Did You Know…? Insurance Costs!

Do you know if your auto insurance carrier offers additional discounts? My wife and I bought our daughter a car and titled it in her name. We called GEICO to remove her from our policy and start her own. During the enrollment, the representative asked her questions about her driving and college. To my surprise, she was entitled to discounts for:

 Being a college student
 High GPA
 Never being in an accident
 Completing a defensive driving course
 Completing Driver’s Education in high school

Since she attends college out of state, we signed up for membership with AAA so she could have road side assistance. Our AAA Premier Membership benefits includes more than car rentals and discounts at hotels. We can take advantage of savings on:

 Pet friendly discounts at retailers, including Walmart.com and Target.com
 Resorts and Disney vacations
 Products and Services including LifeLock Identity Theft Protection

We also discovered our membership will offer discounts for routine eye exams, lenses and eyewear at participating Target and Pearle Vision.

So when you get an opportunity, check with your auto insurance carrier to find out what discounts are available to you and your family.

Mike Goodall

Select Luxury Cars, located in Marietta, Ga. on Highway 41, hand “Selects” every vehicle. We specialize in the highest quality automobile made all over the world. Whether you live here in the Atlanta area or anywhere around the world, we will find the exact car you are dreaming of. If you are looking for a Mercedes, BMW, Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini, Ferrari or other high end model, begin your search here.

The Few in Our Lives

Here is a quick story about the “few” individuals we all encounter in our daily lives. A few weeks ago I met a terrific customer. To protect her identity, we will call her Becky. Becky is one of our local Atlanta professionals who has done well in her profession and is a successful attorney in her field. Becky came into our showroom and was given the same welcome and greeting I give folks when they come to visit us at Select. She was interested in a particular red coupe, which she had researched prior to visiting the dealership. Becky, I might add, is a repeat Select Luxury client.

I have to preface this next paragraph with this: we all have to deal with the “few”. The “few” are individuals in our lives that just drive us nuts. Whether they are family members, our politicians, media outlets, co-workers, or our local LAW ENFORCEMENT, we all have met the “few”. This story is about one of the above.

I walk Becky through the car’s features and she decides she’s ready for a test drive. We go on one our regular route, but Becky decides take a detour. She chooses to go down a particular street dotted with aging strip malls, motels, bus stops, and apartment complexes. Once notorious for illegal night activities, this is an area I stay clear of because it reminds me of certain streets from my boyhood neighborhood in Brooklyn.

Less than a minute after tuning onto this street, a local Sheriff pulled over Becky and me as we continued our test drive in the bright red sports car. This is where the experience gets annoying, funny, or disturbing (depending on your perspective). Oh, I forgot to mention that Becky is an attractive, 30-something-year-old woman with blond hair and an outgoing, no-nonsense attitude. (Some of you may know me from our website picture). This OFFICER decided to be curious about me and this blond woman test driving a bright red sports car down Marietta’s Franklin Road. As we pull over and roll down the windows to answer their questions, it is clear that the Sheriff on the passenger side (my side), is visibly uncomfortable with the situation and his partners inappropriate behavior.

Knowing that Sheriffs don’t usually stop vehicles, I commented, “You guys usually don’t pull people over on traffic stops.” He replied tepidly, “Sometimes we do.”

His partner on the driver’s side of the car was a bit more colorful with his rhetoric. Becky asked the officer if everything was okay, since she had committed no moving violation.
The Sheriff responded,” I just want to make sure everything is okay since I noticed you are driving with no drive out tag.”
Readers, please note that our dealership (whose name was clearly visible on the tag), is one of the most successful, high line and exotic dealerships in the Atlanta market, and has been for the last 17 years.

The bottom line is that this person is one of the “few” individuals we encounter daily who make the rest look really bad. Think about it, most of us are invariably good people and do the right thing. Unfortunately, it’s the few bad Cops, salespeople, media outlets, politicians, you name a profession whose actions (and often poor judgment) cause us to be skeptical about folks being willing to do the right thing.

Now, I’ll end with this. This particular sheriff’s deputy was extremely curious about the test drive with our customer. In my opinion, was he being… wait for it, curious-ist? (new word I invented) Anyway, the customer purchased the car and is enjoying it with her family. The deputy in this story is still sitting at QT killing time until serves his next garnishment form or child support order from the Court or until he decides to be CURIOUS again. The “few” in our lives, can we live without them?

Select Luxury Cars, located in Marietta, Ga. on Highway 41, hand “Selects” every vehicle. We specialize in the highest quality automobile made all over the world. Whether you live here in the Atlanta area or anywhere around the world, we will find the exact car you are dreaming of. If you are looking for a Mercedes, BMW, Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini, Ferrari or other high end model, begin your search here.

Select Stories: BMW Betty

The following is  a true story of one of my past customers:

Whenever I sell a BMW I am reminded of a twenty-something lady I know, let’s call her Betty… desperately seeking a BMW.

