KEPetersen

The newest Porsche dealership in the South Florida region is Roger Penske's Porsche of West Broward. Anyone who follows racing knows that racing legend Roger Penske is fanatical about executing the details needed to be the best – and his record as the owner of Team Penske reflects that commitment to excellence. That's one of the reasons he owns the record for most victories as an owner in the Indy 500 (16), as well as success in Formula 1, CART, American Le Mans, Grand Am, and NASCAR. He was also a successful driver, too, having first raced at the old Marlboro Motor Raceway (racing alongside my dad and brother in the '60's), leading to his being crowned SCCA Driver of the Year, with later stints in Formula 1, sports cars, and NASCAR.

I just purchased my GT4 at Porsche of West Broward – in fact I was the dealership's first customer – and thought there might be some interest in my overall experience. After all, we have a surfeit of Porsche dealers in South Florida, with esteemed brands like Champion, Braman, and the Collection within a 45-minute drive of each other. So how does this new dealership fare? Well, here's my review of this most recent Porsche dealership in our area:

The Facility
Some time ago I had the good fortune to tour Mr. Penske's Indy race garage at several races and was astounded at the contrast between his operation and his competitors: It was like comparing a surgical ward to a school cafeteria. No detail was too small for his team to focus on. So it wasn't surprising to find that Porsche of West Broward was applying the same exacting standards as you find in his world-class race teams. First thing to know is that this is physically the largest Porsche dealership in the United States, second in the world only to one of The Captain's other Porsche dealerships located in Germany. From the outside it is an impressive sight:


Folks, this place is worth visiting if only for the architectural design. Employing a very clean, Bauhaus-like modernist style with polished surfaces, strong geometric shapes, and clever use of asymmetry, this is a very European architectural statement with Porsche-esque use of natural aluminum and spare use of color. As you enter, the foyer has a vaulted ceiling and walls that mimic the exterior, blurring the distinction between interior and exterior. You are also struck by the generous use of space – nowhere in this building do you feel cramped or contained. Even the service area has been designed to reflect this expansive spatial aesthetic.


Throughout the building one is also struck by the very efficient and utilitarian layout; everything has been created to enhance the customer experience. Whether it is relaxing at the espresso bar (hot chocolate and other favorites available) or hanging at any of the several sitting areas where a customer can check their emails, catch up on some on-screen racing news, enjoy reading the latest Porsche periodicals, or just chat with other customers. There are even glass-walled meeting rooms where local Porsche clubs are invited to hold seminars and events.


The Buying Experience
Of course, buildings are one thing but its service where the rubber hits the road – and if anything, my buying experience exceeded my admittedly high expectations. Months before Porsche of West Broward even opened, the incoming General Manager, Justin Hoisington, went out of his way to keep me appraised of the status of my GT4. Unlike some dealerships, Mr. Penske has a policy against marking up new cars over MSRP, and MSRP is what I paid for my GT4 – not a penny more. The first impression you have upon meeting Justin is how remarkably young he is to be managing the largest Porsche dealership in the country. But then you remember that this is the man Roger Penske personally picked as the GM for his flagship operation, and after spending only a little time with Justin you come to see why: Polite, knowledgable, experienced, and totally focused on the customer, Justin is the consummate Porsche professional. Clearly The Captain has an eye for talent.

Justin did me the favor of turning over my sale to Tommy Justice, a name apropos of his superhero-like dedication to making my buying experience perfect. I've bought dozens of cars in my life but I have never had a salesman who was so committed to his customer. As an example, he and Justin arranged for a roll cage to be installed the very morning it arrived so I could pick up my car later that afternoon. Chris, one of the Porsche master mechanics that Justin recruited, did a great job, and kindly removed some tricky pieces that I planned to have covered with carbon fiber later that week. Despite their being remarkably busy so soon after opening their doors, everyone I dealt with could not have been more generous with their time.


The Verdict?
In case you couldn't tell, I am totally impressed with Porsche of West Broward and the professionals working there. I've bought cars from top flight Porsche, Ferrari, Mercedes, BMW, and other highline cars, and uniformly they offer superior sales and service, but Porsche of West Broward is in a league of its own. To compete, other dealerships are going to have to work very hard and commit themselves to expending huge resources to come close to what the Penske Automotive Group has accomplished, and that's good for consumers. When you spend a lot more for a special car you should expect a lot more from the dealership that sells it, and as of this month there's a new leader in town!

[For details on my follow-on modifications to the GT4 here's a link to my Reenlist post: My GT4 Modifications: CF, Decals, Roll Cage, etc.]

porschedog

I was in the dealership the first weekend they were open.

It is an incredibly impressive facility and the staff were all very professional and low-key.

I will continue to use my Indy for service since both my cars are long out of warranty and I prefer having the same tech work on my cars each time they roll in.

However, when I am ready to purchase a new Porsche I will definitely talk to these guys.

TRAKCAR

Because of this thread i went there Saturday and git a little tour from one of the sales guys and the service manager.

I have to say I was impressed. Very nice people. Awsome facility.

porschedog

They have an awesome coffee bar on the 1st floor, btw. (Chester's HD has the same machine - I Really want one fore the house)

Kevinmacd

Not only has Penske been successful in cart! He won 12hrs Sebring in LMP2 car in 2008, which was Porsche, not only did he finish first in class but also overall.


http://www.motorsport.com/alms/news/...erall-victory/

Shawn C

Glad to hear it! I'm glad someone will finally stick it to that ego maniac owner of Champion Motors. That guy was a total jerk. I bought 3 911's elsewhere up north when I lived in Broward because of him. "We dont do discounts because we sell our cars before they even reach the dealership", If you bring a car here you bought from somewhere else I'll make sure you get put at the back of the line for service".
Those are just two of his glowing statements he made to me lol.
I wish Penske all the best lol.

Kevinmacd

I would have asked him if that were the case why does he have inventory on the lot and in the showroom?

triplenet

I was there opening day - Roger Penske was there and talked to us for a bit - even gave us his "generic" business card and said " give me a call anytime" .... I know it was a pitch but still very nice ..

I live across the street and find myself driving over once in a while... Some very nice cars ... Hope they do well...

evil panda

it's indeed a very impressive dealership. spotless all throughout and without question the most architecturally cool dealership i can remember seeing. even the service department is gleaming - when i was there they had a 918 parked behind the glass, seemingly just so people could look at it.

the only thing was, i had heard that there was a Lamborghini dealership next to it but i never found it

porschedog

Yeah, the Lamebo dealership is tucked away, where only the WitSec guys can find it.

JPMD

Was there this past weekend. Amazing appearing facility and all the guys seemed very friendly.

One of the salesman Tommy Justice who is a real car guy spent allot of time with me and my son (11yrs old) showing us some really nice new and pre-owned cars. They had a Carrera GT, GTS Club Coupe and 911 50th.

Glad we have another option her in Southeast FL and look forward to working with them.

Bossing

I was also there on Day 1. They had a couple of GT4's on display, all sold though. But on that day I got lucky and secured a build that was about to lock the same day! Not much I wanted to change on it so I took it asap. Took delivery of my GT4 recently and yes what an awesome car from a very nice topnotch facility. Needless to say, I won't need to go to the other P dealer on the east side.

Congrats on yours, K!

Syndicate9

I went to see the dealership today and had a very good experience. The salesman, Mark, gave us a tour and spent over an hour with us. Spied this beauty there.

2K7TTMIA

great experience this afternoon at PWB, oil change and brake flush. plenty of inventory and some special cars on site ....

dhus@penskeautomotive

Thanks for the post! We really appreciate it. Feel free to come back as often as possible.....our home is your home!