Community – Page 20 – Park Place Dealerships

June 30, 2014May 7, 2015

Lexus Wins its 17th JD Power Award

When you buy a car you want to trust that everything’s going to run smoothly, the way it is meant to be. And there’s one manufacturer that has been doing it the “way it is meant to be” for almost the past two decades. This standalone manufacturer in the dependability category is Lexus.

When it comes to dependability, the world knows that winning the JD Power award is the apex. This year Lexus again took the top spot in J.D. Power’s 2014 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study – now three straight years. The Japanese auto maker has averaged 40 fewer problems per 100 vehicles than the second closest manufacturer, and that’s a lot. The 2014 Lexus ES, LS, GS, GX and RX won individual awards as well, each coming in top of their class. Although Lexus lost the top ranking in 2009-11, it had been on top of the survey for 14 years before that. All this being said, the Lexus brand stands as the cornerstone of quality and dependability in the automotive industry. Lexus’ constant “Pursuit of Perfection”, partnered with its penchant for innovation, has helped this automaker establish itself as quality manufacturer. Their vehicles exude class, comfort, efficiency and most of all dependability.

If you are looking for a car that is made to be more reliable than any other on the road, then you should check-out the impressive inventory of new and pre-owned Lexus vehicles at Lexus Plano or Lexus Grapevine.

June 27, 2014May 7, 2015

Bugatti Vitesse Makes Appearance In Dallas After Filming For Transformers 4: Age Of Extinction

If you follow Park Place on Facebook and are a fan of the Autobots, then you just might recognize a familiar face(or grille) when Transformers 4 hits the big screen today. In a recent visit to the Park Place Premier Collection, Bugatti brought along a beautiful two-toned blue Bugatti Vitesse. We were surprised and excited to find out later that this was the exact vehicle that was used to film what we can assume will be some very intense movie magic!

Transformers: Age of Extinction hits theaters today, June 27^th, as the fourth installment of the epic saga with a lineup of cars and stars that could very well set the fourth film far apart from its predecessors. One major automotive addition that runs alongside Optimus Prime and Bumblebee is the beautiful two tone blue Bugatti Vitesse that made an appearance right here at the Park Place Premier Collections. In case you’ve forgotten your French 101, Vitesse means speed or velocity, and some of our clients had the exciting opportunity to test it out around Dallas. We are all excited to see what Michael Bay has in store for this forth movie and what he can do with the fastest production machine in the world. If you have the desire to build your own Bugatti Vitesse on the Park Place website, click here and let your imagination run wild. To learn more about the world’s finest automobile maker check out the Park Place Bugatti Dallas website.

June 24, 2014May 7, 2015

Mclaren Dallas Offers an Experience of a Life Time: The 2014 US Grand Prix in Austin, TX

Formula-One Grand Prix races are sporting events incomparable to any automotive event we praise this side of the Atlantic. With the finest machines on the globe hugging every corner and zooming through winding curves at speeds of up to 240mph, all while being surrounded by miles of adoring fans, Formula-One races are one extreme spectacle . They are events that very rarely make their way state side for the average American to experience in person. Now, with Circuit the of Americas, the first track in the United States ever built for the purpose of running these magnificent races, every American who finds themselves with a thirst for watching the world’s fastest and most talented drivers combat each other under the Texas sunshine has a chance to.

This year the Circuit of the Americas will run the 2014 US Grand Prix on October 31- November 1. As if spending Halloween on Austin’s famous 6th street wasn’t excitement enough, then waking up and going to watching one of the premier sporting events in the world on top of that should seal the deal. The tickets for this event are available through your official Dallas McLaren Dealer with a wide range of packages and experiences available for any kind of race fan. McLaren looks to make quite a splash at this year’s F1 USGP, following up a win in Austin at the 2012 USGP and a solid showing in last year’s race. For a quick, all-inclusive run down of the Circuit of the Americas track, Formula-One cars and the McLaren team through the eyes of Jay Leno, watch the video below.

For those of you who are not as astute in the storied past of Formula-One racing, McLaren has a history in the sport that is almost second to none. They take this same lineage of excellence on the track and bring it to the street with every production car made entirely by hand – the McLaren 650S and 650S Spider. To experience these amazing cars up-close and in-person, come by McLaren Dallas, part of the Park Place Premier Collection. If you aren’t looking for a new set of wheels but are intrigued by the chance of a life time to experience Formula-One racing under the Texas sun, then check out the ticket options offered by McLaren through McLaren Dallas here.

