Jim Ellis Automotive Blog

The Future and End of Saab

jimellisautoblog — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 21:17:44 +0000

While many people are still holding a candle for Saab, the reality is that they’ve pretty much come to the end of the road. And unfortunately, it’s not a road untraveled for Saab as they experienced the same financial difficulties a couple of years ago before Spyker came into the fray to save the Swedish automaker. So it’s not surprising that many people are looking into the horizon waiting for the “save” once again, but this time, it doesn’t look like it’s coming. While there is some interest from Chinese investors, the terms of which just can’t be reached.

Saab has a rich and incredible heritage for making amazing vehicles. Jim Ellis Saab has prided ourselves at being lucky enough to have shared that heritage and ingenuity with driver enthusiasts around the state of Georgia and beyond. But now that Saab’s flag sits at half mast, we have to prepare for what looks inevitable at this point. So we created this blog post to share where we are currently and how we plan to proceed as a dealership to our past, present and future Saab customers.

To start, for those that are interested in purchasing a Saab, this is definitely the time to acquire one. The discounts offered are incredibly drastic, but it’s important to also know that at the moment, they won’t come with a warranty and must be sold “as is”, but Jim Ellis Saab of Atlanta will still perform the repairs and maintenance items as you would expect. Jimmy Ellis gives the official statement here. You can also find all of the latest news available from SCNA (Saab Cars North America) here.

The gist of it is if you have already purchased a Saab from Jim Ellis Saab (new or Certified Pre-Owned), the dealership will honor the warranty. If you have a Saab that you did not purchase through Jim Ellis Saab, then we’ll do the repairs for you and process the claim for you as we normally would, but you will be asked to pay for the repairs. You would simply hold onto your receipts until they hopefully put a method of reimbursement into play. This is something that’s typically done by the bankruptcy judge, but it hasn’t occurred yet and there are no guarantees that it will.

Needless to say, we are very disheartened that Saab wasn’t able to make any progress in the talks. And that’s not to say that there won’t be before all is said and done, but at this time, it’s not looking that promising. There comes a time when all you can do is just reminisce and hope for the best.

Audi Wins Many Awards. Atlanta Audi Dealership Gives Away Prizes To Celebrate

jimellisautoblog — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 20:15:53 +0000

Audi has had one heck of a run this year as magazine, publications, blogs, industry professionals and the like have showered Audi’s offerings one after the other. The most recent of which was Car & Driver’s accolades, but their appearance at the LA Auto Show proved to be one amazing showing. Among the awards that Audi has garnered this year include;

2012 Car of The Year – Audi A7 – Automobile Magazine
2012 All-Star Award – Audi TT RS – Automobile Magazine
2012 Vehicle of The Year Award – Audi A7 – Motor Press Guild
2012 Best Resale Value – Audi Q7 – Kelley Blue Book (KBB)
Best Resale Value Luxury SUV – Audi Q7 – Kelley Blue Book (KBB)
Best Resale value Luxury Car – Audi A5 – Kelley Blue Book (KBB)
ALG Residual Value Award (3) – Audi A6, Audi S5, & Audi Q7 – ALG
2011 Sports Car Of The Year – Audi R8 GT – Auto Bild SportsCars
2012 Active Lifestyle of the Year Award – Audi A7 – ALV
2012 Active Lifestyle of the Year Award – Audi Q7 – ALV
2011 Off Road Award – Audi A6 – OFF ROAD Magazine
2011 Drivers Choice Award for Best Dream Machine – Audi R8 Spyder – MotorWeek
10Best for superior technology 7 Design – 2012 A6 and 2012 A7 – Car & Driver
10Best for “Favorites over $80k” – 2012 A8L and 2012 R8 – Car & Driver

To help celebrate the occasion, Jim Ellis Audi of Atlanta is running a Season of Giving Giveaway on their Facebook page where they’ll be giving away prizes. You can be a part of the action here.

