Alex Bellus
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Posts by Alex Bellus
Wheels of Italy 2013
Aug 27th
We are pleased to announce our 10th consecutive year participating in and sponsoring the annual Wheels of Italy car show. This years event took place on Sunday, August 25th near Lake Calhoun and despite the heat, the turnout was great! Attendees got a dose of everything Italian on wheels, including cars, motorcycles and scooters. Thank you to everyone who came out and helped to make this event a success. Check out our video footage from the event and some of our photos below.
Trofeo World Series 2013: Sonoma
Aug 23rd
Following the success of the last season, the Maserati Trofeo MC will be back in 2013 on one of the most prestigious circuits around the world. The race is scheduled for this Sunday at the Sonoma raceway, a year-round motorsports complex that highlights some of the top racing series in the country.
The raceway is located 30 minutes north of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and the facility covers 1,600 acres and more than 160 feet of elevation changes. The highest point on the track reaches 174 feet while the lowest point at turn 10 is just 14 feet. The physically challenging 12-turn 2.38-mile course provides a great setting for the IZOD IndyCar Series weekend, which will run through Sunday, August 25th. A double header will take place tomorrow with two races in the Touring Car class on Saturday including two Trofeo Maserati World Series races and the 60-minute Grand Touring and Grand Touring Sport main event on Sunday.
So far this season, an average of 24 Maserati Gran Turismo MC Trofeo’s have competed on circuits around Europe, but this weekend the action returns to the United States at Sonoma, a gateway to famous wine county. Make sure to tune in Saturday and Sunday for this exciting event!
4th Annual Wings of Hope Golf Classic
Aug 13th
On Monday August 5th we brought a few or our Morrie’s Luxury Auto vehicles to the Hazeltine National Golf Club for the 4th Annual Wings of Hope Golf Classic.
Throughout the event, they collectively raised over $1,000,000 dollars for the United Healthcare Children’s Foundation from the lunch auction, dinner auction, silent auction and the money raised from the entry fee into the tournament.
Notable auction items included a glass of lemonade for more than $1,000 dollars and 4 different Morrie’s Luxury Auto vehicles being shown. A 2013 Maserati GranTurismo Convertible in Bianco was stationed on Hole #4, (no one made the hole in one this time ), a black 2005 Ferrari f430, a silver 2013 Bentley Continental GTC Le Mans Edition as well as the brand new Champagne 2014 Maserati Quattroporte GT S.
Some of our clients came out in their own vehicles, including a 2008 silver/gray Ferrari f430, a blue 2013 Maserati GranTurismo Convertible MC, and a black 2013 McLaren MP4-12C Spider.
Here at Morrie’s we are always looking for the oppertunity to give back and we were happy to be able to support the 4th Annual Wings of Hope Event again this year.
The Mazda2 B-Spec Racecar Makes an Appearance at Road America!
Jul 31st
The Morrie’s Mazda/Miracles Of Mitch Mazda 2 made its second appearance this past weekend. Many consider Road America to be the United States premier racetrack. With its dramatic elevation changes and technical corners, it demands the best from both driver and car. Then, stir in a couple long straights where maximum speed is obtained.
At Road America, our nimble and reliable little Mazda 2 routinely hit speeds well over one hundred miles per hour bringing home third place. This was a particularly strong finish given that it is difficult for a single car to compete against a team of several cars as they can use each other for drafting and even bump drafting.
With Michael Ashby at the wheel, the Morrie’s Mazda/Miracles Of Mitch Mazda 2 broke up their formation to finish a very strong third. An engine control unit re-flash, now available, will give us some additional horsepower and a few more RPM’s at the top end. With these modest upgrades, we will improve on these already fantastic results.
So, if you are keeping score, a first place at Brainerd International Raceway and a third place at Road America! More importantly, The Miracles Of Mitch message was embraced by everybody that came near the car. We experienced children placing their hands on the hand prints placed on the car by children with cancer as an act of solidarity.
Numerous fans had their picture taken with the car and other drivers and crew approached us at the end of the event to thank Michael and the crew for the show they put on. It was flat out racing and NOTHING was left on the table during Michael’s terrific drive.
