🚗 When Focus Meets Fast Lane

🚙 The Weekly Recap, Killer Pods and Smart Plays

October 11, 2025

TOGETHER WITH

Around here, we’re learning to let go of the polish and lean into what actually moves the needle.

Fewer distractions. Better focus. Faster execution.

And it’s not just a slogan for us. It’s a permission slip. To act, to ship, to move with intention. Because done beats perfect every time.

We hope you’ll join us in making something perfectly imperfect today.

Keep Pushing Back,
-Paul, Kyle, Chris, and Kristi

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ICYMI

The Week That Was

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The Daily Pushback Email

  • On Monday, auto debt and delinquencies climbed as consumers stretched payments past $1,000/month. BMW slashed EV prices to offset credit loss, while Tesla’s board faced pushback over Musk’s $1T package. Jonathan Smoke warned: sentiment, not supply, is the bigger risk. 😥
     

  • Tuesday, BYD’s UK sales spiked 880%, topping EV imports. Kia retired the Soul after 1.5M U.S. sales. Foreign automakers shifted production stateside to dodge tariffs, and AI adoption surged across the supply chain. Despite soft confidence, retail auto posted a 6.7% YoY sales gain.📈
     

  • By Wednesday, Mercedes-Benz deliveries dropped 12% and Aston Martin issued a profit warning, while Lucid saw a 47% bump. Used-car prices stayed steady, and OpenAI’s Sora 2 showed creative promise. Meanwhile, data gaps from the government shutdown left dealers operating with less visibility. 🌚
     

  • Then on Thursday, GM scrapped plans to extend EV lease credits, citing D.C. policy turbulence. A global materials shake-up hit Ford’s F-150 supply chain and rattled automakers with new EU steel tariffs. Meanwhile, Toyota advanced solid-state battery tech, and BMW’s cautious EV strategy started looking smart in hindsight. ⚡️
     

  • Before we knew it, it was Friday. BYD launches in Argentina, Walmart unveils futuristic auto service centers, and Ferrari stumbles after rethinking EV goals. Meanwhile, three Nissan dealers go off-road to prove durability in “Tour Detour.” ⛰️

A One-Click Portal to Find Used Inventory Faster

Are you acquiring fewer vehicles from auctions than you were six months or a year ago?

That’s how top-performing vAuto dealers gain a competitive edge in today’s inventory-constrained environment. They get more inventory from customers than ever before.

Service lane. Street purchases. Sight unseen. KBB ICO. Missed trades. And, yes, auctions.

With Global Search inside ProfitTime GPS, every sourcing channel and the cars they contain are just a click away.

Discover how Global Search helps you consistently acquire the cars and customers you need, when you need them, to drive your retail success.

PODCASTS

ASOTU Edge Webinars

The lifetime value of a returning customer often tops $150K, yet most dealerships still lose them over convenience.

Discover how rethinking your pickup and drop-off process can boost retention, CSI, and RO count—dive into the full webinar recap here.

Auto Collabs

Streaming is splintered, AI is the new TV guide, and the last-click era is over. Experian’s Michael Kraut joins Auto Collabs as our first in-studio guest to unpack what dealers should do next.

He shares how smarter data practices and identity-driven marketing are giving dealers an edge in a fractured media world. From using service as a growth engine to spotting real signals of lift, this episode breaks down what’s working now—and what’s coming fast.

Check out the full convo to get the roadmap for marketing in the AI age.

The Dealer Playbook

What if the secret to selling more cars isn’t pricing, product, or promos, but emotion?

Jean-Pierre Lacroix, president of global branding firm SLD, joins The Dealer Playbook to share how brands like Volvo, BMW, and Jeep use emotional connection to win customers and how dealers can do the same.

Watch now to uncover the tool your sales strategy is missing.

AROUND THE ASOTU-VERSE

WIP: ASOTU CON 2026

We’re deep in planning mode for ASOTU CON 2026, y’all.

While we map out the next round of conversations, connections, and collaboration, enjoy the highlight reel from last year’s event. 👆

And sign up here to be the first to know when next year’s line-up goes live!

SOMETHING FUN

Performance Meets Paddleboarding

BMW / SipaBoards

Where BMW is going, they don’t need roads. They need water.

The Tourer Electric, a new collab with Slovenian brand SipaBoards, is what happens when luxury design goes lake mode.

It’s a 12-foot self-inflating paddleboard with a built-in jet motor, GPS, LED underglow, and swappable battery packs.Design-wise, it’s wrapped in BMW’s Neue Klasse aesthetic (for those who prefer their watercraft coordinate with their sedan).

At around $4,650 it may cost more than your last vacation, but paddling with your arms is soooo last year.

Quick Hits

Thanks for reading, Friend!

Tenor

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