Stop Chasing Lambos: How to Pick the Right Market, Maximize Bay-Time, and Grow Smarter
August 26th, 2025
In the window tint, paint protection film (PPF), and ceramic coating world, it’s easy to get distracted by the flashy side of the business — exotics like Ferraris and Lamborghinis that look amazing on Instagram. They’re great for brand building, but here’s the truth: most shops go broke chasing them. The real money is in Teslas, trucks, and the steady stream of high-turnover jobs that keep bays full and cash flow strong.
Why Choosing the Right Market Matters
If you don’t define your audience, you’re gambling with your marketing dollars. A business coach can help you analyze your local market, find the sweet spot, and build a strategy that turns leads into loyal customers. Without that focus, many shops spend heavily to target the top 5% of car owners while ignoring the 95% who actually walk through the door — Teslas, BMWs, Lexus, Mercedes, trucks, and SUVs.
Market Reality (Not Opinions)
• Six-figure cars are booming, but they’re still only about 2% of monthly U.S. sales.
• SUVs, crossovers, and pickups dominate — making up around 80% of all U.S. vehicle sales.
• Brands like BMW, Lexus, Mercedes, Porsche, and Tesla bring higher-end customers without exotic scarcity.
• Pickup trucks are a constant — Silverado, Sierra, and F-Series are huge opportunities for tint, partial PPF, and coatings.
• Tesla holds nearly half the U.S. EV market, creating massive repeat demand for tint and partial PPF.
• Exotics are great PR but tie up bays for days and represent a very small percentage of the market.
Bay-Time Economics: Profit Per Bay-Hour
Here’s where numbers matter — not likes, but dollars per hour of bay time.
PPF Full-Front on a Ferrari/Lambo:
• Ticket: ~$2,500
• Materials: ~23% (~$575)
• Labor: ~18–25% (~$450–$625)
• Bay time: ~2.5 days (wash, clay, de-badge, DAP kits, weeding, install, edge-wraps, next-day checks)
• Effective gross before overhead: ~$1,300–$1,475 — and the bay is blocked for days.
Tint a Model Y (sides + windshield + pano roof):
• Ticket range: $200 for a basic film on a small vehicle up to $1,200–$1,500 for ultra-performance film on a large vehicle.
• Tesla pricing example:
– Model Y all-around (big roof, full windshield, sides) in Ultra Ceramic: ~$1,200.
– Model 3 all-around in Ultra Ceramic: ~$1,100.
– Entry-level ceramic: ~$600.
• Materials: 10% for basic dyed film up to 20–23% for ultra-performance films.
• Entry-level ceramic typically runs 15–18% material cost.
• Labor: ~25–35% of the ticket.
• Time: ~2 hours for most Teslas.
• Throughput advantage: Four Tesla tint jobs in the time one exotic PPF install ties up a bay can generate $2,000–$4,000 revenue with lower material risk and higher dollars per bay-hour.
Point: Profit is measured in dollars per bay-hour, not likes per post.
A Scalable Strategy That Works
1. Lead with fast, high-value tint offers for same-day or next-day turnaround.
2. Bundle partial PPF where the demand is: trucks, Teslas, SUVs.
3. Upsell coatings during vehicle pick-up when the car is staged and looking its best.
4. Offer a price ladder: entry dyed → ceramic → medical/IR.
5. Focus on speed and consistency — 90–120-minute tint slots keep bays full.
6. Market to the 95% — Teslas, BMW/Lexus/MB, trucks, SUVs — not just exotics.
Why You Need a Coach
A good coach looks at your business through a profit lens. They help you see the blind spots — maybe your bays are tied up with low-margin prestige work, maybe your marketing is aimed at the wrong audience, or maybe your price structure leaves money on the table. With the right guidance, you can focus on scalable, high-margin jobs that grow your bottom line and your brand at the same time.
Exotics will always have their place, but if you want to grow faster and healthier, your focus should be on the market segments that show up every day. Pick your audience, refine your process, and watch your business scale.
— Mike Burke