Gold Coast Lamborghini

Luxury Motors was given the 2nd Chicagoland franchise a while ago.

Fox Valley Motorcars, aka Lamborghini Chicago, is building a gorgeous new dealership on Ogden Avenue in Westmont, across the street from Laurel Mercedes ,and next door to Napleton Porsche. This store will be exclusively for new and used Lamborghini sales and service. They will continue to operate FVM out of their West Chicago location, selling new and used Lotus cars, as well as other used exotics and luxury cars.

Luxury Motors will be converting the shop next door to their Gold Coast location (I think it is a hair salon now) into a Lamborghini showroom. I don't know what they will be calling it when and if it opens there. I have heard "Lamborghini Gold Coast", "Lamborghini Central" and "Lamborghini Rush Street". I don't know what they are going to do for a service area though; there's not much space at the Rush St. location. Might just have to take all of them to Lamborghini Chicago (FVM) for service.

 

I certainly hope "Lamborghini Central" isn't the final name..

Mike..any word on when the dealership on Odgen is supposed to open?

 

Last time I talked to the guys at FVM, they said they hope to have the new store open by the end of the year. The frame and walls are up, and it looks like they are doing duct work now.

 

the 2nd Chicagoland Franchise should have gone to a North Suburbs location..

the wealthy North Suburbs.. home to most of your middle age dads who are bored in life and need something like a Lamborghini to get their blood pumping.. is where Lamborghini should have set up shop.

Screw the city. I'd never buy a Lamborghini from a dealership in downtown Chicago. I live downtown and I'd still prefer to take a future lamborghini of mine up to the north suburbs for service, where my family and older friends live.

I really hoped that in the near future I'd be able to take a nice highway drive up to "my suburbs" and drop my car off for service.

Either way, there still needs to be atleast a SERVICE HUB in the north suburbs.. wink wink FVM. With the Gallardo being pitched more and more as an everyday sort of car.. no one in the north suburbs is going to drive 40+ miles to FVM to get an oil change, or have warranty work done.

Partner up with Northbrook Bentley, im sure Audi wouldnt mine (being that they own both car companies)

 

Can't imagine the test driving is that great down town.
Maybe you just want to be seen......
bend a >$1K rim on a "small" Chicago pot hole?

 

How many older dads buy Lamborghinis? I thought the best colors were green and orange. Don't they buy Porsches and Astons? Maybe if they were a recently single older guy ... but then I hardly think they'd want to live up north.

 

I agree that a north shore location would have been better. I think Luxury got the 2nd franchise because they already have a relationship with parent VW from their Bentley dealers, and by being the Bugatti dealer for Chicago. A downtown city store does not make sense to me. Imagine the kind of test drive you get to experience in the city gridlock. The only reason to have a store there would be because they will probably sell a few to the celebrities/jet-set that stay at the hotels near the Gold Coast location.

 

BDG has a small service area behind the showroom, but I think most of the customers they sell cars to take them to Bentley Northbrook, because very few people know they even have a service area back there. That's why I think a lot of the city customers will end up going to the new FVM-Lamborghini Chicago store going up in Westmont for their Lambo service.

 

Yeah, that shop at BDG is very small. One time, years ago, I was there looking at a Porsche 911 that had a 959 body conversion on it. Looked cool, but was a wiring disaster. But saw the shop there and was quite surprised at how small it is, seeing all of the cars parked everywhere in every single nook and cranny along Ogden Av., and the Alleys, Parking lots, everywhere. They really need to get a much larger space.

Wait a minute....now I'm confused here. Is the Lambo./Lotus is staying with FVM? But moving over to Ogden Av.? Or is it a whole other new Lamborghini Dealership? What/Where is the Second Lamborghini franchise? (That was mentioned that should have gone to the North Shore????)

 

Frank,

Fox Valley Motorcars is moving Lamborghini Chicago to a new dealership in Westmont. They will be keeping their Lotus store in West Chicago.

Luxury Motors was given the 2nd area franchise, and will open a Lambo showroom in downtown Chicago next door to Bentley Gold Coast.

 

Oh...O.K. Thanks for clearing that up for me.

Those new Lotus Espirits look very nice, from what I've seen so far in the various Automobile Publications. Almost....somewhat.... "Gallardo-ish"....

 

yes...a little too much like a Gallardo. Too bad they won't keep it under $100k like the last generation Esprit. If Lotus wants the new car to be a success, they should have kept it in the 70k-90k range. Dan over at FVMC said it will be under 100k, but everybody else is saying 120-150. With the weak dollar, I'm sure it will be over $120k.

 

Northbrook Bentley took delivery of Michael Jordans Bugatti Veyron I heard.. I thought THEY were the Chicago/Illinois Bentley Dealer?

 

Even more reason BGC should partner up with Northbrook Bentley on having a Lamborghini Service Hub.

I really think FVM should have looked into this.. not sure what research they did or did not do.

