LBH-rip -Lotus of Beverly Hills-

[Bavarian Motorist]

Very terrible news......... HRM and now LBH... Probably the two highest volume dealers in the country, eh?

[shokwaves]

??? I thought service was done at Toyota.

[FIRME]

Originally Posted by Bavarian Motorist

Very terrible news......... HRM and now LBH... Probably the two highest volume dealers in the country, eh?

Almost but not quite...records indicate:

From mid 2004 thru end of 2007, both Fox Valley and HRM sold nearly 300 cars with Fox Valley selling the most.

From 2005 to mid 2007 South Bay did the same numbers.

If you look at that 1.5 (for South Bay) to 3.5 (F.V. & HRM) window, no other dealer in the country came close.

Now back on topic, hopefully this all gets resolved soon enough as service in the L.A. area is vital and Lotus cannot afford to be vacant in a market area so large.

[FLuXeXigeS]

Originally Posted by logan2z

Did they have anything good in stock? I'm looking for a PAM000.

PM for more info

[wallabyguy]

To reinforce what Allan said, the closure of dealers recently has had absolutely nothing to do with the economy, Lotus or LCU. These dealers had internal issues and circumstances which caused their failures. It is important to understand that Lotus Cars USA is very well aware of the situation and is working hard to install qualified, substantial and experienced dealers to support the community in these recently vacated markets.

[Avi]

Originally Posted by Stormy320

Bad stuff from the start. Doesn't anyone remember the first thread about this dealer.

LBH was an awful dealer! Its not a bad thing they are closing. They really gave the Lotus brand a bad name in the customer service department. I tried to resist not posting anything negative but I must say I am kind of happy. Since the closing of South Bay, I gave LBH a chance to service my car. They treated me like crap compared to South Bay and did not care to maintain my business. Having to wait 6-8 weeks for an oil change was ridiculous and I had to wait over 2 months for a warranty repair where my Lotus sat not-drivable. I know some of you really had a crush on the guys over at LBH, but I guess you were special! Here's hoping whoever takes over this region will provide the quality and appeal that South Bay always did. I cannot give more praise to using Quice, as he is what the Lotus Brand should stand for! Qais is the man and always will be the man in the Los Angeles region assuming you need non-warranty work done.

[ewalberg]

hope it all works out for the so cal folks... it reminds me how lucky we are up in the SF bay area... i've got one 5 miles away (10 minutes away on surface streets), one in San Francisco (less than 30 minutes without traffic) and one in Los Gatos (less than 30 minutes without traffic)... although for how long... who knows... it sure is nice having a dealer withing 5 miles in redwood city... well i should say nice having Danny their service guy i trust... not familiar with their sales.

[LARRY]

Originally Posted by Avi

LBH was an awful dealer! Its not a bad thing they are closing. They really gave the Lotus brand a bad name in the customer service department. I tried to resist not posting anything negative but I must say I am kind of happy. Since the closing of South Bay, I gave LBH a chance to service my car. They treated me like crap compared to South Bay and did not care to maintain my business. Having to wait 6-8 weeks for an oil change was ridiculous and I had to wait over 2 months for a warranty repair where my Lotus sat not-drivable. I know some of you really had a crush on the guys over at LBH, but I guess you were special! Here's hoping whoever takes over this region will provide the quality and appeal that South Bay always did. I cannot give more praise to using Quice, as he is what the Lotus Brand should stand for! Qais is the man and always will be the man in the Los Angeles region assuming you need non-warranty work done.

Sorry you're experience there was not so good.

For me, Lotus Beverly Hils was GREAT. Stayed open way past midnight for my car on a flatbed. They knew what to look for and fixed things FAST.

My steering "klunk" they fixed in two days. Total cost? Zero. Total warranty fix.

My car feels brand new and the front end is so much better.

That was YESTERDAY.

So what happened? Why are they moving?

Everyone gets very hush hush over this kind of stuff. I know the building was not ideal for automotive repairs in the City of Beverly Hills and needs to be fixed.

As I gather...they are going out to Lotus Calabasas and be there. For a while.