June 23, 2014May 7, 2015

Maserati: A Sports Car Perfectly Crafted for Fort Worth

Do you ever wonder what it feels like to make it? It is that sudden sense that everything is in order, like all the stars aligned for you at that moment in time. Many people search all their life for that feeling. When you sit behind the wheel of the 2014 Maserati GranTurismo and you push “start”, the sudden purr of the hand crafted Italian V8 engine immediately summons the goose bumps to cover your skin. You get that feeling, that “wow, Mom, look I made it” feeling.

I got the privilege to find myself behind the wheel of one the other day along with getting the chance to explore a city that was so close to home yet felt far away, Fort Worth. As I drove the new 2014 Maserati Ghibli through the streets of Fort Worth’s iconic stockyards while having longhorns and beautiful stallions prance beside me it felt oddly fitting. To have this masterpiece from the Mediterranean rolling around the streets of a place where the Wild West is forever incarnate from the millions of hoofs and horse shoes that have galloped along those very streets. Fort Worth is a city that’s not flashy, it isn’t a place that screams glamor but at the same time it has this wonderful nostalgia that roams the streets. From the Kimble to Will Rodgers hall to 7^th street and the river everything about the city just seems to make you feel welcomed and warm.

Maybe it’s the Texas charm and being born and raised in Dallas that is something I know quite a lot about but the charm coming from the people and places in Fort Worth has a different ring to it. It is almost as if the there is an extra added hint of humbleness to the already overstated Texas sized pride we all take on from being a part of this state.

That same feeling of humble excellence is the feeling you get when you take a Maserati over the Trinity River Bridge. It gives you a soft simile like you are getting a pat on the back for a long day’s hard work .The Maserati and Fort Worth have an almost Yin-Yang way of meshing together perfectly. The combination together perfectly defines this image of cow town luxury and as you turn the corner to receive a gentle tip of the cowboy hat from the man on his horse toward you in the pearl white Italian sports car you just know that this is the place where an automobile like this belongs.

Driving around a masterpiece of machinery like the 2014 Maserati GranTurismo or its four door counterparts the 2014 Quattroporte and the 2014 Ghibli is an experience that’s words sometimes fail to do justice to but I tried to do my best. Although if my words did not seem to be sufficient then I urge you to go check out the brand new Park Place Maserati Fort Worth and see what it feels like for yourself.

June 18, 2014May 7, 2015

Park Place Bodywerks: Body Shop Now Open In Fort Worth

Park Place Bodywerks is proud to announce our newest full-service body shop in Fort Worth servicing all of the luxury brands Park Place represents. Specializing in paintless dent repair, structural and mechanical repairs, painting, and refinishing, Bodywerks is staffed with factory-trained technicians and paint specialists working with state-of-the-art technology to ensure like-new results every time. We know that you have a choice when it comes to where you take your car for collision repair, so at Park Place Bodywerks, we promise to provide all our customers with the standard of excellence that has come to be synonymous with the Park Place name. We repair all our cars with OEM parts specifically designed to your vehicle.

Each repair is held to within a millimeter standard and run through a rigorous series of checks before we know it is ready to be returned to you as good as new. All production employees receive the highest levels of training and work with the latest equipment so that they can perform at the highest level of competence. Our technicians utilize the wireless network in the shops to access the information they need from laptops wherever they are, be it in their stalls or out in the lot inspecting accident repairs. At our auto repair and body shop we are constantly searching for the latest, most advanced equipment and software available to help our members be as informed, productive and proficient as possible.

With our online repair tracker, you can track the progress of your vehicle repair in real time. As your vehicle passes through each phase of the repair process, the status is updated in the system so you will always know what is going on with the repairs to your vehicle. It’s this level of service that makes Park Place Bodywerks unique. Scheduling an appraisal appointment is quick and easy, you can use our convenient online form at bodyshop.parkplace.com or call us at 844-785-8481.

Park Place Bodywerks by the numbers:

• One of only four certified Rolls-Royce repair, paint and body shop facilities in the country.

• One of 10 certified Bentley body shop and repair facilities in the nation.

• The largest Mercedes-Benz Tier 2 aluminum certified collision repair facility in the country.

• Authorized Lexus dealer collision repair, body and paint facility.

• Largest Certified Porsche collision repair and paint facility in the Southwest United States.

• The only Jaguar Certified Dealer Collision Repair facility in DFW.

• One of only seven certified McLaren body shops in the country; only one in the southwest.

• Only authorized Maserati collision repair facility in North Texas.

• The only Volvo Certified Dealer Collision Repair facility in Dallas/ Fort Worth.

• Dallas / Ft. Worth only certified Land Rover collision repair facility.

• Only Mercedes-Benz Sprinter certified body shop in Dallas/Fort Worth.

