Links to Automotive Business

What was the biggest problem in 2010? Not enough people to take care of the Customers! This is the single biggest problem I see today in Dealerships. In 2010, I’ve visited Dealerships from Kentucky to Virginia to Texas to Minnesota to Georgia to Wisconsin to Florida. All but one have the same problem in common – not enough people to “cuddle” the Customers. Since 2008, almost every business cut its staff. It made sense. The future was uncertain; businesses needed to remain profitable and the logical place to start was the single largest expense every non-manufacturing business has – Personnel Expense. Several positives came from this. Dealerships were able to get rid of outrageous guarantees, “dead weight” and they were forced to improve and streamline processes. But if Dealers want to thrive in the coming years now that the economy is well-past “rock bottom” (March, 2009), they have to be prepared to grow their Service & Parts business by being able to handle the business professionally and properly.

The problem seems to be that Dealers are now “addicted” to very high Net Profits and Net Profit to Gross Profit ratios. What I am talking about is adding straight commissioned Service Advisors and Technicians to the Staff, not overhead “fat”. This will increase both Gross Profits and Net Profits. New Vehicle Sales will not “rebound” to previous levels for years; it’s called “the New Normal”. The “gold” is in Used, Service and Parts. Prepare for “the New-Normal” that we have been in and will be in for the next few years by staffing your Departments with the right number of Employees to take care of your current and prospective Customers. In the Service Department, to have enough time to take care of the Customers, your Service Advisors should NOT be handling more than 15 Customers a day on average (12 if you are a high-line Dealer). And if your Service Advisors have taken on the cashiering duties or warranty coding, the number of Customers they should handle should be less. Here’s a simple exercise; for the month take the number of Customer Pay and Warranty Repair Orders and add them together. Add in the Internal Repair Orders IF your Service Advisors also write those. Then divide the R.O. totals by the number of Service Advisors. If you answer exceeds 325, you need more Advisors.

Scion unveiled its Racing GReddy FR-S race car in January 2012 during the North American International Auto Show (NAIA). The FR-S will be competing in the 2012 Formula DRIFT series with veteran driver Ken Gushi behind the wheel. The FR-S race car will feature over 600 horsepower and 500 lb-ft of torque. The FR-S race car is the product of strong collaboration between Scion Racing and GReddy, a performance-products company that has been involved with Toyota and racing for over twenty years. That means that you can expect to smell rubber and be knocked over in awe of the power that this little rocket will deliver during drift events.

The race car is inspired by the 2013 Scion FR-S, a new compact rear wheel drive (RWD) sports car that will go on sale in the spring of 2012. The high-performance coupe is the fifth model to join the Scion product range and brings back memories of Toyota’s Supra. Scion is planning to release the FR-S race car around spring of 2012 when the 2013 Scion FR-S will also be released for sale. Both cars will challenge the current compact sports car scene and the overall racing standards as the new FR-S race car stands to compete with a number of other high performance tuners.

The regular 2013 Scion FR-S stands for a Front-engine, Rear-wheel drive, Sport car, which is how Scion is attempting to define their new model. Scion is focusing on bringing a car with balanced performance, handling and style while yielding high MPG at the same time.

Officially unveiled at the January, 2012 National American International Auto (NAIA) show in Detroit, the Lexus LF-LC concept is looking to push the Lexus brand in a new more sporty and exciting direction.

When Lexus comes to mind, one would think of luxury, comfort, and service. Lexus is Toyota’s premier brand that has relentlessly maintained a conservative brand image around great luxury sedans. Since Lexus’ foundation in 1989 it has been held as Japan’s largest sell of premium cars, a title that only recently has been encroached upon by Hyundai and Infiniti.

So if you’re Lexus, how do you convince the world that you’re not just a boring, heavy, slow, sedan manufacturer? Well, first you build an exotic supercar that no one can afford, the LFA, then you wet some more appetites with a sport coupe that people can potentially afford, the LF-LC concept.

As a 2+2 (two front, two rear) coupe, the car is undoubtedly stunning. The front features a bold grill that is accented by LED lights that trail towards LED headlights with swooping curves that meet on the hood in the shape of an L, a subtle touch. The hood then curves it’s way towards the wide rear wheel arches to connect what Lexus calls “balance and flow.” This LF-LC concept dictates a more aggressive stance than any Lexus before and is rumored to be a more masculine alternative for the somewhat underwhelming SC line.

The interior is dressed in flashy gadgets from left to right but perhaps the most stunning feature is the driver’s dash. The presentation of information is absolutely stunning and is one of the few futuristic looks that actually works with modern design. The configuration on the interior presents for an “intuitive driving experience,” that is sure to bring a smile to anyone’s face when they realize this Lexus was meant to wake people up, not put them to sleep.