Either way. I'm friends with the owners of FVM, and I would only buy/service from them. Would be nice if they could make small moves out of the West/South-West Suburbs. I got the financial backing.. lets open a Smaller service/sales hub in the North Suburbs... Mike, you on board?

 

BGC should team up with "No Really, Honest" Earl's, Low Miles Used Car Corner and Cabbage Patch Doll Collector Centre.

I can not imagine why any business entity with a reputation to preserve, would want to involve themsevles with BGC, LM or any of their other slicked down cappucino car lots.

 

I m not trying to stir up trouble, as I am new to this forum. But BGC (or BDG) and "service" are not compatible terms. I used to take my Bentley to Northbrook for service and wasn't always happy, but I never got the feeling that they were being unethical. Further, I'm pretty sure Northbrook is a legit business.

BDG and BGC on the other hand..... I'm not sure selling cars is the real business going on there. Further, they will sell any piece of bent metal. Also, they really don't know much about cars. On two different occasions I tried to buy a car from the BGC group (aka Luxury Motors), the cars had real issues (i.e. broken convertible top, a trans with no 2nd gear...., and the GM tried to leverage that into selling me a piece of junk extended warranty, and then suggesting I commit warranty fraud.

Crains Chicago Business has published several articles about the numerous complaints with the IL Atty General against Luxury Motors and Bentley Gold Coast. So I fully agree that no reputable business would want to partner with these guys.

As far as a Lambo store up north, if you recall, the chicago franchise used to be in Highland Park, before it was acquired by FVMC and moved west. I have bought 3 cars from FVMC, and they are decent guys. Their new lambo store will be open by the end of the year.

My personal opinion is that Lambo would sell better in the western burbs. While the northshore has money, they seem more likely to spend it on an SL600 or DB9.

Just my $0.02.

 

My honest opinion for that is because thats all they have the option to buy. 40+ miles away to a Lamborghini Dealership.. no one is making that trek.

Put just a SMALL Lambo showroom somewhere up north, and atleast you'll have the rich people popping in on their drive home from work.

Semerski owned the Lambo dealer in Highland Park.. he sold it because there was more money in the Porsche franchise he also owned (hes also the youngest person to ever be granted a Porsche Franchise, at 26.)


Maybe I'm just way off.. but I cant understand the harm in opening a Very small Satellite showroom up in the north suburbs.. If its just "money", then sometimes risks need to be taken.. either that or you take on a financial partner. Say what you will about the OLD lambo dealer 25 years ago.. Lamborghini today is a much different company, with 4 hot products, and a rumored SUV and 2+2 GT on the way. The product is there, and with Audi in control, these cars are meant to be driven everyday.

Its time to start selling "directly" to new clients. Hopefully Lamborghini Gold Cost will give FVM the shot in the arm it needs to start taking some risks and open a Satellite showroom in the North Suburbs

 

I would love to see a dealer up north as it is only a matter of time before I move back north. If you are looking for a small vacant dealership, Fields moved out of their infiniti store at Golf Road and Waukegan Road in Glenview. For me, it would be nice to see a high end dealer in the Northfield/Glenview/Wilmette area, as it is a haul upto LFSC or the Knauz auto park.

That being said, I personally would drive to the new lamborghini chicago in Westmont vs. visiting a BGC/LM dealer, even if they were next door.

Also, fully agree that Lamborghini is a total different company, producing a different car.

 

I'd like to see one in The Glen (glenview). Lots of land up for grabs in there. Plus lots of brand new 'zero traffic' back roads (perfect for test drives). Yardhouse and the other Restaurants in that area would make it actually "enjoyable" to get your car serviced, especially if your car was at a small "service only" satellite location..

Fields is moving their Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep Dealership over to the Costco/Harley lot next spring.

Could become a medium/large Dealership area. As I said, lots of open land.. some purchased, some not. Land is getting less and less available on the highway. Time to find a nice large area to build the next generation of dealerships. My vote is The Glen.. Much of the still "open" land is being set aside for Business/Industry.. Dealerships would fit in nicely.

 

Luxury Motors and its many aliases should be avoided at all costs.

FWIW they are not the cappuchino crowd, they are all Lebenese and Palistinian. However I don't wish this post to be ethnically oriented in any way, just wanted to clear up a common misconception that they are Italian.

In any case they are guilty of many ethical "lapses" that have beeen noted by multiple observers.

How Bentley and now Lambo got associated with them, I don't know. But Mom was right, you are judged by the company you keep.

 

By terming them as cappucino car lots, I certainly didn't mean to imply that they were Italian, I was merely stating that the espresso/cappucino machine is a prominent feature in their slimy store lobby, not bringing ethnicity into the discussion.

 

Hey GC Lambo....
I have a big garage, could keep a couple of lambos for you as a satellite dealer here on the ol' north shore. Just make sure you leave the keys....