• Only Authorized Lotus collision repair facility in North Texas.

• One of only two Nissan GTR Certified facilities in over 1000 miles.

June 12, 2014May 7, 2015

Porsche’s Roaring Reemergence in the 82nd Le Mans after 16 years of Silence

After a 16 year hiatus, Porsche will once again compete in the top category of what is certainly the world’s toughest car race. In Le Mans, France starting at 3:00 pm on June 14, 2014 Porsche’s attempt to return to glory will begin. Le Mans is a 24 hour long race that consists of only the world’s finest and fastest car, drivers and teams. With 56 cars in the field and over a quarter million spectators in the grand stands Le Mans has been known around the globe by all speed enthusiasts as the premier race since 1923. When it comes to top class automotive engineering, performance and innovation there is no other race that comes close to Le Mans. This is the race where legends are made; the difference between agony and ecstasy is measured in millimeter and milliseconds.

Porsche is a record holder at Le Mans with 16 overall victories, the first in 1970 and the last in 1988 along with being the first to ever win with a turbo in 1976. Yet this year the legendary sports car manufacturer has no experience to benefit from due to its absence over the past 16 Le Mans. For the first year of the LMP1 project the target is to get one of the fast Porsche 919 Hybrids to the finish line at the marathon. The Porsche team consists of 86 members and each of them known the tradition of excellence that they place on their shoulders once they put on the Porsche crest.

Porsche is fielding its most innovative prototypes at the 82nd 24 hours of Le Mans. The two Porsche 919 Hybrid cars with start numbers 14 and 20 will be driven by two trios of drivers: Romain Dumas (France), Neel Jani (Switzerland), Marc Lieb (Germany) and Timo Bernhard (Germany), Brendon Hartley (New Zealand), Mark Webber (Australia). These six world-class drivers have between them a total of 37 appearances at Le Mans.

With Le Mans being the apex of automotive creativity and competition there are some new regulations this year. These new guidelines call for a totally new LMP1 car with an enclosed roof and increased visibility zones to improve the safety of the driver. Other new regulations aim to reduce fuel consumption by 30% in the last 21 years. They hope to accomplish this monumental feat by having all the manufactures utilize hybrid technology through both the recovery of kinetic energy through state of the art breaking systems and the reuse of exhaust from the turbo charger.

As the Porsche team hits the track in hope regain its status as a Le Mans powerhouse you can show your support for the team by putting the crest on your chest as well. Park Place Porsche has a huge selection of Porsche accessories and clothing items available to let every race fan show their support.

May 29, 2014November 1, 2019

Arlington Chosen As Site For New Mercedes-Benz Dealership

ARLINGTON, Texas (May 29, 2014) – Park Place Dealerships broke ground today on a two-story, 91,000 square foot Mercedes-Benz dealership in Arlington. The 16-acre site is located at Interstate 20 and Beltway Place. The project is expected to be completed in summer 2015 and will create more than 325 construction jobs and approximately 90 permanent jobs.

“Mercedes-Benz has one of the most exciting product lines in its history and there is a strong demand for the vehicles,” said Ken Schnitzer, chairman of Park Place Dealerships. “April sales for the brand were up more than 12 percent from a year ago. Arlington is a great market and with this new location, we will be able to better serve current clients in the area, as well as expand our client base.”

Mercedes-Benz of Arlington, a Park Place Dealership, will feature a showroom that can showcase up to 16 new vehicles. The multi-million dollar project also willfeature a shop with 35 service bays and 10 make ready bays. Every area of the dealership has been designed to make the experience more efficient for the client.

Mercedes-Benz of Arlington will also handle sales and service for the line of Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans. Three service bays in the shop will exclusively handle service for the vans. The Sprinter vans are available in cargo or passenger models.

Hesham Elgaghil, a Park Place member for nearly 14 years, has been named general manager of the dealership. Elgaghil has held several positions with the company including most recently, general sales manager at Park Place Motorcars Dallas.

“Park Place has consistently been recognized as one of the top places to work,” said Schnitzer. “Through Park Place University, we encourage members to continue to learn and as a result, we have a strong employee retention. A significant number of our members have been with the company for more than 10 years.”

This will be the 18^th dealership for Park Place Dealerships, which just opened a new Maserati store in Fort Worth earlier this month.

Good, Fulton & Farrell has been named the architectural firm for the project with Hill & Wilkinson handling the general contractor duties.

Ken Schnitzer founded Park Place Dealerships in 1987 with a single Mercedes-Benz dealership on Oak Lawn. Today, Park Place Dealerships employs nearly 1,800 people and operates 17 full-service dealerships representing luxury brands including Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Infiniti, Volvo, smart, Jaguar, Lotus, Rolls-Royce, Bentley, McLaren, and Maserati. For more information about Park Place Dealerships and Maserati, visit www.parkplace.com.

