#489 - 🦊 Like A Fox

TOGETHER WITH

Two identical customers bring two identical problems to two dealerships.

The first dealership fixes the problem with no delay or surprise expense. The second dealership does the same but also makes the customer laugh.

Which one do you think that customer will go back to?

Sometimes, it’s the little things that count the most.

Keep Pushing Back
-Paul, Kyle, Chris & Kristi

TODAY’S LOT WALK

• MTC Moments: Fox Auto Team keeps a promise. 🦊

• Business: We /imagine some automaker news. 📸

• Culture: Robots, Rebels, and Burgers. 🍔

Reading time:

MORE THAN CARS MOMENTS

What Did the Fox Pay??

Steve Fox, the President and CEO behind Fox Auto Team in El Paso, is anything but your typical car guy. More than two decades ago, he battled severe tongue and throat cancer, a fight that ignited his passion for making a difference. 🦊

With an indomitable spirit, Fox vowed that if he survived, he'd dedicate his life to helping others on the same challenging path. Fast forward to today, and Steve is making good on that promise. ❤️‍🔥

On August 8th, Fox made a colossal $25M donation to Texas Tech University towards creating the Steve and Nancy Fox Cancer Center. With cancer reigning as the leading cause of death in El Paso County, particularly impacting the Hispanic community, Fox's generosity couldn't be more vital. 🤲

The new 90,000-square-foot facility is set to begin construction next Summer and is poised to become a beacon of hope for countless individuals fighting cancer. 🏥

TOGETHER WITH EFFECTV

Connections That Matter!

Our friends at Effectv are back for ASOTU CON 2023. They’re bringing their expertise and collaborative spirit to the podcast stage!

As the advertising sales division of Comcast, Effectv has the data, tools, and platform to get a dealer’s message to the right consumers across every screen. Dealers have cars, and people want to buy them – Effectv knows precisely how to connect the two.

Join us September 25-27 in Baltimore for interesting conversations connecting some of the best minds in automotive.

DATA & INSIGHT

David Long, Brian Kramer, Jasen Rice

David Long’s All Things Used Cars has covered a lot of ground and featured a lot of voices to help dealers take the best care of their used car business.

Join us this morning on Clubhouse for another great chat with Jasen Rice, who literally wrote the book on used inventory management, “WTF (Work The Facts).”

AROUND THE ASOTU-VERSE

Practically a Month Away!

BUSINESS

/Imagine: Alfa Romeo, Tesla, VW, Fiat

🇮🇹 Dream a Little Dream with Alfa Romeo 🇮🇹 Alfa Romeo Australia is letting fans' imaginations run wild! Before unveiling their new mid-engined supercar, they're asking enthusiasts to craft their dream car with just six keywords.

The result? Stunning AI-rendered images (Like the one above) showcase the beauty and elegance of potential Alfa Romeo designs. Mark your calendars for August 30th, when all will be revealed at the Alfa Romeo Museum in Italy.

Our Midjourney prompt? "Alfa Romeo on the moon, yo!"

⚡ Cybertruck Update! ⚡ Elon Musk recently gave a sneak peek of the production candidate Cybertruck. With its unique Blade Runner-esque design, this "heart-stopping" vehicle is set to enter the bustling US pickup market.

Production is expected to soar by 2024. Check out The Verge's recent compilation for a comprehensive timeline of the Cybertruck.

We stuck with the Midjourney theme and asked it to "Show us Elon driving the Cybertruck in a Marvel comic."

🔌 Volkswagen Tackles Chip Shortage 🔌 Volkswagen isn't waiting for the global chip shortage to resolve itself. The company has proactively secured direct supply deals with ten chip manufacturers, including big names like NXP Semiconductors and Infineon Technologies.

The goal? Ensure a steady supply amidst the increasing chip demand as electric vehicle production surges. Plus, they're making moves to simplify their vehicles' chip needs, streamlining their supply chain and software.

This time, we asked the picture-making robot to "put as many computer chips as possible in a VW Beetle."

🍦 Fiat's Sweet Treat for the Streets 🍦 Meet the Fiat 500e "Gelateria Edition." More than just a vehicle, it's an ice cream experience on wheels! Designed specifically for the UK's "Ultra Low Emission Zone," this compact ice cream truck can delight up to 300 people daily. It's a nod to the past with its 1950s gelateria-inspired design and a taste of the future with its Bicerin-flavored gelato.

The best part? It's eco-friendly, countering the restrictions on diesel-powered ice cream trucks.

No AI here; that is actually what the Fiat 500e ice cream machine looks like. 😉

CULTURE

Trailers: RoboCop, Good Burger, Rebel Moon

Your move, creep! A game 36 years in the making, RoboCop: Rogue City has a new trailer. The game looks like a guns-blazing action movie with some cybernetically enhanced detective work elements. The game is coming to PlayStation 5, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X and Series S, and Xbox One next month.

🤖🚔🎮

Good Burger 2

Can I take your order??? Good Burger 2 is coming to Paramount+ this fall. It's been 25 years since the original introduced us to Good Burger Mobile. Fingers crossed, they bring it back along with Dexter (Kenan Thompson) and Ed (Kel Mitchell). (And if we can get more Kenan and Kel, that would also be pretty dope).

 🍔🍔🍔 

Rebel Moon

The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress. Netflix and Zach Snyder (Justice League, 300) are set to release their new movie, Rebel Moon, on December 22, 2023. The release was announced in a recent trailer that makes the show look like somebody read Dune and watched Guardians of the Galaxy simultaneously.

 🌙✊🍿

Quick Hits

• The sandwich empire, Subway, is being sold for $9B to the owner of Dunkin’, Arby’s, and Jimmy John’s. 🥖

• Meta launches Code Llama, a generative AI for writing programming code. 👩‍💻

• Scientists suggest a colony on Mars would need just 22 people to prosper. 🧑‍🚀

History

• 1609: Galileo demonstrates his first telescope to Venetian lawmakers. 🔭

• 1919: The first scheduled passenger service by airplane leaves from Paris-London. 🛩️

• 1958: Momofuku Ando markets the first package of precooked instant noodles, Chikin Ramen. 🍜