Have a Great Weekend !!

The team at Harte Infiniti wishes all our Infiniti drivers, their families, and friends a safe and happy Labor Day Weekend !!

Gone With The Wind...

The fierce winds of Hurricane Irene have literally changed the landscape of 150 Weston Street. All but one of our Callery Pear trees, which have provided shade to the center of the lot adjacent to the sales and service parking areas for many years, were taken by the storm. These beautifully shaped trees welcomed the change of seasons with their white blossoms in early spring and their brilliant multi-colored foliage which lasted until late fall. They provided perches for numerous birds ( often to the displeasure of our lot attendants ), and fluttered in the breeze due to their long stemmed leaves.


However, as was noted in my blog post dated June 1, 2011, " The only liability of this species is its poor branching habit, which renders the tree a sitting duck for major branch shearing at times of high winds or heavy ice load. This is caused by the numerous weak crotch angles, due to the vertical co-dominant central leaders that repeat up and down the canopy, with narrow angles of separation betwen the vertical branches, having little strength at their points of attachment to each other. " Unfortunately, these words have proven to be sadly prophetic, and I for one, will miss these trees.


Harte Infiniti sincerely hopes that all of our customers, families, and friends, have weathered the storm, and hopes that we can all soon return to our normal routines with an enhanced sense of the power of nature, and a deeper appreciation for a calm and tranquil weather day.

5th Annual Harte Auto Group Family Picnic !

The 5th Annual Harte Auto Group Family Picnic returned to Lake Compounce on Sunday, August 21st. A day of food, rides, and fun was enjoyed by all.

New Harte Infiniti Mobile Roadside Service Vehicle !

Harte Infiniti is proud to participate in Infiniti's pilot program to provide dealership generated roadside assistance to customers with automotive difficulties within 30 miles of our Weston Street location. A call to Infiniti Roadside Assistance will be routed directly to a Harte Infiniti technician during program hours who will determine the nature of your difficulty and dispatch our Roadside Assistance Vehicle directly to your location if needed. In addition to disagnostic services, our technician will be equipped to assist with jump start, tire inflation or change, battery replacement, fluid replacement ( including gas), or key replacement, as well as minor repairs to get you going again. Our technicians will also carry water, roadside flares and warning indicators, and have cell phone contacts for towing, service loaner vehicles, and other emergency services if needed. Our 2011 Arctic Blue EX35 will also provide you a safe and comfortable place to wait while repairs are performed !

Do You Have A Personal Assistant ?...Want one ?

I just wanted to take a minute to provide you with some information on an exciting new program we are offering called I.P.A. or Infiniti Personal Assistant. This potentially invaluable service is an industry first, and currently available through no other manufacturer. It is designed to enhance the Infiniti Total Ownership experience in ways that you may not yet have imagined.

Have you ever wished that you had a personal assistant ? That would be someone who could perform clerical or scheduling tasks, answer questions or search for information, provide dining suggestions and make reservations, look up movie schedules and reviews, do price comparisons, alert you with stock market information, or simply give you the score to last night’s game. That person is your I.P.A., and he or she is a direct cell phone call away, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, waiting to respond to anything, anytime, anywhere.

Make no mistake, this is not “press 1 for” this or “please hold for” that. Your dedicated I.P.A. is a real person, located in the USA, who will greet you by name and have access to your previous preferences and information on file. I.P.As undergo rigorous training in the latest search techniques, problem solving, and effective communications strategies. Information and services can be received by voice, text, or email, and are incredibly fast and accurate. The only answer you’ll never get is “No”.

Every new Infiniti vehicle now comes with a four year subscription to this service, a suggested retail value of $499. Remember, this service is directed to your cell phone, not necessarily your automobile, so it can be used in the office, on vacations, on business trips, or any time that you need access to information or assistance. If you should decide to switch vehicles before your subscription is up, the service stays with you.

So next time you need a wake up or appointment reminder call, need to know the best way to treat a jellyfish sting, or need a good joke to kick off your meeting, simply dial up your I.P.A. What ? …You don’t have an I.P.A. ? Well, if you call me at Harte Infiniti, I can sign you up for a free 30 day promo account so you can see just what this service can do for you. Infiniti Personal Assistant…just another way that Infiniti provides a finely tuned, anticipatory ownership experience for the world’s most discerning drivers.

http://www.infinitipersonalassistant.com/

Fore !!

Giving new meaning to "driving an Infiniti", these Titleist golf balls with the Infiniti logo are now available from our parts department.
 Swing analysis is, of course, also available at extra charge !!

Meet Our Staff

When you bring your car in for service in the morning, you will likely be assisted by Andres Tejada, who will make sure that your car gets into the service department, and is detailed and returned to you in a timely fashion. Andres is originally from the Domincan Republic, where he pursued an interest in baseball from a young age.
He played for Aguilas Cibaenas in the Dominican Winter Leagues, and was drafted as a short stop by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1979. He played Triple A ball in the Pirates organization, before his career was cut short by injuries. We are proud to have Andres on our team !!

Where's The Camera ?

An interesting image produced by the reflection of the building in the rear window of our 2010 Jeep Sahara Wrangler Unlimitied, mid afternoon on Tuesday.

