Special edition models come in all shapes and sizes. Some come in the form of tiny pocket rockets while others come in the form of luxury barges on four wheels. The BMW 745Le for Ellerman House falls closer with the latter, and it fits the bill of a legitimate special edition model that was created exclusively for the luxury boutique hotel in Cape Town, South Africa. That means the BMW 745Le for Ellerman House isn’t for sale; you can only ride it if you stay at Ellerman House. That’s a fair tradeoff for the opportunity to ride in one of the most exclusive BMW 745Le models in the world.

2021 BMW 745Le xDrive Ellerman House

Specifications

• Make: Array
• Model: 2021 BMW 745Le xDrive Ellerman House
• Horsepower: 389
• Torque: 443
• [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array

Pros

Cons

What's so special about the BMW 745Le for Ellerman House?

On its own, the BMW 745Le already stands as one of BMW’s most luxurious models. Throw in its purpose as the official chauffeur vehicle of one of South Africa’s most luxurious boutique hotels and the involvement of noted South African artist and botanical sculptor Nic Bladen and you have the perfect storm for a truly remarkable vehicle.

There’s not much going on in the exterior of the 745Le for Ellerman House, though the limousine does wear an exclusive Brass paint finish with the extended BMW Individual High Gloss Shadow Line acting as a nice complement. The special edition Bimmer also sits on a set of 20-inch, star spoke design M light-alloy wheels. The brass theme continues with door sills that bear the “Ellerman House” lettering. These additions cover a lot of the exclusive upgrades to the exterior of the 745Le. It’s not much, but the upgrades are effective in highlighting the 745Le’s status as a special edition model.

BMW’s Pure Excellence package is prominently featured in the interior of the 745Le, particularly with the sport leather steering wheel and the fancy headliner. BMW also went with a full Merino leather upholstery in Tartufo and Cognac colors. A lot of interior elements are dressed in the fancy leather option. From the door paneling frame to the instrument panel to the aforementioned headliner, everything is dressed to the nines in Tartufo leather. The pillow cushions weren’t left out, too. Not only are they dressed in the same Tartufo color as the rest of the interior, but they also come with an “EH” signet on the front — “EH” stands for Ellerman House — and “BMW Individual Manufacture” on the back.

Acting as contrast to all the Tartufo goodness are the parts that are dressed in Cognac-colored leather. The center console, switch panels, and the cover of the center tunnel are all part of Team Cognac-colored leather.

At this point, you’re probably wondering where Nick Bladen comes in. The world-famous artist who’s known for using replicas of plants and casting them in precious metals created that visual look for the 745Le for Ellerman House. All it took was a special process that involved transferring the replicas of plants cast in precious metal and turning them into two-dimensional forms similar to a herbarium. Eventually, Balden’s works of art were embedded and turned into incredible inlays in the interior trim strips of the 745Le. From the process to the creation of the final product that we see as trim in the interior of the 745Le, Balden’s imprint is literally and figuratively present in this one-off BMW.

Does it come with engine upgrades?

The BMW 745Le for Ellerman House comes with a standard mechanical setup. It’s powered by a 3.0-liter inline-six engine that produces 280 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque.

Power goes to all four wheels courtesy of an eight-speed automatic transmission, and while the 745Le isn’t the fastest car of its size to 60 mph — it can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 5.1 seconds and hit a top speed of 155 mph — you’re not really going to focus on the car’s performance times as much when you’re drowning in all that luxury.

The BMW 745Le for Ellerman House is a one-off creation that BMW created for the South African luxury boutique hotel. It’s not for sale unless you buy the hotel itself, in which case, the 745Le for Ellerman House could come with that purchase.

BMW 745Le xDrive Ellerman House specifications

Final Thoughts

I’ve seen a lot of special edition super-luxury limousines in the past, but there is something inherently unique about the 745Le for Ellerman House. Maybe it’s because there’s just one model of its kind in the world. Maybe it’s because artist Nik Blanden was involved in its development. Maybe it’s because the only chance to ride in it is to book in the luxury boutique hotel. Maybe it’s all of these put together. Whatever the case is, the BMW 745Le for Ellerman House is singular in its status as it is in its uniqueness.