August 25, 2013May 7, 2015

Park Place Online Marketing Partner Appreciation Event 2013

Thank you to all of our vendor partners who attended the Park Place Partner Appreciation Event at the Texas Rough Riders game to recognize your efforts. In attendance were our partners from AutoTrader, Cars.com, Century Interactive, Cobalt, the Dallas Morning News, DealerTrack, Dynamic Dealer Services, Online Performance Marketing, On Target Digital, RankHammer, Kari Mitchell, and our content maven, Meryl Evans. “We are thankful for all of your contributions in 2012 and 2013 that have made the online efforts at Park Place Dealerships successful,” said Frank Sobyak, Director of Internet Business Development. “This success has been based on your expertise, personal commitment, and a true sense of partnership.” Below are some photographs from this memorable family event.

The kids really enjoyed cheering on the Rough Riders.

And, there were even two baseballs that were caught by the kids – what a treat!

The lollipops were good, and the kids also enjoyed the endless soda-pop bar and the ice cream sandwiches.

But with all that sugar, things sure got silly.

Bryan Phillips is from the DealerTrack team and has been instrumental in helping us to implement some payment and financing tools to help clients find payments that meet their purchase goals.

Dan Laube is from Dynamic Dealer Services and his team helps make sure our vehicles are photographed and well merchandised on the Internet. His company also helps the dealership post vehicle listings on Craigslist. Dan and his team are always there for Park Place and consistently go the extra mile to overachieve.

Kari Mitchell of KCreative creates the fabulous graphics and vehicle banners that you’ll see across our multiple websites. She also helped create several sections of the Park Place website. Kari is creative, smart, and fast and efficient. She is an invaluable resource and basically operates as a true extension of our team.

Meryl Evans is most probably the best copywriter in town, she helps keep our clients informed about every new model that comes out with her comprehensive model guide overviews. Plus, she manages the SEO, specials and content on our Porsche Dealer website. Meryl has a great attention to detail and is always punctual with her deliverables.

Nicole is with Cobalt and her team helps us manage the SEO and content on our Lexus manufacturer sites. With their efforts we have reached our ranking goals for organic search.

Tim Davis is with Online Performance Marketing and assists the Park Place Dealership group with SEM. His constant monitoring of our accounts helps ensure they are efficiently driving traffic to the Park Place website. Tim has won an award from Google in and international contest for his proficiency in paid search. Tim’s easy going yet persistent personality makes him a pleasure to work with while getting results.

Cade Herzog from OnTargetDigital manages the Park Place banner/display advertising and retargeting efforts. Cade and his team show a true sense of personal commitment in everything they do. We appreciate Cade for the value he places on the long-term partnership with Park Place and can count on him to consistently lookout for our best interests.

Jennifer Whaley with Century Interactive, we call her “Wonderful Whaley” because she has been so efficient in taking our call tracking capabilities to an unprecedented level. Jennifer is always positive, patient and helpful – traits we greatly appreciate.

Rick Westhoff is our Account Representative from Cars.com and one of our favorite vendor partners. We appreciate that Rick tries us first with new product introductions and the fact that we can always count on his honesty and sincere commitment to partnership.

Nathan and Steve from RankHammer direct the Park Place SEO efforts and are invaluable for their insight, direction and in pushing us to be the best we can be. Their commitment to Park Place has been nothing short of phenomenal. They are always available and always willing to lend a hand.

Thanks again to everyone… not only for your partnership, but for your friendship as well.

January 29, 2013May 7, 2015

Grapevine Historical Society To Receive $25,000 In Support For New Museum From Park Place Lexus And Park Place Motorcars

In 1972, the Grapevine Historical Society was born out of an effort to save the historic 1888 Cotton Belt Railroad Depot. One year later, the museum was dedicated by Mayor Bill Tate and for the past 40 years the Historical Museum has welcomed visitors from all over the world. A new chapter will be written as the Grapevine Historical Museum is a little closer to moving into its new building at 206 West Hudgins later this year thanks to a $25,000 donation from Park Place Lexus and Park Place Motorcars.

“We are so excited to have such generous support from Park Place,” said Margaret Harper, fundraising committee co-chair for the Grapevine Historical Society. “Through this and other corporate giving, we will be able to meet our goal of moving into our new facility by the end of the year. The museum is a fabulous venue that chronicles Grapevine’s rich history.”