One member of the service staff will not be joining them.

It's pretty obvious who that is now. I don't think Lotus wants us to know anything else at this time.

They were so convenient and everyone in service was EXCELLENT.

Lotus Calabasas should be ready for business next Thursday.

Yes, Qais from SouthBay is the BEST for non-warranty work. PM me for his address, etc.

[PatrickShim]

I agree with Larry.

The LBH crew, including Allen, Stephen and Russ, are the true automotive enthusiasts, who are passionate about Lotus and everything automotive.

[Serebo1]

Originally Posted by PatrickShim

I agree with Larry.

The LBH crew, including Allen, Stephen and Russ, are the true automotive enthusiasts, who are passionate about Lotus and everything automotive.

+1. No one was a bigger fan of South Bay than I was, and I have to say that I LOVED the service at LBH. Avi, you're going to be pretty much alone in this one. I think everyone has a bad day, maybe you caught them in one. I have never met anyone that cared as much about the cars and customers as Allen, Stephen, Phil and co.

Case in point - I had an issue the other night that had me broken down on the side of the road at 1 a.m., yes a.m., and texted Allen. 999/1000 would have told me to have it towed in, if they answered me at all. Allen was there in 20 minutes and I was on my way. That's the kind of care that Lotus can't pay for.

[Zen Dude]

+1 ... LBH Ruled in my books!

- z

[...m...]

Originally Posted by Avi

I tried to resist not posting anything negative but I must say I am kind of happy. Since the closing of South Bay, I gave LBH a chance to service my car. They treated me like crap compared to South Bay and did not care to maintain my business. Having to wait 6-8 weeks for an oil change was ridiculous and I had to wait over 2 months for a warranty repair where my Lotus sat not-drivable.

...that sounds remarkably similar to my experience with sonnen porsche, and it was such a relief when i moved away from marin and had access to a different dealer for service...

...if your experience with lotus beverly hills was at all typical, this is probably a blessing in disguise...

[Serebo1]

Originally Posted by ...m...

...if your experience with lotus beverly hills was at all typical, this is probably a blessing in disguise...

If you read the thread, you'll find it's anything but typical, and IMO is a bit of a black eye that this exemplary team does not deserve. Each and every one of them embodies the spirit of - and is a credit to - Lotus.

[Allan Gibbs]

Well, I stopped by Rusnak Porsche/Audi/Mercedes in Pasadena today and talked with a sales manager who sold me my TT. I told him the only Lotus dealer in the LA area was gone and asked them if they were interested. He said he would talk to one of the owners about it.

Why do I think Rusnak Autogroup would be a good Lotus dealers? Well because:

1) They have two locations. One in Pasadena and one in West Lake Village.

2) They've been in business for 42 years and carry a wide variety of European cars. Do you have an Audi, BMW, Volvo, Mercedes, Jaguar, Porsche, Bentley, or Rolls? Well, Rusnak also sell and services your cars too.

3) If you've ever test driven a car in their Pasadena location, their test route is residential canyon road through the Rose Bowl. Perfect location for a sports car test drive (and a big reason I bought a Porsche from them in 1999).

4) With the Evora coming next year and Espirt a few years later, the customer profile for Lotus will change. Carrying the brands Rusnak carries would make Lotus more accessible to potential Evora and Espirt customers.

Rusnak Auto Group

Now, I wonder if Lotus will be interested.

[Pestodude]

Originally Posted by Allan Gibbs

Okay. I've been told what's going on and have been reluctant to get involved. However, I feel I need to say something as a result of the posts about several Lotus dealers closing because I don't want this to be a negative reflection on Lotus USA or LCU.

I wanted to make it clear that Lotus Beverly Hills (LBH) situation is NOT a result of the economy, Lotus car sales, or something Lotus USA or LCU has done or has not done. That being said:

1) LBH is done

2) LBH's service department will be operating from their Calabasas location. I'm not sure for how long.

3) The issue resulting in LBH's closure is a legal issue involving the owner and is not a result of the economy, car sales, etc.