Saab President To Make Appearance At Atlanta Saab Grand Opening

jimellisautoblog — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 15:48:01 +0000

Jim Ellis Saab of Atlanta will be celebrating the grand opening of their new facility at 5855 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard in Atlanta on September 27th at 6:30pm. Saab Cars North American President and COO Tim Colbeck will be joining the festivities to not only help celebrate, but to also shed some light on the latest developments with the future of Saab.

Good news for Saab has been few and far between for the past couple of years, but the recent decision by the Appeals Court buys Saab some time to await the investment from the Chinese investors that should be forthcoming. This is perfect timing for the celebration due to take place next week.

The grand opening event is set to take place next Tuesday September 27th, 2011 at 6:30pm at 5855 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard in Atlanta. It’s open to the general public as well as press that will be probably very interested to ask questions of Tim Colbeck and he welcomes the Q&A session with open arms.

You can participate in the opening of the new facility along with refreshments, hors d’oeuvres, the unveiling of the new Saab 9-4x crossover, and the much anticipated Q&A session with Saab President Tim Colbert all in one action packed event.

For more information on Jim Ellis Saab, visit their website at http://www.jimellissaabatlanta.com.

GM To Add 2 Year Standard Maintenance To PreOwned Vehicle Purchases

jimellisautoblog — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 16:14:18 +0000

General Motors Company (GMC) has just announced a first in used vehicles. When you decide to purchase a Certified Pre-Owned GMC, that you’ll also receive 2 years of standard maintenance, and yes, that includes the oil changes.

The finer details are that it’s a two year/30,000-mile standard vehicle maintenance program, that will be covered by Owner Care and won’t cost anything for the customer. It will cover the aforementioned oil changes (based on the vehicles Oil Life Monitor system), tire rotations and 172-point vehicle inspections.

John Schwegman, U.S. vice president of GMC Marketing added, “Whether our customers purchase a new or Certified Pre-Owned GMC, they expect high value and that’s what we deliver. GMC’s enhanced Certified Pre-Owned program offers our customers an outstanding experience they are sure to appreciate”.

The GMC Certified Pre-Owned program will still offer a 12-month/12,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty, but this offering is inclusive of the standard maintenance that the customer normally has to come out of pocket for. The program will also offer a five-year/100,000 mile limited powertrain warranty which includes 24-hour roadside assistance and courtesy transportation.

Jennifer Costabile, general director of marketing and sales support, GM Fleet and Commercial Operations added, “Customers demand more value for their money, and we have responded. We believe our enhanced program offers our customers an outstanding experience from the moment they drive their GMC Certified Pre-Owned vehicle off of the lot.”

Not only are you getting a dependable vehicle for the money, but now you’re getting your standard maintenance included along with the great warranty coverage that GM owners have already relied on to extend their life of their vehicles. Looks like it’s time to head to your Atlanta Buick GMC dealers and get yourself some peace of mind.

Georgia Getting Charged Up About Electric Vehicles

jimellisautoblog — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 20:06:52 +0000

In what seems to be extremely strategic moves throughout Georgia, there have been multiple locations that have opted to install charging stations for individuals with electric cars. One of the first major installations was 10 years ago at the Discover Mills Mall in Lawrenceville, GA which offered a half a dozen spots in front of Burlington Coat Factory. They apparently jumped on board too early as various Green sites report that they’re not functional anymore. Electric vehicles hadn’t even been widely used at the time and even a decade later, electric cars are still scarce on the road and only now are beginning to be adopted by the public.

While Discover Mills may have let their stations wither away, Jim Ellis Chevrolet in Atlanta is readying for the launch of the heavily anticipated Chevrolet Volt. Many may recall that General Manager Mark Frost drove to New York to purchase a Chevy Volt so that potential buyers in Georgia could test drive one themselves months before they were even to be made available.

