A unique vehicle by BMW Individual Manufaktur for the Ellerman House luxury hotel in Cape Town.

Cape Town. Luxurious hospitality, an exquisite art collection and a particularly spectacular view of the sunset on the Atlantic coast make Ellerman House in Cape Town, South Africa, a hotel for discerning guests. In future, even the journey to the refuge high above Bantry Bay will be an exceptionally exclusive experience for them.

A highly individualised version of the BMW 745Le xDrive luxury sedan serves as the new Ellerman House courtesy car. It was designed by BMW Individual in collaboration with South African artist and botanical sculptor Nic Bladen. This unique car combines a luxurious driving experience with the high-quality elegance of its exterior and interior design and an artistic homage to the unique vegetation of the region around Cape Town.

“BMW and Ellerman House enjoy a strong relationship and we both pride ourselves in providing elegant and discreet luxury to our customers. It was a perfect fit for both of us to work with South African artist, Nic Bladen. He is a master of his craft and he used the BMW 745Le as his canvas to create a unique piece of art,” said Tim Abbott, CEO: BMW Group South Africa & Sub-Saharan Africa.

Just like the luxury cars by BMW, the renowned Ellerman House is predestined for providing its demanding target groups with unique experiences. A stay at this exclusive hotel is also an impressive experience thanks to the collection of contemporary South African artwork assembled by hotel owner Paul Harris.

A close connection between luxury ambience and art now also gives the BMW 745Le xDrive designed for Ellerman House its unmistakable character. It is perfected by the creations of Nic Bladen. Known for his replicas of South African plants created from precious metals, the artist created an authentic reference to his home country in the interior of the luxury sedan.

BMW 745Le xDrive for Ellerman House: Plug-in hybrid drive, exclusive paint finish, unique interior.

 The BMW 745Le xDrive serves as the basis for the unique specimen created by BMW Individual Manufaktur, which will in future be used to chauffeur the guests of Ellerman House. Its plug-in hybrid drive consists of an in-line 6-cylinder petrol engine and an electric motor, which together generate a system output of up to 290 kW/394 hp.

Thanks to an electric range of 51 to 54 kilometres, the plug-in hybrid luxury sedan can cover the approximately 25 kilometre drive from Cape Town airport to the resort with zero local emissions.

It’s paint finish in exclusive Brass is combined with the extended BMW Individual High Gloss Shadow Line, 20-inch M light alloy wheels in star spoke design and bicolour finish and an M sports package. The brass-coloured door sills bear the "Ellerman House” lettering.

The interior design Pure Excellence and the BMW Individual Merino full leather upholstery in Tartufo/Cognac colours is enriched by numerous individual accents. In addition to electrically adjustable comfort seats including massage function, seat heating and active seat ventilation, the electrically operated sun blinds, the Sky Lounge panorama glass roof, the Ambient Light and the Ambient Air Package contribute to maximum well-being in the rear.

Natural shapes and precious metal: South Africa's flora blooms on the interior trim panels.

 The innovative and unique design of the interior trim panels featured in the BMW 745Le xDrive by BMW Individual Manufaktur is the work of South African artist Nic Bladen, who draws inspiration for his work from the characteristic flora of his home country. Using plaster casts and liquid gold, silver or platinum, he creates detailed sculptures of leaves, flowers, roots and twigs, modelled on wild plants.

His wish: guests of Ellerman House, who admire the interior trim panels designed by him while driving in the BMW 745Le xDrive, should later recognise the plants immortalised there in the wild, in order to remember not only the luxurious driving experience, but also the diverse vegetation of South Africa, which is so worth protecting.

The creation of the new shuttle car by BMW Individual Manufaktur was documented in a video series well worth watching. The videos are available on YouTube using the search term #BMWxEllermanHouse.

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If you have any queries regarding this press release, please contact:

Ms Lindsay Pieterse
Group Communications
AK-61-ZA
Specialist: Planning, Steering & Lifestyle Communications
Tel: +27-12-522-2210
Cell: +27-71-666-2210
Mail: Lindsay.Pieterse@bmw.co.za