A few years ago I met Betty, a smart young lady with a great job. She had to give up the car of her dreams and  ”her status”… her brand spanking new BMW. Her dad warned her of signing a lease, having foresight about the lousy economy, but she was sure in her heart that she could sustain her car payments. After all Betty thought, ” I’m making good money and have a hefty saving account to boot and besides, if I can’t make the payment, Dad will.”

Then, her life plan fell apart. One month after signing, she lost her job, and started the dreaded job search. Unable to find a good paying job, and unable to sustain her car payments, her savings dwindled and she was against the wall. “This was a learning experience for her,” Dad said.  He had warned her of how unpredictable life can be. After all, he knew all his children had to make their own mistakes and pay the consequences. Betty cried all the way to the dealership with the car. Dad did help out. He offered to loan her the old SUV family car so she could get around. Then, one month after turning in the key to her BMW, she found the job of her dreams with a salary to die for. ” How I could have this luck”, she wailed.” If only I had waited. Oh well, she thought. “I will re-establish myself and get my BMW. I’m ambitious, I will make it.”

Well it’s been a few years since turning in that BMW and a few years of hard work to get her savings back up, but Betty’s Back and Beaming for that BMW.  She’s ready and set to get herself back in the driver’s seat of her dream car.  This time, she’s taking a more conservative approach. Betty called me at Select Luxury Cars, to find her a pre-owned BMW. And why not, she’s made it!!

Betty knows our mission is to provide the world market with the highest quality pre-owned luxury automobiles at a great value. We stand behind every car sale.

James Younis

Select Luxury Cars, located in Marietta, Ga. on Highway 41, hand “Selects” every vehicle. We specialize in the highest quality automobile made all over the world. Whether you live here in the Atlanta area or anywhere around the world, we will find the exact car you are dreaming of. If you are looking for a Mercedes, BMW, Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini, Ferrari or other high end model, begin your search here.

Not all Bentleys are Made Equal

The Bentley Continental GT is a unique car that doesn’t draw much attention to itself. Powered by a twin turbocharged W12 engine, it sure isnt that car you pass on the highway either though. Lets face it, there are a lot of two door cars for over 100k, but not many of them can match the luxury and craftsmanship that Bentley puts into each and every Continental.

Now with all of that being said, not every Continental you see for sale on eBay is the same car. There are tons of color choices, and many interiors. But there are some special versions worth taking into consideration. Bentley three distinct coupe versions of this classic car: the regular Continental GT, the Series 51 Limited Edition, and finally the SuperSports.

Lets start with the regular Continental GT. It makes 552 HP from that Twin Turbo W12 (which is fundamentally two narrow angle V6′s mashed together), has room for 4 adults and is very comfortable on the road. And to be honest, it bores me. Sure its nice and luxurious, but theres just nothing THAT special about it. The styling doesnt stand out of a crowd, and when you think 552 HP dont you usually think of a Corvette or Ferrari? Granted its one of the absolute best Gran Touring coupes around, but it is by no means a sports car.

Series 51 Door Sills

Now, the Series 51 Limited Edition is just a subtle change over the standard Continental. You might or might not notice that that same powerplant now makes an even 600 HP, or that there is Series 51 engraved into the door sills. Still more subtle yet there are just little 51′s on the front fenders. There are also special upgraded 20″ wheels. The ride is also slightly dropped but to be honest, it doesnt feel that substantially different. Sure, you cant argue with the extra horses or that the interior is quilted, but its still just a Continental at the end of the day.

Now, enter the Bentley Continental GT SuperSports. Yes, its a mouth full but wow is it impressive. First off, the W12 now produces an astonishing 621 HP and 590 ft/lbs of torque! Top that off with a new double clutch transmission (which Bentley claims makes shifts 50% faster), the largest carbon ceramic breaks EVER to be fit to a production car, and 243lbs of weight shedding (you still get the soft close doors but have manual seats… seems backwards but no one asked me) and you essential get a supercar. The SuperSports will do 0-60 in 3.9 seconds, flat out you will be doing 204 mph. And thats fast in a car that still weights 4900 lbs. Granted, when you are driving the car you can feel its enormous weight, but when you feel the wheel the all wheel drive system sure does do a great job of keeping that car planted. Stopping with those enormous breaks is astonishing, due to the ceramic compound there is almost no break fade at all – not to mention that the bite and stopping power is very linear and you feel in complete control of the 5000 pound monster. Just remember one thing: there is no back seat, so you can only bring alone one friend for the ride.

Now , before I get too carried away with how the car drives and that absolutely biblical low exhaust note, lets talk about Green Energy. You might be thinking to yourself that 621 HP cant be economical, and you are absolutely correct. The SuperSports gets 19 mpg (gingerly) on the highway and 12 in the city (again, without a foot made of lead..). To compensate for this dent in the oil reserves, Bentley did something unique. The SuperSports can run on E85 ethanol and continue to purr just as effortlessly as on gasoline. Granted, E85 is not as available as regular old gasoline, but considering its grown from corn and is completely renewable, its not a bad idea. There are less emissions when running the car on ethanol too, which you can reassure yourself as you punch the gas and downshift just to hear that noise that legendary 6.0L W12 makes when the boost kicks in…

So the ultimate question, is the SuperSports or the Series 51 worth the additional spending? Probably… if you were going to buy a Bentley then why not own one that will knock your socks off? Check out some extra photos below!

