Welcome to the weekend, Friend!
If you're reading this from the store, there's a decent chance you've already been interrupted once.
Saturdays move fast, and somehow there is always one more thing asking for your attention.
So, go have a great day. Take care of your people, sell some cars, solve some problems. Then give yourself permission to leave some energy for your life waiting outside the store.
Sometimes finishing strong means knowing when to call it a day.
Keep Pushing Back,
—Paul, Kyle, Chris & Kristi
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ICYMI
On Monday, Toyota put a price on robotics.
Modernizing its factories could cost about $6.4B a year starting in 2028, spread across roughly 400K robots. VW dealers also led the industry in service scheduling (73 out of 100) during a rough week for VW corporate.
Spending that big eventually surfaces in pricing and in the affordability conversations already happening at your desk.
On Tuesday, Nissan launched the 2027 Rogue Hybrid.
Priced from $35,490 to $43,490 at 38 mpg combined, it lands between the CR-V (40) and RAV4 (43). EV registrations fell for a 10th straight month, while hybrid share climbed from 12.5% to 15.6%.
Know the RAV4 comparison trim-for-trim. Customers will ask.
On Wednesday, VW's EV orders passed gas cars in Germany.
The $29,000 ID.Polo has 40K orders since April and is sold out. We also met Wil Matthews, who paid $36,240 for an AI-faked 4Runner that never existed.
The dealer who helps customers shop safely, even elsewhere, earns trust that lasts.
On Thursday, a Chinese vehicle ban united Congress.
Senators Slotkin and Moreno sought unanimous approval to make the ban permanent, with 51 Senate co-sponsors and six industry groups behind it. Bentley revealed its first EV, and Walser closed the largest acquisition in its history, welcoming nearly 300 employees.
On Friday, the ban vote stalled on one senator.
Rand Paul's concerns delayed fast-track approval. Cox projects GM's share slipping from 17.4% to 16.7% and Ford's from 13.4% to 12.5%, both short on hybrids. A rate jump from 6.35% to 8.35% adds $41 a month on a $43,000 loan.
ASOTU Edge Webinar
Your Appraisal Process Has a Blind Spot (Hint: It's Look to Book)
A strong percentage can still hide missed trades, incomplete appraisals, and bad coaching signals.
In our latest ASOTU Edge webinar with vAuto, Patrick Janes and Rachel Holloway break down what dealers should measure alongside Look to Book, plus the morning habits that help save more appraisal opportunities.
Watch the replay, or check the article to turn their advice into action.
The Dealer Playbook
1,000 local views can be plenty when the right people are watching.
Emcee Charlie gets into how dealers can build recognition around their team and use social media to stay visible with nearby buyers.
The goal is to create enough familiarity that a customer already has a name in mind when they walk through the door.
Send this to the person running your social and ask one question: what are we doing to make our people more recognizable?
CBT Live
Huge thanks to Bridget and Jim Fitzpatrick for having us on the show this week.
They spent time unpacking ASOTU CON West and what 200 dealers can expect in Los Angeles on November 18th: a focused day on practical dealership issues like AI, mobile service, and selling EVs at scale.
Paul and Kyle shared their vision behind the format, from the speakers coming in to how the whole thing is designed to be useful from the minute you land.
Shoutout to CBT for helping us get the word out!
Turns Out, It’s Pretty Easy Being Green
Lunaz
A perfectly respectable black-on-black Range Rover Classic walked into Lunaz's Silverstone workshop and came out looking like it lost a bet to Jim Henson.
Lunaz built its reputation doing exactly this kind of thing—dropping a modern V8 or a bespoke EV powertrain into a classic shell so it drives like today while dressing like its original decade.
This one skipped the "original decade" part and went full Muppet instead with Kermit green inside and out.
The build quality underneath holds its own against all that color. The dashboard and center console are 3D-printed in-house, shaped to preserve the original Range Rover lines while making room for modern upgrades.
Demand is high, but Lunaz is capping this commission run at 25 units, so only a select few will ever get to hop into this green machine.
Kermit's never been one to hog the spotlight, but this time, we think he's earned it.
1890: The U.S. stops minting $1 and $3 gold coins and the 3-cent piece. 💵
1969: The last Beatles album, Abbey Road, is released. 🎶
1982: The television series Knight Rider debuts on NBC. 🤖
Thanks for reading, Friend!
