High-tech car showroom parks in Crossroads
July 21, 2015 | Bobby Burch
The days of pushy, plaid-suited car salesmen is over at a new dealership teeming with technology in Kansas City’s Crossroads Arts District.
Luxury car dealer Pure Pursuit Automotive recently set up shop in one of Kansas City’s trendiest districts, incorporating such technology as holographic attendants and personal tablets. Those technologies and others aim to create an experience lacking at mega, suburban dealerships, founder and CEO Glen Dakan said.
“This technology really stems back to market pains,’” Dakan said. “The technology integrated into this space is something that I just had a wild idea on. I wasn’t going to make a retail space unless it was something different — something that stood out and was driven by technology. Otherwise we’d look like everyone else.”
Featuring such cars as Maseratis, BMWs and Jaguars, Dakan said he wants to create a tailored and memorable car buying experience for patrons through technology. In addition to a hologram attendant at Pure Pursuit’s entrance, sensors around the showroom will cue demos on personal tablets. Patrons can also watch videos on the boutique showroom’s touchscreen projector.
A former Navy pilot, Dakan also created an online platform and service that connects car buyers with specific cars that may not be in the showroom. PureConcierge allows customers to find exact models that may be thousands of miles away and then delivers them to their driveway.
“The idea came from how can I service any type of car for enthusiasts and how can I make it easy wherever you are in the country,” Dakan said. “Now we’ve sold (cars) in over 20 states.”
Dakan said that Kansas City’s thriving technology sector and arts culture were major contributors in his decision to locate Pure Pursuit in the Crossroads. Selling souped-up rides with an average sticker price of $75,000, Pure Pursuit’s Crossroads showroom also will serve as an art gallery featuring the works of local artists. Dakan said he hopes to tap into the Crossroads’ rich art culture during such events as First Fridays.
“I had heard about Google Fiber and all the national PR, so I said ‘I’m going to start a company that I know will need a lot of bandwidth, where’s that Google Fiber going?’” he said. “It’s not just having cars in the space and to be centrally located, which are advantages, but the idea that I have a community that’s really into arts, technology and really innovative businesses. There’s no better fit.”
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