Experience Four Different States of Euphoria: Rolling Stone Music Stage to Present Performances by Leading Musical Acts at MINI Takes the States 2008

Experience Four Different States of Euphoria: Rolling Stone Music Stage to Present Performances by Leading Musical Acts at MINI Takes the States 2008

WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J., May 27 /PRNewswire/ -- When hundreds of MINI owners and their MINIs roll into four cities this summer for MINI Takes the States 2008, Rolling Stone magazine, the number one pop culture reference, will present performances by leading musical acts that are sure to rock the crowd.

Hosted by MINI USA, the series of events for MINI owners and future MINI owners will celebrate the spirit of the MINI brand in the U.S., and will foster a sense of community among a growing group of passionate owners and enthusiasts. MTTS 2008 will converge upon Miami from June 13th-15th, Boston from June 20th-22nd, Chicago from July 25th-27th, and Los Angeles from August 1st-3rd. Online event registration, more information and specific event details are available at: www.minitakesthestates.com.

Headline artists to be presented on the Rolling Stone Music Stage at MTTS 2008 are:

-- Michelle Branch (Miami), Sat., June 14 at 8:00 p.m., Homestead Miami
Speedway, Homestead, Fla.
-- Fountains of Wayne (Boston), Sat., June 21 at 8:00 p.m., University of
Massachusetts, Boston, Mass.
-- Blues Traveler (Chicago), Sat., July 26 at 8:00 p.m., Road America,
Elkhart Lake, Wis.
-- Vertical Horizon (Los Angeles), Sat., Aug. 2 at 8:00 p.m., Rose Bowl
Stadium, Pasadena, Calif.

Admission to MTTS 2008 is $20 for advance online registration at www.minitakesthestates.com, or $30 for on-site registrants. The net proceeds from the registration fees will benefit regional MINI Motoring Hearts(TM) charitable organizations. The Motoring Hearts program helps members of the MINI community easily find volunteer activities that match their interests.

The MINI Takes the States 2008 events will welcome members of the MINI community, prospective MINI owners and the otherwise curious for two days of action-packed events and activities. Event highlights include: an autocross, go-kart racing, rock climbing, a fun zone, a mountain bike stunt show, a car wash, MINI merchandise, product displays, live music and entertainment.

The inaugural MINI Takes the States of 2006 drew more than 6,000 MINI enthusiasts to join in a 15-day, 19-state, cross-country road trip from Monterrey, Calif., to Lime Rock, Conn. The 3,904-mile route included major event stops along the way in Nashville, St. Louis, Indianapolis and Jersey City, N.J.

For more information about events for MINI Takes the States 2008, please visit www.minitakesthestates.com

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, an industrial design firm 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 Z4 models, X5 Sports Activity Vehicles and X6 Sport 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, 142 BMW motorcycle retailers, 82 MINI passenger car dealers, and 30 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers. BMW (US) Holding Corp., the BMW Group's sales 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:

www.bmwgroupna.com

www.bmwusa.com

www.bmwmotorcycles.com

www.miniusa.com

www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com

About the Artists

Singer, songwriter, and guitarist Michelle Branch has always been a young woman in a big hurry. At the age of 18 she released her first multi-platinum album and turned the world onto her catchy, heartfelt sound with the hit singles "Everywhere" and "All You Wanted." Her second album proved to be just as successful with the hit singles "Are You Happy Now?" and "Breathe." Branch has collaborated with Carlos Santana and broke down the barriers between pop and country with her band The Wreckers. The Grammy winner is now back at work in the studio on her new solo album that is sure to embody the timeless, bold music fans have come to expect from her.

Fountains of Wayne took America by storm in 1996 with their single "Radiation Vibe," solidifying it as a top hit of the decade. The New York band has shown that their sound is just as relevant almost a decade later with their irresistibly catchy 2003 hit "Stacy's Mom." Their newest album Traffic and Weather received a four-star review by Rolling Stone, and is reestablishing the band as a definite force to be reckoned with in 2008.

Blues Traveler formed in New York City twenty years ago. With the release of Four (1994) Blues Traveler spawned one of the biggest hits of 1990s -- the Grammy-winning "Run-Around" -- which spent nearly a year on the charts and, along with the hit single "Hook," drove the album to sell over 5 million copies. Over the course of their career the band has released 8 studio albums, six of which have been certified either gold or platinum and have collectively sold over 10 million units worldwide.

Vertical Horizon developed their reputation for electrifying live performances through years of touring, building their fan base from a devoted grass-roots following to a fiercely loyal international audience. Their multi-platinum debut album, Everything You Want, featured four hit singles, including "You're A God," "Best I Ever Had," "We Are," and the title track, which reached #1 on the Billboard charts and was the most played song of the year 2000 on Top Forty radio. Their follow-up album, Go, featured the hits "I'm Still Here" and "Forever." Vertical Horizon's new release, Burning the Days, will be released this fall.

Source: MINI USA

CONTACT: Rubenstein Communications, Inc., Public Relations, Wendi
Parson, +1-212-843-8486, wparson@rubenstein.com; or Shawn Ticehurst, Marketing
and Events Communications Manager, BMW of North America, +1-201-594-3360,
shawn.ticehurst@bmwna.com

Web site:

http://www.minitakesthestates.com/

NOTE TO EDITORS: 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.bmwgroup.com.

Broadcast quality video footage is available via The NewsMarket at www.thenewsmarket.com.

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