New Harte Facility Goes Up on Weston Street

Construction of the new Harte Used Car Authority building on Weston Street is underway. The facility will accommodate the sales department which will specialize in a full range of pre-owned vehicles from budget to exotic. Follow the construction progress on Harte Infiniti live !

Infiniti Red Bull Racing !

Harte Infiniti on NewYorkShopExchange !

http://newyorkshopexchange.com/video/1137/video-business-guide/harte-infiniti-in-hartford-ct

Clear For Takeoff...

A Man who clearly knows about high powered, precision crafted, technologically sophisticated machinery, Mr. Rajeev Bhalla, Vice President, Finance & Chief Financial Officer of Pratt & Whitney, gets ready for takeoff in his new 2011 FX50S. This vehicle features a jet-like 390hp, Active Rear Wheel Steering, an Around View Monitor, and Full Range Intelligent Cruise Control. With him for pre flight is Harte Infiniti Product Specialist Sean Dyer.

Gold At The End of The Rainbow...

Pictures taken July 13, 2011 at 7:30 PM.

Helping Hands...

Harte Infiniti salutes the fine work of The Helping Hands of America Foundation, which supports such organizations as Meals On Wheels, The ALS Association's New England Chapter, and The Association of Blind Citizens by helping individuals liquidate their unwanted vehicles and receive a tax deduction for their market value.

Helping Hands of America will pick up your donation and make sure you receive all the necessary paperwork to claim your deduction. For more information, call 888 881 9090, or Harte Infiniti. Pictured here is New England Regional Manager Kathy Reagan and Harte Infiniti Sales Representative Sean Dyer. You can find out more about Helping Hands of America on Facebook, or at helpinghandsofamerica.org

Gold...

Harte Infiniti at sunset, July 6, 2011

Infiniti Parts...Excellent !

Harte Infiniti Parts Manager Ho Ling Yee accepts the Infiniti Award of Excellence on behalf of the parts department. Also pictured are Mr. Greg Harte and Infiniti Northeast Region Dealer Operations Representative Mr. Greg Bath. Congratulations to Ho and his consistently excellent team !!

The 2006 FX45

Still nothing on the road like it !!

Weekend Update

State Police are trying to keep Connecticut's roads and highways safe through the holiday weekend by setting up sobriety checkpoints and by having more officers patrolling the streets.
Police amped up their coverage of the state's roads and highways at midnight July 1. Since then, police have investigated 256 accidents. Thirty-five of those accidents resulted in injuries. There have been no fatalities.
Police have also issued 127 tickets regarding seat belts, 1,649 speeding tickets and have arrested 69 people for drunk driving.

Source: Amanda Falcone / Hartford Courant

The Infiniti Safety Shield

Safety is a key factor in every driver's vehicle selection. The Infiniti Safety Shield breaks down the driving experience into six stages.

The first stage is NORMAL DRIVING. This represents the vast majority of time that a driver spends behind the wheel. The safest drivers are those who are completely at ease in their vehicle, able to see their surroundings, and effortlessly operate every needed control. Good ergonomics will create a condition where the driver's relationship to the vehicle will contribute to safe, comfortable driving. Critical ergonomic elements include seating, wheel and pedal positioning, outward visibility, and controls.

The second stage is RISK APPEARS. Many of the same systems that make normal driving safe and pleasant can play a role if the driver encounters risk. Some additional systems such as Vehicle Dynamic Control, Anti Lock Brakes, Lane Departure Warning, Blind Spot Warning, Tire Pressure Monitoring, and Preview Braking will provide assistance if an emergency maneuver is necessary to successfully avoid a crash.

The third stage is CRASH MAY OCCUR. In this stage the vehicle will actually intervene utilizing sophisticated computer controls to attempt to prevent an accident by operating vehicle systems at speeds that exceed the driver's abilities. This would again include the ABS system, along with Electronic Brake Force Distribution, and VDC.

The fourth stage is CRASH IS UNAVOIDABLE. If a vehicle reaches the fourth stage, it will rapidly be followed by the fifth, which is CRASH. In many cases the driver cannot distinguish between these two stages, but by seperating them it is possible to distinguish between systems that "prepare for " an impact and systems that "protect in" an impact.  Seat belts with Emergency Locking Retractors (ELR) or Infiniti's Pre-Crash seatbelts are examples of systems designed to respond during stage four. Stage five systems include airbags and Supplemental Restraint Systems, Zone Body Construction, Breakaway Mounts, Energy Absorbing Steering Column and Pedal Assembly, and Active Head Restraints.

The sixth stage is POST CRASH Protection for the battery and other electrical systems will attempt to protect the integrity of electronic communications systems, and  Event Data Recorders will allow technicians to analyze information that will improve future safety.

Safety Never Takes A Holiday...

Harte Infiniti wishes all of our friends a safe and happy holiday weekend. According to Hartford Channel 3,

Connecticut Police have responded to 100 accidents in the state since yesterday. Please be aware of the

dangers of distracted driving, and pay extra attention to the increased volume on the roads. Let's all be able to say on Tuesday that we celebrated the many freedoms which are offered to us as citizens of this great country, wisely.