December Employee Spotlight: Gerald Franti

Lexus of Wayzata is excited to highlight Gerald Franti for our December Employee Spotlight.

Gerald will celebrate his third year with Lexus as a New Car Sales Associate this February. His favorite part about his role at Lexus is that each day is different. He appreciates getting physical activity each day by climbing stairs and walking around the dealership. Gerald is often recognized as “the bow tie guy;” however, many people may not know he is the one making the bow ties!

Before working for Lexus, Gerald taught music for over 20 years. He then managed custom international tours which focused on specialty tours for fine arts clientele including music performer groups, museums, artists, culinary and garden groups. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Northern Michigan University and a Master’s of Music on the Bassoon from Ohio University in Athens. Gerald’s father worked for the US Air force while he was growing up which allowed the family to live in several places including Texas, London and Michigan. If he could recommend a place to visit, he would suggest the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. His family settled there in 1918 from Finland and Gerald recognizes the area as reminiscent of his Finnish heritage.

Gerald currently resides in Burnsville with his wife of 35 years and has two children. One recently graduated from college and the other is currently attending the University of Minnesota- Duluth. Gerald has two dogs, a Springer Spaniel and a Bichon. In his spare time, Gerald enjoys the outdoors. He is an avid gardener and has managed to keep a Geranium plant alive for over 8 years. Music is kept alive in Gerald’s home as he is the proud owner of his Grandmother’s baby grand piano from 1849!  Gerald also spends spare time volunteering in his community and at schools.

As the holiday season is upon us, Gerald recognizes December to Remember as a time of opportunity. He feels Lexus does a great job bringing on special programs that appeal to a wide range of interests and needs. It’s a win-win for all involved. Lexus thanks Gerald for his commitment to the dealership for the last three years and we look forward to the years ahead.


To view past employee spotlights click here 

 

Pre-Order the All-New Lexus NX or Lexus RC

Pre-Order the All-New Lexus NX or Lexus RC and Receive a FREE 2 Year/20,000 Mile Maintenance Plan!

Lexus NX

Contact Mike Dalton, the General Sales Manager at (952) 404-5103 or via email at mdalton@lexusofwayzata.com to take advantage of this LIMITED TIME ONLY SPECIAL!

Are you interested in learning more about the all-new 2015 Lexus NX? You will be able to see, touch and drive this breakthrough luxury-utility crossover at our dealership starting in mid-November. 

With its turbo-charged engine (a Lexus first), all-new sequential six-speed automatic transmission, optimized driving dynamics and stirring design, the NX delivers power, excitement, style and convenience in a smartly compact SUV.
The versatile NX debuts in these three versions:

• The turbo-charged NX 200t.
• The NX 300h, our hybrid model which shares the sporty persona of the NX200t while delivering greater fuel efficiency.
• The NX F SPORT, with its bold, aggressive design.

The pleasure of owning a Lexus goes beyond the confines of your vehicle. Lexus owners' benefits include exclusive experiences at some of the most sought-after hotels and restaurants, as well as preferential access to premiere event tickets, unique benefits at sports events and special discounts from luxury retail partners.

Lexus RC

Pre-order now, or get on the mailing list to be on the Fast Track for the first look at the all-new, 2015 Lexus RC and 2015 Lexus RC F Sport. What began with a blank sheet of paper and uninhibited desire transformed into this: the first-ever RC and RC F SPORT. These alluring two-door coupes showcase deeply contoured lines and modern interiors punctuated by precise handling and invigorating performance.

• New Lexus Dedicated Coupe with the Most Aggressive use yet of the Iconic Spindle Grille
• New Remote Touch Interface Implements Intuitive Touch-Sensitive Design 
• New Generation Technologies and Advanced Manufacturing Techniques Utilized in Vehicle Development

The pleasure of owning a Lexus goes beyond the confines of your vehicle. Lexus owners’ benefits include exclusive experiences at some of the most sought-after hotels and restaurants, as well as preferential access to premiere event tickets, unique benefits at sports events and special discounts from luxury retail partners.

Keep updated on the all-new RC as its arrival in our showroom approaches. See more by clicking HERE.

Lexus of Wayzata is excited to highlight Celeste Harris as our February Employee Spotlight!

Celeste Harris

February 2014

Lexus of Wayzata is excited to highlight Celeste Harris as our February Employee Spotlight.

Celeste has worked for Lexus of Wayzata for 1 ½ years. She started her Lexus career as a Guest Services Associate in the Service Department and is now working as a Sales & Administrative Assistant. Her favorite part about her position is helping someone’s day run smoother and more productively, and she enjoys that every day is different.

