Park Place Dealerships

June 3, 2015

On The Road and En Vogue: Rolls-Royce unveils new Wraith

Add a splash of color to make the ordinary- haute.

Fashion-forward Rolls-Royce unveiled its new Rolls-Royce Wraith- Inspired by Fashion. Drawing its inspiration from the 2015 Spring/Summer Collections seen on the runways across the world, the Wraith is making a fashion statement of its own.

With so many new trends, it only makes sense for the nicest fashion accessory- the Rolls-Royce Wraith to take high-fashion to the next level.

The two-tone white-on-white Wraith exudes classy elegance, but add a pop of color to make it really stand out.

Punctuated with a choice of three vivid accent colors- “Jasmine,” “Tailored Purple,” or “Mugello Red,” tailor the look to reflect your own personal style inside and out.

The cabin of the new Wraith is wrapped in the finest fabrics and tantalizing texture- like the sultry welted silk on the door panels, paying homage to fine-tailored haute-couture.

The luxurious coupe was unveiled at New York’s PRATT institute during the school’s “Women of Influence in the Business of Style” event.

Shop the Park Place Rolls Royce collection here.

June 1, 2015June 11, 2015

More Power And Room, Now That’s Smart

The 2016 smart fortwo has a new look and features galore.

Built entirely of aluminum, fortwo now sits on a chassis that’s 4” wider than its predecessor, offering a bit more room inside and extra storage space in the trunk panel.

For the first time, smart fortwo is being offered in a 5-speed manual transmission. Meanwhile, the automatic transmission was also overhauled to a 6-speed dual-clutch. The state-of-the-art turbocharged 3-cylinder engine is now standard on the vehicle.

Technological advances include features such as Crosswind Assist, to keep you in your lane on windy days.

The Crosswind Assist technology detects sudden strong gusts of wind and prevents the car from drifting out of its lane by targeted braking on one side of the vehicle.The feature is currently available on larger Mercedes-Benz vehicles.

Keep an eye out for the new 2016 smart fortwo, with new color combo options, this fall.

May 29, 2015June 4, 2015

Behind The Badge: Rolls-Royce “Spirit of Ecstasy”

The story of a secret romance is embodied in the intriguing and mysterious woman known as Spirit of Ecstasy. The widely-recognized graceful beauty with flowing hair and cape, which adorns the hood of every Rolls-Royce, was inspired by a real woman.

Lady Eleanor Velasco Thornton was the secretary of car-enthusiast Lord Montagu of Beaulieu- who was also a friend of company co-founder Charles Stewart Rolls. Many speculate Lady Eleanor was more than just Lord Montagu’s secretary.

Legend has it that in 1911 Lord Montagu commissioned sculptor Charles Sykes to create a personal mascot for the hood of his Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost. The model for the hood ornament was none other than his love interest Lady Eleanor. The original figurine depicted Lady Eleanor in fluttering robes with her finger pressed against her lips- allegedly symbolic of the couple’s secret love affair.

Meanwhile, Rolls-Royce vehicles didn’t have a hood ornament, so buyers attached random dolls and objects to their cars. That’s when business partners Charles Stewart Rolls and Sir Frederick Henry Royce decided to add the Spirit of Ecstasy as Rolls-Royce’s trademark ornament.

The manufacturing process today takes days of work to perfect each Spirit of Ecstasy. The symbol of class and elegance starts out as a wax figurine; it’s then dipped into melted steel and polished by hand to make it Rolls-Royce ready. No attention to detail is missed, as it takes one week to make just one Spirit of Ecstasy.

The “flying lady” as she was called by some, underwent several changes over time, but the message still remains the same. The graceful goddess is still symbolic of luxury. To everyone at Rolls-Royce, the Spirit of Ecstasy stands for relentless pursuit of perfection that goes into every car they produce.

The story of Rolls-Royce and its iconic leading lady, will be featured on the big screen in 2016. Director Martin Scorcese is producing the film aptly titled “Silver Ghost.”

