Mighty motors

THE POWER TO PERFORM

Performance 28 is a Durham-based business bringing mighty motors to the North East market. Elysia Fryer talks prestige cars, petroliana and paintwork with Managing Director, Tony Thomson

What can you tell us about Performance 28? Performance 28 is the only independent prestige and performance car dealer in the Tyne and Wear area. We buy, sell and service handpicked performance cars for discerning drivers. Estate, Third Avenue, Chester-le-Street, DH2 1AY.

What is unique about your offering? Our showroom environment is completely unique, filled with petroliana and vintage automobilia, providing a fantastic location for the true petrolhead. It’s not just the cars that blow away our customers, the environment itself becomes a real talking point. It’s not unusual for visitors to pop in and see us to spend some time taking photographs of what’s on offer. We source only the best cars, and prepare them to the finest standards. We are absolutely focused on delivering a great, old fashioned customer experience.

Can you talk us through your service areas? We first opened with a view to supply the best in sports and prestige cars - the kind of cars we would dream of owning and driving ourselves. We have since diversified the business to offer services in detailing, paint correction and ceramic coatings. It seemed a natural progression to offer the prep standards we work to, to a wider audience than just our retail customers. We have just added diagnostic, mechanical servicing, wheel balancing, tyres and repairs to the offering, having secured the services of Paul Stroud, former Head of AfterSales at Bentley and Ferrari. Additionally, we have just signed supplier agreements with Vossen wheels and Akrapovic exhausts - two of the world’s

market leaders in aftermarket performance modifications - meaning we can supply and fit these products here at our facility in the North East. An incredibly unique offering, and one we are very proud of.

Tell us about some of the cars featured in your showroom? We sell all of the major prestige marques. Real head-turners. Our best-sellers are typically, Porsche, Bentley and Mercedes AMG. We also hold stock of Range Rover, BMW Mpower, Mclaren, Lamborghini, Audi RS, Rolls Royce and much, much more. so you can be confident in what you’re getting when it comes to buying at the showroom or by distance if you prefer. All cars are prepared in line or ahead of prestige main dealer standards, and cars come with either manufacturer warranties or are supplied with fully comprehensive one year warranties. We only stock the best examples of each model and are committed to ensuring we deliver a great customer experience from start to finish.

What advice would you give to someone who is looking to sell a car with Performance 28? Come and see us and talk about your expectations. We can work with you on market research, agree the level of preparation the car needs to be brought

to market, and finally discuss whether selling the car directly to us, or a sale or return arrangement best suits the customer.

A little bit about your detailing products? Paintwork presentation is one of our fortes. We have two full-time detailers and paint correction specialists. We’re firm believers in using the very best products, which is why we are accredited with Kamikaze coatings, the world’s leading ceramic coating manufacturer. We offer paintwork correction, machine polishing and detailing services from site, along with the option to apply any of the full range of Kamikaze paint protection products. country will agree that is is an incredibly strange time to make any fixed plans. The business is constantly growing and evolving. I see sales flourishing and us adapting to some electric stock. I can see us keeping a wider range of aftermarket modifications as we find brands we are happy to work with and people continue to want to stand out from the crowd in their vehicles. I also see the need for people to look after their current cars more as the economy shrinks in the immediate future, so regular servicing becomes a more substantial part of what we do at the shoroom.

Deck the halls >> Festive foliage to add a touch of magic to the merry season. Captured by Nicky Rogerson at bankstudio.co.uk.