Toronto DNA3 | ?m | 15s | Canderel | Graziani + Corazza

[junctionist]

It's about time for some smaller "downtown Mini" style dealerships. European cities have had them for quite some time. You can find economy car dealerships like that too.

Actually, Toyota did something interesting in Paris, by taking up shop on Champs-Élysées:



It's not really a dealership, with its concept cars and Japanese restaurant, but it does showcase some production models. The point is not that we should want something like this, but that a dealership doesn't have to detract from the urban experience. Display a couple of concept cars or rare classics, add a cafe or restaurant, and there you have it, a dealership that offers something unique to the local community. The dealer benefits from the attention. It's marketing.

 

[TKTKTK]

Actually, Toyota did something interesting in Paris, by taking up shop on Champs-Élysées:



It's not really a dealership, with its concept cars and Japanese restaurant, but it does showcase some production models. The point is not that we should want something like this...

Why not? Even if you don't want to buy a car, they're awesome products to windowshop. When else are you going to see products with millions of dollars of engineering and design behind them up close? <3 cars

When we were driving around the Med, our car got broken into (and bled all over) The dealership we had to rendezvous with was just a downtown showroom in Lisbon. The cars were way better presented than they are here, and they didn't bat an eye while we crawled all over and through them The Renault salesguy was a little weirded out when we told him they didn't sell Renault in Canada at all. I didn't bother to point out that Renaults were a hard sell even to other Europeans; nevermind North Americans

The only suck part was that we had to drive our little biohazard halfway across the city into an industrial park to get it serviced (with make-shift wetnap gloves that I fashioned. <3 cars). I guess if we'd known that in the first place we'd have skipped the retail location

 

[junctionist]

I don't care if whether we get what is basically a giant advertisement for the brand. But the point is that an actual dealership could operate like that and not be a neighbourhood "dead zone". I could be wrong, but I think that Toyota on Champs-Élysées isn't an actual dealership.

 

[TKTKTK]

I don't care if whether we get what is basically a giant advertisement for the brand. But the point is that an actual dealership could operate like that and not be a neighbourhood "dead zone". I could be wrong, but I think that Toyota on Champs-Élysées isn't an actual dealership.

It's probably not a dealership in the way we're used to - but I'll bet it still functions as a retail outlet. When I bought my mini, all the talky talky was done on King Street - but I had to pick the car up from the big BMW dealership on Eastern (I think I could probably have picked it up from King Street if I'd asked). The Renault dealership in Lisbon was about the same; 85% showroom and then a couple salesguys with offices if you wanted to pick something up.

The focus though, and I think it should be this way for all car dealerships (hate scuzzy high-pressure sales), was on brand marketing and introduction. Which, frankly, is way more persuasive than some dude with slicked back hair talking up fuel economy and heated windshields. But I guess that also reflects a different sensibility towards cars than what we have: Cars are still very much luxury items in the rest of the world, it's only us North Americans that think the experience should be utilitarian. You're treated better at Holts when buying $300 jeans than you are at Toyota preparing to drop $30,000.

I'm hoping the days of suburban-style dealerships are coming to an end though. Who cares what colours and models you have sitting in the lot when it's just as easy to have something shipped from a dealership half-way across the country? It's not as if you can drive your new car off the lot on the same day as buying it like in the states.

(in case it's not already obvious, we're nearly in 100% agreement here)

 

[urbandreamer]

Wait a minute here. While all you guys are getting in a bind over the new Volvo dealership, have you thought about the guy sitting on the property in a declining condo market? Maybe he wants to get some return?

ps: the reality of Toronto is that 80% of the surface area of the city is devoted to the car.

 

[adma]

If there's anything you really got to regret, it's that old Massey-Harris industrialism was ripped down for the original car dealership in the first place...

 

[junctionist]

Wait a minute here. While all you guys are getting in a bind over the new Volvo dealership, have you thought about the guy sitting on the property in a declining condo market? Maybe he wants to get some return?

ps: the reality of Toronto is that 80% of the surface area of the city is devoted to the car.

It's a well known fact that 85% of statistics are made up.

 

[urbandreamer]

^Well, study google maps as extensively as I have and you'll understand that my number is a "ballpark" guess. I'm counting all of Toronto, south of Steeles remember.

 

[junctionist]

Buildings generally take up more land than the roads around them, so if it were 50% I'd be surprised. Highways are mitigated by parks and ravines. While suburban retail areas have seas of parking, suburban subdivisions are probably still below the 50% mark in terms of land devoted to car infrastructure. There, it's because of the larger yards.

I'd wager that the number is closer to a third, including suburban areas. And yes, I did look at Google maps.

 

[simuls]

I went into that car dealership on the Champs-Elysees and really liked it. Something on that scale, with that kind of brand introduction vs. what is currently on offer would be great! It accomplishes exactly what I said I wanted to see - interaction on a human scale.

 

[urbandreamer]

^You mean to say that drivers getting out of their parked cars isn't "interaction on a human scale"?

 

[catcher_of_cats]

The Volvo 'dealership' is gone, quite possibly without ever selling a single product. (Could the fake dealership have been created for the film industry?) The site has returned to its previous condition of abandonment.

 

[Solaris]

A Volvo dealership is indeed opening at this location. As of tonight, there are now vehicles in the showroom, at the exterior display locations, plus a 'staff meeting' was being held. DNA3 can wait until the market picks up again.

The Volvo 'dealership' is gone, quite possibly without ever selling a single product. (Could the fake dealership have been created for the film industry?) The site has returned to its previous condition of abandonment.

since the message above dated October 20, 2008, that 'shadow' Volve dealership has come + gone ?? wow, I'm really confused now ...

 

[digitalcabana]

1030 King Street West

Update: An official plan and zoning bylaw amendments application was received by the City in December for 1030 King Street West to permit development of several buildings, ranging from 9 to 15 storeys, with a total of 673-residential units and some commercial space.

 

[digitalcabana]

Source

http://www.toronto.ca/planning/development_portfolio/pdf/residential_dec_2008.pdf