Now Jim Ellis Chevrolet has officially installed two 240V charging stations at the dealership (one in the Service area and one in the Sales area). This way drivers needing to quick charge their vehicle now have a place to do so if they’re stuck in traffic on one of the 3 major thoroughfares that surround the dealership (I-85, I-285, Buford Highway, Peachtree Industrial, and Peachtree Parkway). The 240V chargers will charge the vehicle in under 4 hours.

Following suit is the entire city of Woodstock, GA which became the first municipality in the state to offer a public charging station. The 240V charger makes it easy for citizens to plug up and go shopping or dining in the city of Woodstock and come back to a fully charged vehicle.

It’s surprising that cities like Atlanta don’t utilize this opportunity in some of the many garages in Atlanta to entice employees of companies located in the downtown area to seriously consider electric vehicles for their daily transportation and drastically reduce or in some cases completely eliminate the need for gas and also dramatically reduce emissions.

Regardless of how slowly or quickly the movement to electric vehicles is adopted by the public, having the resources in place to accommodate them is going to be the key for people to begin being comfortable transitioning to electric cars like the Chevy Volt. Luckily we have pioneers like Jim Ellis Chevrolet in Atlanta and the city of Woodstock to jumpstart the process.

Audi Showcasing Cars At The Emmy’s

jimellisautoblog — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 15:32:53 +0000

Audi joined forces with the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences to sponsor the 2011 Emmy’s that will air September 18th as well as many events that are associated with the star studded event.

It doesn’t hurt that a lot of TV and movie stars already drive Audi’s, but this provides yet another great opportunity for Audi to not only sponsor the event but to get the cars in public view again and show off some of the newer 2012 models that are already raking in awards.

The primary vehicles Audi will focus on will be the A6, A7, and A8 which are their flagship models and they’ll be used to bring the stars to the big show as well as holding their own pre-party on September 11 in West Hollywood.

Scott Keogh, Audi of America’s Head of marketing is well aware of Audi’s presence in Hollywood indicating via press release that, “The brand has become a key player within the entertainment industry and has a longstanding history as a friend of the arts, making this partnership a perfect fit.”

The 63rd annual Emmy Awards will be held at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles and broadcast live on the FOX television network. Now we have a reason to watch.

Audi Looks to the Southeast For Its New Plant

jimellisautoblog — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 14:50:06 +0000

Audi CEO Rupert Stadler told Automotive News that Audi is yet again planning on building a plant in the United States and it appears that all of the prospective sites are in the Southeast. The two major players in the race are Chattanooga, TN and Huntsville, AL, although Tennessee seems to have much deeper pockets especially since their acquisition of the $1 billion Volkswagen plant.

Tennessee offered Audi a $577.4 million incentive to Audi to set up camp there while Alabama simply doesn’t have that type of incentive available even though Audi officials are looking to Huntsville as the frontrunner. With over a half billion in incentives from Tennessee, plus the added capability of being able to share suppliers with Volkswagen to reduce costs, Chattanooga makes the race very interesting. While that may seem clear cut, you also have to consider that Alabama has a far more deeper understanding of the automotive industry since they have plants from Mercedes, Toyota, Honda, and Hyundai under their belt and that’s a huge advantage that Tennessee does not have.

Brian Hilson, CEO of the Birmingham Business Alliance is convinced that Huntsville has the upper hand. “Given the success Alabama has had with major automotive plants — Mercedes, Toyota, Honda and Hyundai — we are well-positioned in that the companies understand we as a state ‘get it.’ We understand their industry,” Hilson said. “We have a second-to-none work force capable of responding to the unique needs of automotive assembly. That premise ought to give us the potential to be a contender.”

Audi isn’t planning on making a final decision until 2013, but it’s already adding up to be an interesting race. The benefits to Atlanta Audi dealers should also be evident in the form of transport reduction costs, but that’s still yet to be seen in the auto industry since most makes are still struggling to recover from the effects of the hit they took a few years back and the current uphill battle with gas prices that doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon.