Lincoln Fantaski

Select Luxury Cars, located in Marietta, Ga. on Highway 41, hand “Selects” every vehicle. We specialize in the highest quality automobile made all over the world. Whether you live here in the Atlanta area or anywhere around the world, we will find the exact car you are dreaming of. If you are looking for a Mercedes, BMW, Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini, Ferrari or other high end model, begin your search here.

Series 51 Door Sills

CONCEPT CARZ From conception to production

I have always been facinated with the creative design behind what moves us to buy the cars we own. We all see the final design during production but I find myself always curious to view these cars in their most creative form. Concepts can be used by manufacturers to gauge public opinion of a new model, or even an entire design philosophy. I actually wish they would produce some of the the concept cars as a limited edition version as I believe they will become instant collectors.

At http://www.conceptcarz.com/view/concepts.aspx you can enjoy the creative view of what the cars we drive today look like before the final production version. Pretty neat stuff. The site even offers an array free wallpapers!

ENJOY!

Select Luxury Cars, located in Marietta, Ga. on Highway 41, hand “Selects” every vehicle. We specialize in the highest quality automobile made all over the world. Whether you live here in the Atlanta area or anywhere around the world, we will find the exact car you are dreaming of. If you are looking for a Mercedes, BMW, Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini, Ferrari or other high end model, begin your search here. http://www.selectluxury.com

Lamborghini SUV Concept

Lamborghini is adding another component to its arsenal, which currently includes the sports cars Gallardo (V10, $180k and Aventador (V12, $375k). This time, however, they are introducing an SUV known as the Urus (CNN).

The decision to create an SUV rather than sedan in part hinges on the belief that sedans are “less emotional”, as one Lamborghini spokesperson put it. With  Bentley’s recent release of it’s own SUV concept, and data from Ford showing that one in three vehicles purchased in the US last year were SUVs, the Italian super-automaker is making a competitive business decision.

The basic design resembles the BMW X6, and represents a new class of high-end SUV crossovers soon to erupt in the industry. The Porsche Cayenne and Panamera may have been precursors to the diversification of vehicle type among elite manufacturers such as Lamborghini and Bentley. Soon we may expect other top names like Ferrari and Aston Martin to apply their engineering and design concepts to a sports utility vehicle.

Despite its resemblance to the X6, the Lamborghini Urus would certainly overshadow it with a 640 horsepower engine and price tag well into the high $100k’s. It would also feature handling in the scope of Lamborghini sports cars, and cameras in the place of side view mirrors to check  your blind spots.

As Lamborghini currently sells 2000 cars a year, they would plan to make 3000 of the Urus available to the market. The design concept, production plan, and unconventional approach for the sports car automaker point to a new class of high ticket vehicle that will develop further in years to come.

Inaya Sabbak

“My Kid Wouldn’t Do That”

My teenage son is preparing to take his written test for his learner’s permit next week. Until now, I haven’t spent much time talking to him about being a responsible driver. This weekend my wife and I sat with him and watched Dateline’s “My Kid Would Never Do That: Driving.” They focused on teens making decisions about texting while driving, getting in the car with a teen that had been drinking or said they were high. The premise of the show was parents secretly putting their teens to the test to see what they would do if faced with these scenarios. All of the parents said they had some sort of conversation with their child about what not to do and to call home if they need a ride. The parents were 99% sure their teens would not get in the car under these circumstances, but most of them did.
My 19 year old daughter started driving when she was 15. I would like to believe she would not put herself in harm’s way. My wife always discussed things with her like not driving with the music too loud, letting her friends change the radio station and answer her cell phone if it rings, and making sure her friends buckle up. The best we could hope for is some of the things we taught her would kick in at the right time when faced with those situations.
Last year one of my daughter’s friends was driving from her college in SC to pick her up in NC, so they could come home for the weekend. It was around 8am when her friend fell asleep behind the wheel. She lost control of the car and it spun around 360 degrees on the highway ending up facing the opposite way. Fortunately, there were few cars on the road and she was not injured. When my daughter reached home, she told us what happened to her friend on the way to pick her up. I was pleased when she told me she stayed on the phone with her friend until she reached my daughter’s dorm. Needless to say, my daughter drove from NC to Atlanta.
As my son spends this week preparing to pass his test, I will definitely take time to go over do’s and don’ts of the roads, peer pressure, driving with his friends and obeying the law(s). Parents please take the time to talk to your children about what they need to do when getting in the car with friends. Hopefully, they will be the voice of reason in a real life situation.

Mike Goodall

Select Luxury Cars, located in Marietta, Ga. on Highway 41, hand “Selects” every vehicle. We specialize in the highest quality automobiles available in the market. Whether you live here in the Atlanta area or anywhere around the world, we will find the exact car you are dreaming of. If you are looking for a Mercedes, BMW, Porsche, Audi, Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Ferrari or other high end model, begin your search here and we won’t disappoint.