On the corner of Allandale and Pretorius in Midrand, you will find a flagship BMW dealership.
As a flagship, they receive the best and latest performance machines this brand loves to produce.
They’ve sold thousands of vehicles since opening their doors in 2018 and even delivered several new M4 Competitions before they were officially released.
TopAuto paid a visit to BMW Midrand to have a look at their operations.
Spectacular showroom
Arriving at the facility, it was clear this was no ordinary dealership.
It’s a few hundred metres from the gate to the entrance, and you pass three separate showrooms on your way there.
A BMW Genius then met us at the door, and the tour started.
Right up front, less than 2 metres from the entrance, stood an old BMW “New Six” 3.0l automatic.
It’s around 50 years old and still in mint condition.
Further down there was an E36 316i that had been restored to factory condition.
It is the dealership owner’s pride and joy, and it is unlikely that it will ever trade hands again.
Considering the M cars that were just released, however, these old guys didn’t get too much attention.
An M8 Competition Gran Coupe, M2 Competition, E92 M3 GT racing car, and the newest G82 M4 Competition were all on display.
I would like to add that photos do not do the new M cars justice.
There has been some debate about the new grille on the M4, but prepare to have your mind changed when you see the car in person.
Polarising looks aside, the new grille does serve a practical purpose.
The previous generation’s grille was too small to feed this 375kW beast, and massive air inlets are needed to provide sufficient cooling to the new engine.
The pre-owned showroom was up next.
There were M cars to drool over – including a previous-generation M4CS – and 8-Series models aplenty if the first one didn’t suit your fancy.
If your budget is a bit less adventurous, there are plenty of 3-Series and X3 models to choose from, too.
Next to this area was a spot for the Mini brand.
They have all the new models, as you’d expect, along with the all-electric Mini SE – which I have yet to see outside a dealership showroom.
An older-generation Mini GP was at the back getting detailed, and, just recently, they also delivered a new GP to one happy customer.
This concluded the showroom tour – but was not the end of what BMW Midrand had to offer.
One floor above stood new BMWs awaiting their next owners.
There were over 100 vehicles here – still covered in their protective plastics – and everyone had that new car smell (I checked).
There were also two new M4 Competitions – one in white, and one in the shocking yellow you’ve see in the press shoots.
The yellow isn’t bad, but I’ve seen better choices made by the guys in Munich.
We looked around in hopes of eyeing the new M3, but these were delivered to their lucky owners a few days prior.
We also passed a workshop, which I’m sure will put other dealerships to shame, and arrived at the final area where only BMW customers are allowed – the delivery rooms.
The dealership has spent upwards of R1.4 million building three exceptional delivery rooms, each with their own atmosphere, in order to deliver a car to its next owner.
The tranquil, spa-like showroom with lots of natural light and plants is reserved for hybrid and electric deliveries only.
The trendy, modern showroom with fashionable fixtures is reserved for cars that aren’t powered by electricity.
The tyre-walled, race track-themed showroom is reserved for the fastest BMWs, which will need an M badge on them.
Staff members at the dealership will also secretly find out what your favourite song is, turn down the lights in the showroom, turn on your new car’s daytime running lights, and then blast the song through top-of-the-line speakers as your new car is unveiled.
BMW sells around 900 vehicles per month nationwide – we were told – and after our experience, I would bet this dealership sells many of them.
BMW Midrand – Photos
Keyword: Take a look inside the flagship BMW dealership in Midrand