You can see the Spirit of Ecstasy in person at Park Place Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

May 28, 2015

Jaguar XE: Precision. Power. Performance.

In a Jaguar XE, you can take the road less traveled. Experience the driving abilities of the new XE as Jaguar takes you on a ride in exotic Spain.

The XE is put to the test in the mountains and on the test track at Circuito De Navarra- a famous motorsport racetrack in Northern Spain.

Listen to the Jaguar engine purr as the XE tackles the track, highlighting its speed and acceleration.

The XE shows precision and control as it handles the twisting roads, high in the mountains of beautiful Spain, with grace.

ENGINE & TRANSMISSION
Engine capacity (cc) 2,995
Cylinders 6
Valves per cylinder 4
Bore / stroke inches (mm) 3.3 / 3.5 (84.5 / 89.0)
Cylinder block Aluminum alloy
Cylinder heads Aluminum alloy
Fuel injection equipment 150bar spray-guided direct injection
Induction system Twin-Vortex supercharger
Transmission ZF 8HP45 8-speed automatic

PERFORMANCE
0-60 mph (sec) 4.9
Top speed mph (km/h) 155 (250)
Horsepower 340 @ 6,500rpm
Torque lb ft (Nm) 332 (450) @ 4,500rpm

DIMENSIONS
Length inches (mm) 183.9 (4,672)
Width excl. mirrors inches (mm) 72.8 (1,850)
Height inches (mm) 55.7 (1,416)
Wheelbase inches (mm) 111.6 (2,835)
Curb weight lbs (kg) From 3,249 (1,474)

Coming soon to Park Place Jaguar Dallas and Plano.

May 26, 2015May 26, 2015

Porsche: Stimulating the Senses

Driving a Porsche is an exhilarating experience in-and-of-itself, but what about just hearing the roar of its flat-six engine?

Watch what happens in the brain when a tiger and a Porsche sound-off:

But is it as much of a rush as pulling a few Gs in a fighter jet? Porsche says it is!

Enter a fighter pilot, a race car driver, and a man who’ll set the record straight by going along for the ride and the flight.

Hooked up to a brain monitor to record electrical activity of the brain, they’re off.

Check out the results after a few fighter-jet corkscrews and a few laps on the Zandvoort race track.

Stimulate the senses in a Porsche of your own from Park Place Porsche.

May 26, 2015May 26, 2015

Experts in Excellence recognize Experts in Education

Two Allen ISD teachers will get to spend the summer in a brand new car for being so great at what they do. Jamee Little, a P.E. teacher at Chandler Elementary School and Kelly Brown, a functional academics and life skills teacher at Allen High School are the Allen ISD 2015 “Teachers of the Year.”

Jamee Little- P.E. Teacher at Chandler Elementary School

Kelly Brown- functional academics and life skills teacher at Allen High School

The winners received a variety of gifts, along with the favorite prize amongst teachers year after year- a summer in a Lexus courtesy of Park Place Lexus Plano. The prize-pack also includes tickets to Texas Rangers, Dallas Arboretum, and other fun gifts.

The Teachers of the Year winners and nominees were celebrated at a breakfast banquet, which also honored retiring teachers who dedicated decades to teaching.

Park Place Dealerships would like to thank all the teachers for their contribution to the community.

May 25, 2015June 11, 2015

Mercedes-Benz: Passport to South Africa

Take a tour across Cape Town, South Africa in a Mercedes-Benz SL 63 AMG. You don’t need a passport to experience the breathtaking beauty and views of the city…you may even feel a gentle breeze through your hair.

Create your own memorable experiences in the Mercedes-Benz SL 63 AMG, available at Park Place Motorcars.

The video was created by Jonas Ginter, a German journalist and videographer, to celebrate Mercedes-Benz’s 18-million Facebook fans.