Shortly, the car goes to California for the Pro World challenge race! There, we expect a huge field of competition from all over the country. As usual, the little Morrie’s Mazda/Miracles Of Mitch Mazda 2 has made us all winners before we even get to the track by helping to raise money and awareness for the Miracles of Mitch foundation.
Get more info and help by going to www.MiraclesofMitch.org and, visit us at Morrie’s at www.morries.com
All-New Bentley Flying Spur Makes an Appearance
Jul 9th
Last week we got a sneak peek at the all-new Bentley Flying Spur when it made a surprise appearance here at Morrie’s Luxury Auto. We had been anxiously awaiting its arrival since we first laid eyes on it at the New York International Auto Show.
The redesigned Flying Spur is equipped with more standard horsepower. Additional power and reduced weight allow this twin turbocharged 6.0 W12-liter engine to achieve 0-60mph in just 4.3 seconds and on to a top speed of 200mph. The exterior sports a lower roofline profile, sharper lines and rounded surfaces that make it appear lower and wider than its predecessor.
This Sleek new vehicle embraces styling queues from Bentley’s Mulsanne & Continental GT models. The interior of this vehicle also received a makeover with comfort and luxury in mind. The spacious interior cabin provides the latest in comfort, luxury and technology with over 600 new components.
A 64-gb hard drive, an 8-channel, 8-speaker audio system, Wi-Fi hot spot, wireless headphones, and two rear mounted infotainment systems are just a few of the technology features you will discover in the redesigned Flying Spur.
With a mixture of comfort, luxury, technology and performance, the all-new Bentley Flying Spur is sure to bring you the ultimate driving experience.
We were very excited to get a closer look at the all-new redesigned Bentley Flying Spur in person and we look forward to having inventory available Fall 2013. For any additional information, please call us at 952-797-1777.
MN Cars & Coffee July 2013
Jul 9th
July has historically been the busiest month during the Cars and Coffee season at the Automotorplex and this year was no different. We were excited to bring out a number of cars from Morrie’s Luxury Auto, but we knew the show-stopper would be the all-new 2014 Maserati Quattroporte. As expected, the redesigned Quattroporte drew quite the crowd and gained a lot of attention.
But spectators made sure to also get a peek at the other vehicles that we brought including the Mazda2 B-spec racecar build, the 2012 Maserati Granturismo MC and the 2011 Porsche 911 Turbo in Meteor Gray.
It was a beautiful day for the event and we were so pleased with the turnout. Make sure to stop by and see us during next months event!
Twin Cities Luxury Auto is now Morrie’s Luxury Auto
Jun 21st
If you haven’t already heard the news, Twin Cities Luxury Auto has changed its name to Morrie’s Luxury Auto. Rest assured, we’re still the same place with the same great cars and people you’ve come to know and trust. We saw an opportunity to better align ourselves with the Morrie’s name and its brand history, so we made the switch.
Effective immediately you will see the new name and logo changes reflected across the Internet and all of our marketing channels. It’s not a revolutionary change but it is something that we are quite excited about.
Besides the rebrand there are a number of exciting changes coming our way this summer including a new facility that will offer more space and a better showcasing of our Bentley, Maserati and pre-owned models. We also look forward to the arrival of three new exciting vehicles. The 2014 Maserati Quattroporte, the Bentley Flying Spur and the Maserati Ghibli (pictured below).
For up to date news and development information make sure to check back to our blog often. We look forward to our continued growth as a company and the ability to enhance the customer service experience that we offer.
MN Cars & Coffee June 2013
Jun 3rd
Summer has finally arrived and the weather actually cooperated for Cars & Coffee this past Saturday. Though we were forecasting a rainy week the sun decided to make an appearance just long enough for us to have a great event. The turnout was the best we have seen yet this year, since we had been battling a long winter and non-existent spring.
