR OF THE MILLENNIUM" AWARD PRESENTED TO
BMW'S HEAD PROTECTION SYSTEM

Quebec City, Quebec, June 16th, 1999 ... BMW was presented today with the "Safe
Car of the Millennium" award by the International Brain Injury Association
(IBIA) in recognition of the company's Head Protection System (HPS) - a safety
engineering advance that can help reduce the risk of brain injury in the event
of a severe side impact. This is the first ever award given by the IBIA to
recognize an automobile manufacturer's contribution to the prevention of head
injuries.
"As motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of brain injury worldwide, BMW
is to be applauded for their achievement in making automobiles safer," explains
George A. Zitnay, PhD, President and CEO of the International Brain Injury
Association. "BMW approached the problem of brain injuries resulting from
automobile crashes with the idea that injury could be prevented - not just
minimized. As a result, they designed an innovative restraining system that
surpasses current head injury restraint standards in the U.S. IBIA encourages
other industries and manufacturers to follow the example set by BMW."
In case of a side-impact collision, the Head Protection System (HPS) - which is
integrated in the A-pillar and roofline - supplements the effect of the side
airbags that are integrated in the door panels. Only this combination of
cushioning devices helps to reduce head rotation and ensure a head-neck-spine
alignment needed to help prevent serious head or spinal injuries.

The HPS helps reduce risks in three major accident scenarios:
* It helps protect the head from contacting outside objects that are intruding
into the car (poles, trees, etc.)
* It helps prevent passengers from being thrown out of the car, especially in
rollover scenarios, and
* It helps keep the head, neck, and spine aligned and reduce head rotation
BMW introduced the world's first Head Protection System for automobiles, an
inflatable tubular device that deploys diagonally across the front side window,
in 1997. Today, all BMW sedans and new 3 Series coupes come standard with this
innovative safety device.
BMW has a long history in safety-related innovations (please see enclosed BMW
safety innovation timeline). The HPS is part of the BMW F.I.R.S.T. (Fully
Integrated Road Safety Technology) philosophy that is made up of multiple
active and passive safety modules.
Founded in 1993, the International Brain Injury Association (IBIA) is dedicated
to providing international leadership for individuals and organizations
throughout the world concerned with advancing opportunities and successes for
people with brain injuries. Accordingly, IBIA supports and coordinates training
of physicians, clinicians, educators, and other professionals, as well as
family advocates. A non-profit organization, IBIA sponsors educational
seminars, biennial world congresses, networking opportunities, research
activities, and supports international public policy initiatives. IBIA actively
promotes and communicates new technologies and advancements related to brain
injury. Furthering its commitment to advance the understanding of brain
injuries, IBIA merged with the International Association for the Study of
Traumatic Brain Injury (IASTBI) in 1998.
BMW entered the North American market in 1975. Since then, the company has
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, N.J.
# # #

HPS Quick facts:
* The HPS is different in a number of ways from frontal air bags. Front air
bags inflate in approximately 40 milliseconds; the HPS needs less than 20
milliseconds (0.020 seconds) for this task. Because there is no crumple zone on
the side of the car as there is in the front, deployment reaction has to be
much faster.
* Front air bags stay inflated for only about 150 milliseconds, while the HPS
stays inflated for at least 7 seconds, an important factor in helping to
prevent ejection in rollover accidents.
* The material used for the HPS has to withstand forces of up to 331 pounds and
must also be able to remain in perfect condition in a hostile environment of
heat up to 194 degrees Fahrenheit and temperatures below -31 degrees Fahrenheit
for the estimated lifetime of a car, 15 years.
* The technology that made the HPS possible was originally developed to protect
military helicopter pilots.
* With less sophisticated combination head/thorax bags, the person's head
pushes and compresses the bag, while the HPS restrains a person's head and
becomes a structural member of the vehicle.
* When inflated, the HPS forms a hollow, flexible, essentially airtight tube
about 4 feet long and about 5 inches in diameter.
* The innovation of the HPS made new test procedures necessary. The so-called
"pole test" was developed in cooperation between the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA) and BMW AG. In this test, a car collides with a
10-inch pole at a speed of 18 mph.
* 50% of occupants in severe side impacts are injured; of these, 43% sustain
head injuries. (NHTSA)

BMW Safety Timeline

1999
Dual Stage Deployment for front airbags
The system deploys the front airbags depending on crash severity: As gentle as
possible, as powerful as necessary. Introduced in March1999 with the 5 and 7
Series.

