A tour of BMW-Mini Langley in B.C
In the second installment of our new series profiling some incredible dealerships, Canadian auto dealer looks at a B.C. store that boasts, among other things, the country’s first BMW M dedicated showroom.
Sporty coupes and roadsters have their own “home,” at Langley BMW.
There’s something truly special about BMW’s performance M division. For this author it holds particular significance, since he grew up watching the likes of Nelson Piquet win the F1 world championship in his BMW M-powered Brabham. In addition, cars like the M5 and M6 models have also long been members on the: “someday I will own this vehicle” list. In fact it seems Canadians as a whole think very highly of M-cars too, for this country, in per capita terms, ranks as the single largest market for them, bigger than the U.S. and even Germany.
Not surprisingly, Aly Jiwani, General Manager of BMW-Mini Langley in British Columbia is understandably proud of his store’s dedicated M-car exclusive showroom. “It’s one of only three in the country,” he says adding that they were the first to have a specific branded showroom. “M vehicle customers, are a unique fraternity within the BMW brand, so we felt it was only natural we have a dedicated showroom and department that caters to them.”
Measuring some 59,000 square feet and incorporating two levels, BMW Langley is an imposing sight, particularly at night.
BMW Langley, part of the B.C. based OpenRoad Auto Group, is the newest dealership in the fold and the most advanced. Covering some 59,000 square feet, it boasts two levels and a whole array of innovative features.
“It’s not only [the group’s] newest store,” says Jiwani. “It’s also the first in a new development here in the Langley Auto Collection mall.” Others are scheduled to join it, including a new stand alone Infiniti dealership.
Demand going up
Mini Langley features among other things, a life-size fibreglass replica of a Mini Cooper mounted on the wall. On the other side of the building is also a novel “growing” green wall.
But why choose this specific location? Well one, it’s located close to major thoroughfares, namely the Langley Bypass and two, demand for BMW vehicles in the lower Fraser valley has been growing; significantly. “There were around 400-500 new BMW vehicle registrations in each of the last three years,” he says, “so it made sense to build [our new store] here.”
Conceived as a flagship facility, BMW Langley was designed with a great deal of assistance from BMW AG [Munich]. As a result, despite being over 8,000 km away it looks almost like an extension of Corporate Headquarters.
“That was the intention from the beginning,” says Jiwani. “As a flagship store it’s where we hold our [Open Road Auto Group] meetings.” In addition, BMW Langley serves as a focal point for local charity events. “We’ve had the Langley District School Board and the Twins cancer research fund raisers hosted here. We actively encourage non-profit organizations to put on functions at the store. It’s important for us to help support the local community and be a hub.”
And it appears BMW Langley is well on its way to becoming just that. It’s all the more remarkable since the store has only been open since August 8, 2011. “It took approximately two years, from design to completion,” says Jiwani.
Innovation in design
The building sits on 25 acres, 20 of which were allocated for the BMW store and the rest for Mini. Given the size of the facility, that means parking is fairly limited, which required some innovative thinking when it came to vehicle inventory.
“There are two parking areas on the roof,” says Jiwani. “It enables us to keep in stock the vehicles we need, while maximizing efficiency of the land on which the dealership stands. At present we’re able to stock 350 vehicles on site and planned the design of this location so we could expand that if need be.”
Besides clever vehicle storage solutions, BMW Langley also incorporates a number of other impressive features, such as the efficient use of energy. “The building is LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified,” says Jiwani. “Over 75 per cent of the waste used in construction was recycled. There’s certified wood used in the construction of this building and it uses LEED accredited insulation.”
Ali Jiwani (pictured third from the right) and his staff have seen business grow significantly since opening in August last year. “Our budget for this year is 450 cars, though based on recent past performance it’s likely we’ll exceed that,” he says.
There’s also an extensive array of LED lighting, which not only provides unique visuals (the lights change colour every 12 seconds) but also saves significantly on energy costs.
The heating system, courtesy of Sanyo, incorporates variable refrigeration, enabling heat to be drawn from one part of the building and transferred to another, also helping to save energy use. There’s also a live “green” wall at the Mini facility and high efficiency plumbing.
“Because of our location in the lower Fraser Valley, we get a lot of rainfall, so any way we can channel that rain and use it for irrigation and other uses is beneficial, not only from the standpoint of the dealership but also the local ecosystem,” says Jiwani. As a result, BMW Langley features rainwater run-off pipes that channel water into large on-site storage drums which are used to irrigate the lawns and landscaping.