May 19, 2015June 11, 2015

Idris Elba Takes Bentley On A Record-Breaking “Flying Mile”

Actor Idris Elba chased and surpassed a historic record, set nearly 90 years ago. Behind the wheel of a new Bentley Continental GT Speed, the award-winning actor hit a top speed of 180.361 mph , breaking the previous “Flying Mile” record of 174.8 mph set by Sir Malcolm Campbell in his legendary Napier-Campbell Blue Bird. Elba took to the Pendine Sands in Whales to make a run for the record books.

Elba, who famously played Nelson Mandela in the multi-award winning Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, said: “I’m absolutely elated to have broken the ‘Flying Mile’ at Pendine Sands. It’s an honor to have taken on the challenge, and to successfully follow in the footsteps of the illustrious Sir Malcolm Campbell.”

Despite some challenging tidal conditions on the beach in south Wales, the record was broken in the Crewe-built Continental during filming for an upcoming four-part Discovery Channel series, Idris Elba: No Limits, which will air in July.

Elba’s record was independently verified by the UK Timing Association.

Powered by Bentley’s iconic 6-litre twin-turbo W12 engine, the GT Speed dispatches the zero-to-sixty sprint in 4.0 seconds on its way to a top speed of 206 mph.

Check out the Bentley GT Speed at Park Place Bentley.

May 18, 2015

Recognizing Experts in Education: Plano ISD Teacher of the Year Awards

And the award goes to…

Jennifer Denton of Wilson Middle School and Lilly Wisler of Barron Elementary School took home the evening’s top honor at the Plano ISD “Teacher of the Year” gala. They are the 2015 Elementary and Secondary Teachers of the Year.

They were chosen from nearly one-hundred teachers, nominated by their peers. The Teacher of the Year Selection Committee members had the tough task of choosing the winners after interviewing all the nominees.

The Teacher of The Year winners got more than an award. They will also get to drive a brand new Lexus for the summer, courtesy of Park Place Lexus Plano.

General Manager Chris Brunner was on hand to congratulate the winners and present the “Summer in a Lexus” prize-pack, which also includes Texas Rangers tickets and Dallas Arboretum passes.

Park Place Dealerships would like to thank all the teachers for their selfless dedication and contribution to the community.

May 7, 2015June 15, 2015

Volvo XC90: Best of the Best

Volvo is the proud recipient of one of the world’s premier product design awards for its all new XC90 luxury SUV. The renowned Red Dot ‘Best of the Best’ Design Award was presented to Volvo for the XC90’s pioneering design and high level of quality.

The new Swedish import beat out almost 5,000 other contenders vying for the top honor and recognition in the much coveted Red Dot awards.

“The new XC90 is the vanguard of Volvo’s new design direction. In our work on this car we have been very much aware of Volvo’s heritage, the value of authenticity and Scandinavian design, but we have also taken some bold and progressive steps forward, aiming for a design style and execution level that pushes our boundaries. I am very proud that our new flagship has won the prestigious Red Dot: Best of the Best award,” said Thomas Ingenlath, Senior Vice President of Design at Volvo Cars.

The XC90 represents a new beginning for Volvo with its new design, taking the SUV to the next level. The attention to detail in the design paves the way for future Volvo car designs with signature design elements including the new Volvo logo, a floating grille, and the celebrated T-shaped ‘Thor’s Hammer’ daytime running lights.

Carrying the precision and pioneering inside the car, Volvo created a serene and relaxing interior combining the finest natural materials such a leather, wood and crystal with a calming and luxurious take on Scandinavian Design. This is also reflected in the complete redesign of the information displays and interaction in the car, reducing complexity and creating a uniquely intuitive interface.

“The all-new Volvo XC90 symbolizes the cornerstone of a complete new generation of cars where our progressive design combines innovative technology with Scandinavian design virtues and stands for a new individual approach in the premium segment” concluded Ingenlath.

Check out the luxurious Volvo XC90 at Park Place Volvo.