Three decades ago, BMW was a radically different company. For starters, it had only four models available in South Africa: 3-Series at the bottom, 5-Series in the middle and 7-Series at the top. Well ... there was another level to unlock if you were really doing well, as the dazzling 8-Series could be had on special order.
In 2023 there is considerably more to choose from, more than can be counted on two hands. The automaker claimed other numbers (1-Series and 2-Series), in addition to spawning a comprehensive range of sport-utility vehicles under the X-range. We cannot forget its ownership and rejuvenation of the Mini and Rolls-Royce brands.
And then we have the growing portfolio of electric offerings: i3, i4, iX3, iX and i7. Easy to argue that the most visually attractive of the lot is the i4, the subject of our drive this week. It incorporates classic coupé proportions with the practicality of a four-door, fastback configuration, tempered with some of the more controversial aspects of current BMW design language.
Time might have played a role, but somehow that assertive pair of kidney grilles seems more palatable today than when they debuted on the 4-Series concept at Frankfurt in 2019. At our destination, the Palace of the Lost City, this blue i4 cuts a sleek profile at odds with the towering, ornate structure behind it.
Interestingly, the Sun City flagship hotel celebrated its 30th birthday in December. Seasoned members of the concierge team have seen all manner of motoring exotica pass under the portico over the years. Lately, high-end electric vehicles seem to make the loudest statement.
Indeed, those who own them are slightly less vulnerable to the vagaries of unpredictable energy supply, thanks to home solar and inverter solutions. Being able to show a finger to Eskom is the ultimate flex in 2023.
The Palace seems to be a popular venue for the elite population of holidaymakers who like to stretch their electric vehicles’ legs, with multiple 22kW AC chargers in a dedicated parking section.
In the basement, we spot another i4, as well as an Audi RS E-Tron GT, plus various iX3 units used by the hotel to ferry guests around the resort. More powerful DC charging options are under consideration. While the motoring landscape has changed quite dramatically in three decades, perhaps these guests take comfort in the kingdom-themed familiarity of the venue, largely unaltered since it opened in 1992.
The inauguration of the Palace hotel and Lost City resort was a big deal. An advertising supplement in the December 6 1992 edition of the Sunday Times Magazine boasts of an R800m investment towards creating the latter, including a 33-hectare man-made jungle with as many as 700,000 trees.
At the time, Sun International boss Sol Kerzner described it as "the most challenging, most exciting and most complex” project of his career. “Following a political settlement in South Africa, tourism should become one of the biggest industries in the region,” he foretold.
It was not all sunshine and palm trees. A Business Times piece in the opening month revealed doubts about whether the grand establishment would be sustainable. An excerpt from another analysis read: “Given the transitory state of South African politics, the old system of patronage will come under scrutiny, it begs the question: how well would Sun International perform on a level playing field? Going by recent financial results, not so well.”
Uncertainties were probably eclipsed by global events such as the Miss World pageant, hosted there in December 1992. A hotel review on Gwen Gill’s consumer page in Sunday Times’ Metro section is headlined: “Live like a king if you can afford R50 for a double!”
Gill loved the outright luxury of the Palace, which she wrote “elevates kitsch to an art form”, but noted that steep pricing put the experience squarely in the realm of the highest flyers. Gill quoted R620 for a standard room and a whopping R10.50 for an orange juice.
It was a different time, of course, and R620 from 1992 would be equivalent to about R3,600 in 2023 terms, according to an inflation calculator. R10.50 equates to just more than R60 now. Expect to pay upwards of R5,217 for a night at the Palace today.
Speaking of money, the BMW i4 M50 tested here will set you back R1,637,900. This makes it a (relative) performance car bargain. It accelerates from 0-100km/h in 3.9 seconds, which is the same as a rear-wheel drive BMW M4 Competition. To get into an M4 these days, you will need to shell out R2,100,000.
The money you save on fuel over the ownership period with an i4 could be used for getaways at luxury hotels. How much does a full tank of electricity set you back? Public DC chargers cost about R5.88/kWh. To replenish the 83.9kWh battery of the BMW from flat would cost R493. The national network of public charging facilities is growing, with more than 300 now established, according to service provider GridCars.
The i4 cruises in silence and the ride quality is surprisingly compliant. It lives up to the glamorous, grand tourer heritage forged by elegant BMW coupés of yesteryear. Battery replete, the i4 indicated a range of 360km. In theory, the 320km round-trip to and from Sun City could have been made on a single charge. On the road, in Eco Pro mode, electricity consumption is fairly parsimonious (16kWh/100km) and range anxiety was not an issue.
But the shoddy quality of the R512 and R556 roads were a source of stress, with craters and ripples that would have easily shred the low-profile rubber of the BMW. After the tension induced by pothole-dodging, unwinding at the Valley of the Waves is an essential activity. Follow that up with a trip to the Royal Spa.
Round it off with quiet contemplation over brunch in the Crystal Court, overlooked by those massive elephant sculptures, while a pianist cranks out Claude Debussy’s Claire de Lune. For smoother sailing back to Johannesburg, go past Rustenburg, using the R565, R104 and R24.
The author was invited to the establishment by Sun International.
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