So, I was up in Chicago this past weekend visiting the owner of BMW Blog, Horatiu. We spent the whole day on Saturday driving some new cars on video for you guys. We tried to get some Audi’s and Infiniti’s, but Schaumburg Audi and Infiniti: Motor Werks decided that they didn’t want their cars to participate in good, clean test drives. That’s okay because Bill Sullivan Pontiac in Arlington Heights, IL let us do something special. As did our man Irv Robinson at Motor Werks of Barrington, IL.
So basically what I’m saying is that Schaumurg Audi and Infiniti: Motor Werks snubbed us… The Sales Manager at Infiniti even tried to use the line on me, “Our salesman are here to make money.” Really? I had no idea. I forgot that I used to be a car salesman. What’s even funnier is that the salesman that was going to give us the keys to a 2008 G37 6-spd manual had two customers in the box (that means they were in Finance finishing up the paperwork for their new cars). I guess the manager didn’t want to give new and better attention to his dealership through the internet.
I stood at Audi for about 35 minutes until I finally walked up to a busy salesman and asked for help. To their defense, they seemed pretty busy. But the Sales Manager tried to tell me that the cars I was trying to test drive for RawAutos had already been sold. At least “I think we have deposits on them, as of today.”
I find it funny that any dealership I’ve ever been to, save for three, they have treated me like a king and thanked me for wanting to work with them. Leith BMW gave me the brand new E92 M3 with 12 miles on it to drive and review. That car was $70,000. Ford has given me three cars. A Mustang Bullitt, the new Flex and a Mustang GT with the 3.55 Final Drive LSD. That’s roughly $100,000 worth of cars from Tom Smith Ford. And now this weekend Irv gave me about $230,000 worth of cars, and Pontiac gave me a $33,000 car to take out alone with two other guys to film me.
That’s sad that Infiniti and Audi don’t want me to give them great exposure. Am I bitter? Not really. I have other friends that can get me the G37 and the S5 and S4/RS4 I was trying to drive.
So stay tuned for new videos that are being edited now. Horatiu and I are trying to get them done as quickly as possible. But you can’t rush perfection. I still have a little filming left to do to add to the videos.
Also, look for a new Bullitt Mustang video to answer the critics and morons that seem to love to comment on my test drive video on YouTube. Apparently, a few jackasses haven’t figured out that the Mustang GT and the Bullitt are nothing alike… They will see, though.
-Josh
“Happy Motoring!”
P.S. I’m back!!!