Extra touches for customers
Water use is also minimized through high efficiency plumbing, including toilets and showers. “We have on-site changing rooms,” says Jiwani. “Some of our customers like to leave their vehicles and then cycle to the office, so we provide an area for them to change and also for bicycle storage if they want. There’s also an on-site transit stop for those who wish to use public transport.”
There are extras you might not find in a typical dealership, but then again, BMW Langley is anything but typical. In addition to the changing rooms and M-car showroom, the store boasts no fewer than four vehicle viewing areas, two on-site boutiques and three separate lounges.
“It doesn’t feel like a car dealership when I come here,” said one customer we talked with. “It’s a whole different experience from what I was used to, it feels more like a luxury hotel where you just happen to buy your car and get it serviced.”
Take the case of the lounge areas. There’s a casual one adjacent to the main showroom, another dedicated lounge in the service department, both with large screen TVs, coffee and snack facilities and a third upstairs which doubles as a business office, complete with desks, WiFi, printing, copying and faxing facilities.
“These days, many of our customers are on the go, so if you’re bringing your car in for service or are awaiting delivery, you can still get on with your day,” says Jiwani. “Having the business office upstairs means it’s also quiet and away from the hustle and bustle.”
Jiwani is also very strategic in the way cars are displayed for viewing by potential customers; for example, he keeps many of the higher end 6- and 7-Series models in a showroom adjacent to the business office. “By having it away from the main showroom floor, it, like the M-car viewing area creates an aura of extra exclusivity. It’s worked particularly well for us because we’ve seen a healthy demand for higher end models.”
Service in style
On the service side things are equally impressive; with no fewer than 16 service bays, state-of-the-art equipment and an on-site car wash. What’s particularly clever is that when BMW Langley was designed, the car wash was placed relatively far away from the service area, so if and when required the service area could be increased in size.
“We considered shop expansion from the outset,” says Jiwani. “Since we opened last year we’ve already seen an increase in demand, so it’s likely we’ll be using the additional space we have in the future.” Currently BMW Langley’s service department employs 10 service technicians, two of which are master certified and a whole raft of state-of-the art equipment including the latest in diagnostic and scan tools, in-ground hoists and a large drive-in service area, allowing the customers to simply drive their car in, leave the keys and pick it up at the same location, serviced, repaired, washed and detailed and with a fresh bottle of water in the cupholder.
“It really is the little things that often count,” says Jiwani. “From our standpoint it shows you care and that’s hugely important both for us and especially our customers. Without them we wouldn’t be here.”
A case in point is the car wash facility, which can accommodate up to three vehicles simultaneously. “We offer a free car wash, vacuum and tire shine to our customers,” remark’s BMW Langley’s General Manager. “At the end of the day there’s nothing like stepping into a clean car.”
Other notable aspects include a concierge service with a dedicated driver for 7-Series customers, plus a home pick-up and delivery service for those busy clients who time their days down to the last minute.
While BMW Langley is clearly in the business of selling and servicing luxury and performance cars, it also has a real sense of belonging about it. “When you come here it does feel like one big family, though it’s hard to convey unless you’ve visited the building,” says Jiwani.
In fact, it’s become somewhat of a social gathering spot for staff and customers, many of whom are “car guys.” When the store first opened, the first 30 customers were invited to a track day event, the BMW Langley Driving Experience.
“We drive our cars every day,” says one customer, “but often we have no idea what they really can do. Taking mine onto the track was a real eye opening experience and elevated my experience of ownership to a whole new level.”
According to Jiwani, BMW Langley plans on organizing two such events each year, but even though customers might not spend every weekend exercising their cars, some often come by, simply to chat with the sales and service staff. You could perhaps call it a case of run by enthusiasts for enthusiasts: the M showroom is simply the icing on the cake.
“When the [BMW] 1-Series M coupe was introduced,” it represented a great vehicle for the brand,” says Jiwani, “Little did we know how popular it would prove to be,” he says. When it first opened, the dealership had two examples in stock. Both were sold by the end of that first week.
Fun and socializing aside, it appears that BMW Langley’s rather unique approach is reaping rewards in the lower Fraser Valley. Since opening the store has seen an increase in vehicle sales by one to two units per month. “For a luxury brand like us, that’s significant,” says Jiwani. ‘It’s also heartening because it indicates that customers like our approach and signifies we’re moving in the right direction.”
BMW Langley-Mini
6025 Collection Drive
Langley, BC V3A 0C2
(604) 533-0269
www.langley.bmw.ca