Now this is personal opinion. I'm sure Lotus USA knows the importance of the LA market which is a key sport car and "high end" market. I won't be surprised if a new dealership obtains the Lotus brand or maybe BHL reopens under a new owner.

All acurate except that Allen will not be part of the service department that moves to Calabasas. Unbelievable! This guy was great. Trully the brains of the service department. And always went the extra mile for me. Guy has so much knowledge and passion about our cars, quite sure he'll land on his feet.

[MightyMike]

Four pages of chatter and no one has blamed the closure of LBH on Dubya; I'm shocked!

[Flash G]

Originally Posted by Serebo1

+1. No one was a bigger fan of South Bay than I was, and I have to say that I LOVED the service at LBH. Avi, you're going to be pretty much alone in this one. I think everyone has a bad day, maybe you caught them in one. I have never met anyone that cared as much about the cars and customers as Allen, Stephen, Phil and co.

Case in point - I had an issue the other night that had me broken down on the side of the road at 1 a.m., yes a.m., and texted Allen. 999/1000 would have told me to have it towed in, if they answered me at all. Allen was there in 20 minutes and I was on my way. That's the kind of care that Lotus can't pay for.

+100

Allen & Stephen were both top notch guys who took great care of both of my cars. They went above and beyond what was asked of them. The only fault may have been that LoBH was too busy and a bit understaffed, but that's not Allen & Stephen's fault. They did a great job with the load of cars they had to service. I guess I'll be hauling myself up to Thousand Oaks again now.


.

[Flash G]

Originally Posted by Allan Gibbs

Well, I stopped by Rusnak Porsche/Audi/Mercedes in Pasadena today and talked with a sales manager who sold me my TT. I told him the only Lotus dealer in the LA area was gone and asked them if they were interested. He said he would talk to one of the owners about it.

Why do I think Rusnak Autogroup would be a good Lotus dealers? Well because:

1) They have two locations. One in Pasadena and one in West Lake Village.

2) They've been in business for 42 years and carry a wide variety of European cars. Do you have an Audi, BMW, Volvo, Mercedes, Jaguar, Porsche, Bentley, or Rolls? Well, Rusnak also sell and services your cars too.

3) If you've ever test driven a car in their Pasadena location, their test route is residential canyon road through the Rose Bowl. Perfect location for a sports car test drive (and a big reason I bought a Porsche from them in 1999).

4) With the Evora coming next year and Espirt a few years later, the customer profile for Lotus will change. Carrying the brands Rusnak carries would make Lotus more accessible to potential Evora and Espirt customers.

Rusnak Auto Group

Now, I wonder if Lotus will be interested.

I agree. I think Rusnak (Pasadena) would be a perfect fit for Lotus. I've been to a couple of their launch parties for their various brands, and these would be a perfect opportunity to introduce the Lotus line to their huge customer base.

The Westlake Village store may not be an option since Silver Star is in the same automall and Calabasas is down the road.

By the way... Does anyone know how Silver Star is doing since the arrival of the Calabasas dealership??


.

[AgentTripleX]

Originally Posted by wallabyguy

Patrick,

I know that you may have been told differently but I know for a fact that there is more truth to the initial statement than not. I can't comment past that..........

+1

I thought they were already closed as I heard about it months ago.

[delise]

Originally Posted by Allan Gibbs

Well, I stopped by Rusnak Porsche/Audi/Mercedes in Pasadena today and talked with a sales manager who sold me my TT. I told him the only Lotus dealer in the LA area was gone and asked them if they were interested. He said he would talk to one of the owners about it.

1) They have two locations. One in Pasadena and one in West Lake Village.

That would be nice and all but it does not do the vast majority of Lotus owners in the LA area any good, we need a west side service center- as in west of downtown LA. South bay was a bit of a drive for me (30 minutes) but well worth it, but Westlake or Pasadena are 45 minutes from me with no traffic, 2 +hours in traffic. LBH was a 5 minute walk from my house. If Lotus does not set up representation in the Beverly Hills area ASAP they are foolish. Look where Tesla decided to open their LA showroom, westside , well off area, tons of visibility, the 405 & Santa Monica blvd !