Before working for Lexus, Celeste worked for Wells Fargo as a Loan Representative and also at Hopkins Honda as a Service Advisor. She began her eight year career at Honda as a Cashier and was quickly promoted to Service Advisor. Celeste appreciates learning and knowing all aspects of the dealership.

In her spare time, Celeste enjoys biking, reading and watching her favorite TV show - Chopped. She spends much of her free time cheering on her two sons, Aaron Jr. and Cedric, at various basketball and baseball games. As a family, they enjoy going to the beach and biking in the summer; during winter months they spend time at the movies or enjoying each other’s company.

Lexus of Wayzata thanks Celeste for being an outstanding member of the Lexus team. We appreciate Celeste’s continued hard work, dedication and eagerness to learn.

How does KBB determine 5-year cost to own, and why does Lexus always win top honors?

Just what is a "5-year cost to own"?  It's a set of expenses that most buyers don't consider when they're purchasing a car.  Fuel costs, insurance premiums, state taxes and fees, financing charges, maintenance costs, and depreciation all factor into the cost of owning a vehicle.  Some vehicles have a lower entry price, but very poor reliability and/or fuel economy.  These vehicles might actually end up having a higher cost of ownership over a 5-year period than a very reliable car that costs a little more up front.

Kelley Blue Book tries to help consumers make smart purchases by gauging the 5-year cost of owning a vehicle by approximating the average cost of all of the aforementioned expenses and comparing it to other vehicles in the same class.

What does it all mean for Lexus?  Well, we're happy to say that we've come out on top for the second year in a row!  The incredible reliability, fuel economy, and safety of Lexus vehicles pays off in more ways than one-- this time by keeping hard-earned dollars in your wallet.  It's just another reason to buy Lexus and never look back!

Solve the puzzle and tell us which old-school Lexus is in the picture for today's #ThrowbackThursday!

Hey everyone!  For today's Throwback Thursday, we figured we'd get a little more interactive!  Below you will find an old-school Lexus that needs to be put back together!  Fit the pieces together and tell us which model it is (leave the comment on our Facebook!)

The Lexus RC F is a predator in, well, a predator's clothing!

The Lexus RC F Coupe boasts a visually striking design that we think some are going to like, and others are going to love. Of course, beauty is only skin deep, but there are a lot of reasons to love this car beyond aesthetics. For instance, there's a 5.0-liter V8 engine sitting under that domed hood with more than 450 horsepower, along with a newly calibrated eight-speed automatic gearbox that can take you to the stars and back without a hitch.

Interestingly enough, Lexus has tuned the RC F's engine to run on an Atkinson cycle under most circumstances, while it switches to the more typical Otto cycle when more power is required. How? Well, presumably by using some sort of very advanced variable valve timing technology. But power is useless unless it can be translated into the wheels properly, which is why the RC F features a torque vectoring differential-- a first from Lexus.

Also involved in keeping the RC F planted is an aero package that includes wings and ducts galore. The headline bit is an active rear wing that deploys at 50 miles per hour and retracts back into the deck when the car drops back to 25 mph. To top it all off, so to speak, a clear-coated carbon fiber roof can optionally join that carbon rear wing.

Inside the cockpit, the design is is decidedly less aggressive, opting to go instead with a more luxurious interior commonly associated with Lexus. Features are plenty, instrument clusters are concise, and everything is, as always, crafted from top-quality materials. Long story short? We've never been more excited to be a Lexus dealership.

The new 2015 Lexus RC F takes Destroit by storm!

Compared to the first day, the second day at any auto show is usually much more...  Well, boring.  But not this year-- this year Lexus saw fit to un-cage perhaps the most refined beast on display in Detroit:  The striking RC F Coupe.

To start, the RC F is based on the much less aggressive RC 350 coupe (which is itself based on the midsize IS luxury sedan), and is designed to give the likes of the BMW 4-Series and Audi A5 series a run for their money.  But that's really like comparing apples to oranges; the RC F is in a whole other league all together.

The story of the RC F is defined by combinations of letters and numbers, and most loudly by its 5.0-liter V-8 engine, which produces more than 450 horsepower-- a leader in the segment.

The move to use a traditional V-8 in an era when many manufacturers are downsizing engine sizes for the sake of fuel economy is a bold one, but one that had to be made.  That's not to say, however, that the powerplant will make liberal use of fuel; we fully expect a full range of industry leading fuel saving tech to make an appearance in the RC F.  Also worth noting is the silky smooth eight-speed automatic that routes power through the rear wheels.

Most noticeably, though, are the car's looks.  It blends graceful curves with an aggressive stance to create a body style that caught almost everyone's eye at the Detroit Auto Show.  Style, power, and luxury-- these are the things that define a Lexus, and the RC F is a paragon of these ideals.  We can't wait to have you test drive one!