Press release

THOUSANDS OF MINI VEHICLES MOTOR INTO PHILDELPHIA, BALTIMORE AND WASHINGTON D.C.

Woodcliff Lake, NJ,  August 5, 2010.

For Release: IMMEDIATE

Contact: Nathalie Bauters
MINI Communications Manager
201-930-3166
nathalie.bauters@miniusa.com

PFPR Communications
Yvonne Malmgren, 586-453-2912
yvonne.malmgren@pfpr.com

MINI TAKES THE STATES (MTTS) has officially begun and thousands of MINI vehicles are making their way along the eastern route. The rally will stop today and tomorrow in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Baltimore, Maryland and Washington D.C. for special events and typical MINI-style fun.

"MTTS 2010 is our largest rally endeavor yet, and is sure to be a great experience for everyone involved," said Jim McDowell – Vice President, MINI USA. "MINI owners who are motoring along the route, and friends of the brand who meet us at rally stops, are guaranteed life-memorable experiences as well as new friendships and great stories to take back home."

MINI owners, executives and local notables will tour the Simeone Automotive Museum on Friday, August 6th. Viewing one of the world's greatest collections of racing sports cars recalls MINIs celebrated racing heritage, with the event providing a Philadelphia-themed lunch for MTTS participants, hosted by Princeton MINI, Otto's MINI and MINI of the Main Line.

The rallying cars will "pit-stop" Friday evening at the Baltimore Hilton for a "Taste of Maryland" strolling dinner hosted by MINI of Annapolis and MINI of Baltimore County. In addition to the Maryland-themed dinner, MTTS participants and guests will donate non-perishable food items to benefit the Maryland Food Bank.

On Saturday, August 7th, MINI owners and anyone considering a MINI will have the opportunity to take their driving skills to the next level at a specially designed autocross course called MINIcross. Professional drivers will demonstrate MINI vehicle capabilities and instruct participants how to get the most performance out of their vehicle. A celebrity MINIcross challenge is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. where former NFL players and Super Bowl Champions, Charles Mann and Wilber Marshall will race head to head.

The all-new 2011 MINI Countryman will be on display at each of the stops as it makes its American motoring debut along each of the five official MTTS routes to Denver. The Countryman's journey provides participants and guests alike the opportunity to view the latest addition to the MINI line-up for the first time outside of auto show displays. MINI USA dealers are already taking orders for the Countryman, which will arrive in US dealerships early next year.

MTTS has steadily grown into a motoring enthusiast phenomenon since 2006, with this year's rally including "pit stops" for MINI owners at the legendary Indianapolis 500 Speedway and Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats. MTTS caps off with a weekend-long festival in Denver, Colorado, August 13-15, 2010. This year's includes thousands of participants will motor 8,000 combined miles while traveling across 19 states.

Local Event Details:

The Simeone Automotive Museum Tour and Philly-themed lunch takes place on August 6th from 12:00-2:00 p.m. at 6825-31 Norwitch Drive, Philadelphia, PA 19153.

The "Taste of Maryland" event takes place on August 6th from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Baltimore Hilton, Lobby B, 401 West Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21201.

The MINIcross driving event will be held Saturday, August 7, 2010 from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. at FedEx Field, Parking Lot A, 1600 FedEx Way, Landover, MD 20785.

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, a strategic design consultancy 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 X5 Sports Activity Vehicles and X6 Sports 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, 143 BMW motorcycle retailers, 99 MINI passenger car dealers, and 31 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers. BMW (US) Holding Corp., the BMW Group's sales headquarters for North America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.

Information about BMW Group products is available to consumers via the Internet at: www.bmwgroupna.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.bmwna.com. Additional information, images and video may be found at www.miniusanews.com. Broadcast quality video footage is available via The NewsMarket at www.thenewsmarket.com.

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