100,000th BMW X5 Sports Activity Vehicle Rolls Off the Line

    SPARTANBURG, S.C., Aug. 23 BMW Manufacturing Corp. has
produced its 100,000th X5 sports activity vehicle.  The Siena Red X5, with
Beige Montana leather and wood trim, rolled off the Spartanburg-S.C. line at 3
p.m., EDT, today.  It will be shipped to a BMW dealership in Ottawa, Ontario,
Canada.
    
 The milestone X5 was unveiled to associates at the South Carolina factory
during celebrations Thursday.  X5 Project Leader Eduard Walek drove the
100,000th X5 off the Assembly line and through a ceremonial portal as
associates cheered.  He presented the keys to the 100,000th X5 to Dr. Helmut
Leube, president of BMW Manufacturing Corp.
    
The BMW X5 was named the safest vehicle ever tested in 2000 by the
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, and earned the highest rating the
institute has ever given a vehicle of any type or price range.  It has been
featured on Dateline, and, along with Walek, was this month's Quality Digest
cover story.
   
 "I am absolutely thrilled to take part in this milestone," Walek said.
"This is testament to years of planning and to everyone's hard work.
"From the beginning, it was our intention to develop a vehicle that set a new
standard as far as SUVs are concerned.  We did not accept the standards that
applied to [other SUVs].  We adhered to one principle: The X5 must be as safe
as the passenger cars produced by BMW."
    
The X5 is the first sports activity vehicle (SAV), combining the powerful
acceleration and exceptional handling of a car, with the advanced traction
technologies and all-wheel drive of an SUV.
   
 The first X5 rolled off the production lines in Sept. 1, 1999.  BMW
Manufacturing Corp. celebrated the completion of the 50,000th X5 in January,
2001.
    
Those interested in viewing an X5 being built can take a virtual tour of
the process at http://www.bmwusfactory.com and by clicking on "Building a BMW."
    BMW Manufacturing Corp. is a subsidiary of BMW AG in Munich, Germany.  In
addition to the South Carolina manufacturing facility, BMW's North American
subsidiaries include sales, marketing and financial services operations in the
United States, Canada and throughout Latin America; an information technology
consulting and systems integration firm in South Carolina; a production
facility in Mexico; and a design firm in California.