This month we brought out a 2010 Ferrari California, a 2013 Bentley Continental GTC V8 and a 2006 Flying Spur. As always our luxury cars drew a lot of attention, but this month was extra special with the appearance of Matthew’s fully restored 1968 Dodge Charger. Early in January Morrie’s Auto Group partnered with the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Minnesota to help grant Matthew’s wish of having his 1968 Dodge Charger restored. We were thrilled to be able to get involved with the foundation to help with the restoration. After 5 long months Matthew’s car is finally complete and we surprised him with it on Friday. He brought the vehicle out to Cars and Coffee on Saturday and it was quite the hit. Spectators flocked to the vehicle to take a peek under the hood and get the chance to meet Matthew.
Check out our photos from this month’s event below and make sure to head out to the Automotorplex for MN C&C next month. Historically July has the largest turnout of the season! For more information visit the MN C&C website.
Miracles of Mitch Race Car Day at the Children’s Hospital
May 15th
If you’ve been actively reading our blog, you already know that Morrie’s Minnetonka Mazda and Twin Cities Luxury Auto have been working together to help build a Mazda2 B-Spec Racecar for one of our loyal clients, John McCarthy.
The Mazda2 racecar build is complete and TCLA Service Manager, Michael Ashby has been working closely with McCarthy and the Miracles of Mitch Foundation to raise money for children in need. Ashby and McCarthy became aware of the Miracles of Mitch Foundation when they participated in an event sponsored by our Mazda and TCLA stores. The event allowed us, as well as our customers to donate a bike to the Miracles of Mitch Foundation for each car that was sold in April. McCarthy and Ashby felt inspired to continue a partnership with the Miracles of Mitch Foundation. To them, the foundation carries a message that everyone needs to hear and they decided to embrace the idea of helping the foundation to raise funds.
McCarthy, Ashby and other members of the Morrie’s Automotive Group and Twin Cities Luxury Auto recently brought the Mazda2 Racecar to the people who would likely appreciate it the most, the children of the Miracles of Mitch Foundation. During a recent event, children were able to trace their handprints and sign a decal in the color of their choosing before if was transferred onto the racecar. The kids loved the idea that their handprints would be with the drivers on the car during the race competitions it will be competing in.
We all had a great time meeting the children, we gave out coloring sheets and a model car for them to play with and they selected the spot on the Mazda2 where they wanted their handprints to go. The next event will be held at the University of Minnesota Amplatz Hospital where we hope to get more handprints to fill the other half of the car.
The idea for the signing came from Michael Ashby, who is a father of two. He believes that parents will appreciate the Miracles of Mitch Foundation’s message for many reasons. We here at Morrie’s and TCLA believe that helping children with illness is a benefit for many, but it also gives parents an opportunity to teach their children about Mitch’s message and his desire to help others and give back.
At the end of the year the Mazda2 is prepared to compete in the 25 hours of Thunderhill Endurance Race and we hope to get sponsorships for each hour we compete, with all the proceeds going to the Miracles of Mitch Foundation. The car is also prepared to compete in the Pirelli World Challenge, which has venues across the United States and the Regional and National Sports Car Club of America. You will be seeing the Mazda2 much closer to home in Brainerd Minnesota over Memorial Day as well. We are very excited to see the Mazda2 compete at some of America’s most celebrated and historic racetracks all while helping give back to the foundation.
Racing is important to the people that compete, however, the Miracles of Mitch Foundation has helped everybody involved with a focus on the things that are really important. As Ashby and McCarthy say, “that is Mitch’s gift to us all”. Mitch is an inspiration, his desire to give back and help others has set all the wheels in motion for this partnership and we are so proud to be able to give back to such a wonderful community organization.
2013 Tom James Spring Trunk Show
May 3rd
This week the folks from the Tom James Company made a visit to Twin Cities Luxury Auto and customers stopped by to check out some of the latest fashions for spring.
Tom James provided refreshments and appetizers for this event, which was held all day Thursday and Friday. The turnout was great and the quality garments were a great match for our clientele.
The Tom James Company was originally founded in 1966 by a gentleman named Spencer Hays. The company was based out of Nashville, TN and is the largest custom clothing manufacturer in the world. Tom James Company prepares custom tailored suits, sport jackets, pants, as well as other bespoke clothing. Minneapolis is a large market for Tom James clothing and this is one of 2 trunk shows held each year.
We are proud to be able to work with Tom James Company to put on this exclusive event. For more information on the company visit their website here.
