What a horrible dealer you work for! I just picked up my special order IS350 last night, at a significant discount off MSRP. You're selling a car, not oxygen.
With a special order someone is walking in, cash in hand, ready to commit to buying THAT DAY. A dealer should be more than happy to take his money.
The dealer still turns a profit, and it requires NO work on his part at all beyond some paperwork to earn it.
Dealers that hate special orders baffle me... and it's one of the single biggest complaints about Lexus that I see driving people to companies like BMW who sell a whole lot more 3 series than Lexus sells ISes, and are more than happy to special order for you.
I was lucky enough to find a dealer also happy to take my money, but it's a shame there's so few of them.
(I'm on the east coast BTW, so sadly not much help to the Vegas poster unless he's willing to buy out of state)
Knightshade, what dealer did you use? I am also thinking on a special order (IS350 Nav + ML) and I am not willing to pay MSRP. I agree with you: you basically order a car they know they sell right away (they don't have to worry to convince someone getting one "from the lot"). I am in NJ.