Where do you think Audi should set up camp?

The VW Beetle May Pick Up Guys

jimellisautoblog — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 20:53:12 +0000

It appears that we’ve been doing a lot of talking about VW in general over the last month and maybe rightfully so with all of the changes coming down the way. Specifically, the 2012 Volkswagen Beetle and it’s drastic changes that it has in store for Beetle fans and how it’s about to change the demographic that has followed it for years.

Overwhelmingly, VW has seen a shift of interest in the vehicle by men. When most men saw a Beetle on the road, they would tun to see how cute the girl was that was driving it. now there’s an added, “Hey, I wouldn’t mind driving that car.”

The changes haven’t appeared to upset Beetle purists who almost seem to welcome to he new changes even though it has moved a pretty good distance away from a design perspective. Trading in its more bulbous look for a more squashed version, added sporty touches and tons of comfort features on the inside.

When it finally comes to market full swing, will the sales match up with the studies? Will men embrace these vehicles or will women continue to dominate the Beetle? Where do you stand?

Volkswagen Gets 1 Step Closer to Automated Driving

jimellisautoblog — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 19:56:24 +0000

VW Research Group has unveiled that they now have technology in place that will allow a vehicle to drive semi-automated on the highway up to as fast as 80mph. Referred to as Temporary Auto Pilot or TAP for short, it semi-controls tasks like braking, lane switching, and adaptive cruise control. We’ve seen the commercials about the vehicles that brake when you’re about to hit an object and this takes it to the next level.

In the semi-automatic driving mode – referred to as Pilot Mode, for short – TAP maintains a safe distance to the vehicle ahead, drives at a speed selected by the driver, reduces this speed as necessary before a bend, and maintains the vehicle’s central position with respect to lane markers. The system also observes overtaking rules and speed limits. Stop and start driving maneuvers in traffic jams are also automated.

However, according to Prof. Dr. Jürgen Leohold, Executive Director of the Group, the driver is always in control. “The driver always retains driving responsibility and is always in control,” continues Leohold. “The driver can override or deactivate the system at any time and must continually monitor it.” The point of the automation is not to take over driving, but to correct issues created by inattentive or distracted drivers.

No details were released on what models will get the first incarnation of this technology, but at least you know that it’s coming. Want to know more? Check it out here: http://goo.gl/zEucg

Audi To Build Indoor Track at Frankfurt Auto Show

jimellisautoblog — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 15:36:36 +0000

The auto industry has always been extremely competitive, but sometimes it gets a little out of hand. Back in 2009, BMW created an indoor track at the Frankfurt International Motor Show which proved to be marketing genius, but unknown whether it was a profitable venture. This year, Audi is planning on the same indoor track idea where it will spend in excess of $14.3 million dollars to create a indoor track that will circumference the Frankfurt event, but is the value there?

The plan certainly raises a lot of questions. Is this smart usage of millions of dollars for Audi? Can the track be reused? Where do they plan to recoup this money? Is it viewed by people as a copycat to what BMW did previously? Or will this be done on such a grandiose level that Audi will outshine everyone at the show?

The truth is that Audi is in a heated battle with BMW and Mercedes Benz to be the premier luxury auto builder and one can only imagine that Audi vehicles continually driving around the event will keep them in everyone’s minds during the entire motor show as the engines roar from all corners of the event.

Audi has pledged to unseat BMW as the top luxury car maker by 2015 and this will truly be their first marketing step in doing just that. While many argue that Audi will have a tough time justifying the expense, Audi seems deadset that it will give them the visual edge they need to switch focus to them over BMW and Benz.

Meanwhile, Audi dealerships in the states won’t see any increase in traffic, but the wave that starts overseas could find its way to the shores if it goes as Audi plans. Regardless, there are mixed reviews on the impact this will have on Audi’s future. Where do your thoughts lie?

Take Our Poll