The Policaro Group Brings the Automotive Dealership into the Digital Age

By DC Rutherford

My dream car as a kid was a Porsche 911—the mid-70s Carrera model, in silver. Or maybe the motorsport classic emblazoned with logos and the number 147 in bright red that finished 5th in the 1965 Monte Carlo Rally. My dad would give me a Porsche calendar every Christmas, and as the next December rolled around I’d cut out each of the previous year’s months and paste them all over my bedroom walls. My favourite Hot Wheels and dinky toys were always those of the iconic German carmaker. Porsche, to me, was the very epitome of automotive excellence.

It still is.

Some three decades later, I’m in my home office on a Zoom call with Francesco Policaro, the owner of the Policaro Group, Southern Ontario’s premier luxury car dealership group, outfitting discerning Golden Horseshoe drivers in the latest BMWs, Lexuses, Toyotas, Acuras, Hondas, and, yes, Porsches. Francesco is in the Oakville offices of the Policaro Group and behind him is a display of those same Porsche toy models that filled my dreams as a kid. Francesco doesn’t deal in childish toys, but rather the realization of those childhood dreams.

In the middle of a global Pandemic, Policaro – and the rest of their industry, and our world – has had to change, adapt to the new reality.

In a year where the Policaro Group shut down in March and April, they’ve come back with abandon as consumers’ habits are acclimatizing to a challenging marketplace. Luxury is luxury, and its acquisition is a matter of opportunity, not global climate. Without resplendent and relaxing international vacations and travel or lively gatherings and group activities, some are investing in vacations of the soul and spirit, and personal transport tops that list. “Try buying an RV in Ontario right now,” Policaro laughs. His company has bounced back, but with a keen understanding that there is a new normal, and change was essential. Policaro is effusive in his praise of his staff, “They all worked so hard, with such commitment,” he says, sure to put his team ahead of himself.

The Policaro Group now offers a contact-free, enhanced sales and delivery experience in three easy steps through Policaro Access:

Private Contact-Free Purchase Consultation With A Sales Executive: Meet your Sales Executive online or via phone to answer all your questions about your new or pre-owned vehicle needs, finance or lease options, and trade-in valuation.
Easy, Secure, Digital Paperwork Process: Securely review all purchase documents online anywhere, from any device.
Convenient Delivery Process: Convenient, contact-free delivery.

Policaro Access expedites and facilitates the experience, which will undoubtedly become the new industry standard. Lives go on, businesses continue, and the Policaro Group has been a pioneer in dealership modernization. In a contactless world, how does one buy a car, let alone a luxury automobile like the 2021 Porsche Taycan, the “comprehensively updated electric sports car” that is a marvel in style, performance, and conscience. It is truly a car for the future. Such a phenomenon of contemporary ingenuity deserves a similar sales process in kind.

Genius in theory, but what about in practice?

Mark Cummings, a luxury car aficionado, took the new Porsche Taycan and sales experience for a ride.

“My overall experience for my new Porsche Taycan was absolutely amazing!”
Cummings gushed, his excitement palpable. “From the time I purchased the car to delivery day, the customer experience was exceptional. Porsche Centre Oakville was in constant contact with me and I found the home delivery tracker to be an extremely valuable tool as well.”

“It’s simply a link that downloaded on my phone which gave me regular updates on when the Taycan would be arriving, up to and including a tracker which showed the vehicle approaching my home. The delivery representatives were extremely attentive and customer-focused and showed me how to operate every aspect of the new vehicle. When I saw my new Taycan coming off the delivery truck, I could not wait any longer to get behind the wheel and feel the unbelievable experience of the new hybrid Taycan.”

The modernization is equally represented by the car, dealership, and overall experience. “Thanks to Functions on Demand, Taycan drivers can purchase various convenience and assist functions as required. What makes this approach special is that it also works after having taken delivery of the Taycan. Thanks to over-the-air updates, it is not necessary to visit a workshop to install the software package.” Luxury dealerships now exist everywhere, convenient and contactless.

The car itself is equally impressive. “Once behind the wheel, I have never experienced such a sensational drive,” raved Cummings. “Having driven many Porsches before and owning two, this was a feeling like no other. The quiet engine is so silent you cannot even detect that the car is on. The smooth take-off is second to none. Once on the highway, I accelerated a little and looked down at the speedometer only to see that the Taycan had taken off like an airplane to a speed I hesitate to even mention. It was truly an unbelievable driving experience. The overall delivery experience was genuinely outstanding. I applaud the Policaro Group for launching this new service – it is extremely innovative and represents a necessary service for the new world that we live in.”

A Porsche has always been something special, whether in the fantasy of my childhood or the reality of Mark Cummings’ experience. In this year like no other, consumer demands have been informed by sobering reality. The magic of Porsche has always been its imagination, its ingenuity, its aspiration to be faster, bolder, sleeker, and yet timeless. It never wanted to be a car, but rather the car. Iconic statues aren’t handed out, but earned, and in a time that has demanded the best of us, Porsche and the Policaro Group have delivered – and done so contact-free. Once again, Porsche dreams become a reality.