The Grapevine Historical Society will move its collection into a new facility located at 206 West Hudgins, with the façade of the 1970s Grapevine Ice Company. This will increase the museum’s space from 900 square feet to approximately 3,000 square feet. The new facility will allow the Museum to expand and enhance its current displays and provide space for temporary exhibits.

The new Museum will feature:

Precious artifacts, maps, and photographs, donated by multi-generations of Grapevine residents and representing over 150 years of history
Permanent and rotating exhibits
On-site docents to give an oral history and explanation of the articles on display
“The Grapevine Attic,” a special area with miscellaneous items found in grandparents’ attic.

“We have been a part of the Grapevine community since 2000 when we opened the first of two dealerships in the city,” said Ken Schnitzer, chairman of Park Place Dealerships. “There is a great history in Grapevine and we are pleased to be a part of preserving it through this donation for the new building.”

Park Place Dealerships was founded in 1987 by Ken Schnitzer with a single Mercedes-Benz dealership on Oak Lawn. Park Place currently operates 15 full-service dealerships representing Bentley, Jaguar, Lexus, Lotus, Maserati, McLaren, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, smart, Volvo and Rolls-Royce. In addition, the dealership group includes two Park Place Bodywerks locations. For more information about Park Place Dealerships, visit parkplace.com.

January 8, 2013May 7, 2015

Lexus Stealth Swap: Park Place Lexus Helps Customer With A Spectacular Surprise

(This guest blog was written by one of our amazing clients at Park Place Lexus Plano, Robert Lee, who did an incredible job of providing a special Christmas surprise for his wife. It’s such a great story, that we thought you would like to read it too!)

Stealth Swap

It was one week before Christmas and I got a text message. The text message (to paraphrase) asked if I would be interested in trading in my wife’s 2010 Lexus IS250-C with a 2013 model. It was from a sales associate I’ve worked with before at Park Place Lexus of Plano. While this may seem like a sales pitch, it was not. The associate knew my wife and I were huge car enthusiasts. No, we’re not made of infinite means and my wife’s car is in perfect working condition (it had less than 8,500 miles on it). However, with the revised IS coming out next year and the “December to Remember” event at Lexus – he thought we could have an opportunity to get a great deal on a new car. So a plan was hatched (BTW, this article is not about patting me on the back – more about the dedication Lexus puts into customer relations).

I am a firm believer that life is about experiences. In front of me was a perfect opportunity to create an everlasting memory for my wife. The plan went like this: I would swap out her 2010 IS250-C with a 2013 IS350-C. I knew that besides some very minor visual cues (day time running LEDs, GPS antenna shape change, telematics system) the cars would look identical. Stephen Wedderburn (the sales associate) searched high and low and was able to locate for me an updated version of my wife’s car. The cars were the same in every way – color outside, inside, options, wheels.

A little white lie later, I was able to take my wife’s old car and drove it to the dealership for the swap. Having both cars parked side by side, I replicated the cabins. I moved all her personal belongings from old to new. I adjusted the seats, mirrors, radio stations. Then I had to race home so I can program the home-link garage door opener before she returned home.

So the trap was set. She returned home and didn’t notice a single thing. Like a predator waiting for its kill, I patiently watched as she went about her day knowing that she will use her car again in the very near future. And then it happened, she needed to leave the house. She got in her car and was about to start it. After a slight pause, she hopped out of the car and ran to the rear and noticed that it was an IS350-C (i.e. NOT her car). Needless to say, the cat was out of the bag at that time. Struck with shock and glee, she ran to me and thanked me for the amazing surprise.

While I had hoped that she would have driven away and then noticed it, it was great to be there to see her reaction. I later asked what gave it away. Her response was the “new car” smell. For a flash of a second, she thought I had taken her car and gotten it detailed. So she glanced at the touchscreen and noticed it squeaky clean. Then lower she went on the center console and that’s when she noticed. Her knowledge of Lexus cars is staggering. She noticed that the air recirculation button now has an “Auto” setting (that was an IS350-C exclusive even back in 2010). Go figure – the car was too perfect – that’s what gave it away.

In short, it was a surprise I could not have pulled off without the aid of Stephen and the amazing staff at Park Place Lexus of Plano. His dedication to his job is evident in everything he does. Considering that it was the dealership’s busiest time of the year (i.e. time when he can be making more sales if he was on the showroom floor), he took the time and effort in making this happen for me. Don’t let his youth and dashing smile mislead you, he is a professional thru and thru. We’ve purchased our last four cars from Park Place Lexus of Plano. We have no reason to go anywhere else. If what you want is a great car and to be treated with respect – please go visit Stephen at Park Place Lexus. You will not be disappointed. Kudos to the entire staff at the dealership. They are all second to none.