1998
Navigation/Mayday System
First in the market to offer automated distress call system with navigation
system. A touch of a button transmits the location of the vehicle and
automatically opens up a direct line to a live person at BMW's Roadside
Assistance Group for emergency response.

1997
Head Protection System
Entirely concealed behind the headliner, above the front doors and within the
A-pillar, the Head Protection System offers increased head protection in side
impacts. When deployed, the Head Protection System inflates to become a
structural part of the car by forming a straight line diagonally across the
side window. When inflated, each unit forms a hollow, flexible, essentially
airtight tube about 5 feet long and 5.1 inches in diameter. Introduced with
the 1998 7 Series models it now comes standard also on all 5 Series as well as
on the 3 Series sedans and coupes..

Rear side airbags
In extension of ASAP (Advanced Side Airbag Protection) BMW offers optional side
impact protection for the rear passengers. First available with the 1998 7
Series they are now available as an option on all 5 and 7 Series as well as
the new 3 Series sedans and coupes.

Battery safety terminal
The battery safety terminal (BST) will avoid short circuiting of the high
amperage starter circuit in an event of a collision. BST is actuated by the
air bag control unit and uses a pyrotechnical charge to separate the starter
cable from the battery in a crash.

1996
Driver and passenger side airbags
BMW's ASAP (Advanced Side Airbag Protection) system employs a large-area
inflatable bag in each front door. Front side airbags protect the thorax in
side impacts.
Introduced with the 1995 model year 7 Series, side airbags are now standard on
all BMW models.

1994
Dual Treshold Deployment of front airbags
First in the United States to offer an "intelligent" safety system, the
dual-threshold deployment system. When the safety belt is used, the airbag will
not deploy at a lower crash severity, but only at the higher crash severity,
where airbags are more effective. The "intelligent" safety system also knows if
the passenger seat is occupied; if not, its airbag will not deploy, saving
repair and insurance costs.

Passenger seat occupancy recognition
A sensor in the passenger seat recognizes if the seat is occupied or not. If
the seat is not occupied, the airbag won't go off in the event of a collision,
thus saving the expense of unnecessary replacement.

Interlocking door anchoring system
In each of the four doors is a diagonal aluminum reinforcement bar. The rear
end of this bar is anchored to a hook-like member that, in the event of a
serious side impact, "grabs" the body pillar. Thus the front door is "hooked
into" the B-pillar, the rear door into the body's rear quarter - helping hold
the body side together as a unit for significantly increased strength. The
system is designed so that after most impacts, elastic "snap-back" of the
system releases the hooks and the doors can be opened.
First introduced on the 1995 model year 7 Series it now comes standard with all
BMW sedans and the new 3 Series coupes.

1992
Front passenger airbag
The passenger's airbag is positioned in the top of the instrument panel. It
has dual gas generators and inflates to more than twice the volume of the
driver's airbag to provide restraint in the event of a frontal collision.

1990
Automatic front seat belt tensioners
This system automatically tightens the front belts in a collision, further
improving the restraint of occupants. It is integrated into the belt latches,
mounted to the inboard side of each front seat. Upon impact the system pulls
the latch downward to tighten both the shoulder and lap belt portions directly.
1989
Seat integrated belt system (SBS)
By anchoring the entire belt system to the seat itself, SBS provides an
optimum, consistent belt run. The shoulder belt, being anchored in a
locking/clamping reel just behind the shoulder, is significantly shorter than
one anchored to the lower body or B-pillar, so there's less belt stretch when
the belt is restraining the occupant. Thus there is no need for a belt
tensioner.

1986
Antilock braking system (ABS)
BMW was the first manufacturer in the U.S. to offer ABS across the model line
in 1986. The system minimizes wheel lock-up which can occur in inclement
weather (like rain, ice or snow) but can also occur on a dry road. No matter
how hard the driver brakes, the wheels do not lock up and skid. So, whether
driving in a curve or straight, rough or smooth road, slick or dry - the driver
can safely steer the car under braking, potentially avoiding an accident.

1985
Driver's side front airbag
Introduced the driver's airbag, which in a severe frontal impact inflates in
less than 40 milliseconds and helps prevent the driver from being thrown
against the steering wheel and dash. The airbag is a supplement to the use of
the safety belt, the primary restraint system in the vehicle.

Impact Sensor
In the event of a collision, the impact sensor automatically unlocks the doors
and turns on the four-way flashers and interior lights to facilitate rescue of
the occupants.

Adjustable seat belt anchoring points
Front sat belt anchoring points are adjustable for height, either manually or
automatically so that regardless of the size of the occupant, the ideal belt
positioning can be established.