Bethesda test drive turns into armed carjacking in broad daylight

The 2026 trend of violent crime occurring more often in daylight hours took another shocking turn in downtown Bethesda Monday morning, June 29, 2026. At 9:50 AM, a man entered an auto dealership in the 7000 block of Arlington Road and asked to test drive a gray Audi. During the test drive on Bethesda Avenue, the man allegedly pulled out a handgun and ordered the car salesperson out of the vehicle. He then drove off.

@TheDMVLive was first to report the incident, which the community was unaware of for hours due to encryption of police radios in Montgomery County. He also identified the stolen car as an Audi with dealer tags attached. Police have not released a description of the carjacker, and have not identified the dealership. Audi Bethesda is located on that block, but so is EuroMotorcars, which frequently has pre-owned Audis in stock.

Multiple vehicles stolen from Bethesda auto dealership

Montgomery County police are investigating the theft of several vehicles from an auto dealership in Bethesda on October 21, 2025. During the early hours of that morning, police say, multiple vehicles were stolen from Jim Coleman Cadillac at 10400 Auto Park Avenue. Police have not released any surveillance camera footage from the dealership, and state that they have no suspect descriptions at this time. If you have any information that could assist detectives in closing this case, call police at (301) 279-8000.

Koons Lincoln puts Corvette, Hellcat up front in Bethesda (Photos)

Koons Lincoln of Bethesda has turned to some non-Lincoln-badged vehicles to turn heads along Wisconsin Avenue. The luxury dealership at 7315 Wisconsin currently has a late model red Chevrolet Corvette, and a 2020 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat in stock. They have been parked on the sidewalk in recent days. Talking heads from America's auto industry have recently begun openly boasting that new cars are now just for the elites, as a novel way to explain why they are jacking up the price of used cars to such outrageous levels. The used Hellcat on display here is selling for essentially the same price as it did new in 2020, according to a Google Gemini search. It's no surprise that Detroit is blocking $8000 Chinese EVs from being sold in America.

Ourisman Jeep closes in Bethesda

Ourisman Jeep has closed at 6700 Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Bethesda. The dealership says that its franchise agreement with Stellantis has ended, and it will no longer sell new Jeep vehicles. However, the adjacent Ourisman Kia showroom will continue to sell pre-owned Jeep vehicles. Service will be offered for Jeeps, but the dealership will no longer be able to perform manufacturer warranty work on Jeep vehicles, now that it is no longer an authorized Jeep dealer. 

Jim Coleman Cadillac displays Escalade EV at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Jim Coleman Cadillac of Bethesda has given a glimpse of the future of the Cadillac Escalade SUV at Westfield Montgomery Mall. The 2026 Escalade IQ Sport is an electric version of the highly-popular truck. It's a big truck, with a big price: $140,430, as outfitted here. Jim Coleman Cadillac is located right across from the mall at 10400-A Auto Park Avenue.

Tesla confirms closure at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Tesla Motors has confirmed it has permanently closed its showroom at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. However, the company is terming the exit from the mall as a "move," and is directing potential customers to its Rockville dealership at 1300 Rockville Pike, and to its showroom in Georgetown at 3307 M Street NW. A peek inside the shuttered Montgomery Mall store finds a lone Tesla Cybertruck remaining of the cars that were on display until the operation abruptly closed, without explanation, early last week. 

The company is not yet publicly declaring the reason for the Bethesda closure. Tesla facilities and individual Tesla vehicles have been the target of vandalism and violent attack across the country in recent weeks, by opponents of Elon Musk's executive branch DOGE initiative within the administration of President Donald Trump. Outside the mall, a large Tesla billboard remains in place on a parking garage.

Volkswagen ID Buzz at Ourisman Volkswagen in Bethesda (Photos)

One of the few Volkswagen models generating excitement on this side of the Atlantic is the new ID Buzz electric van. Based on the classic VW Bus, the ID Buzz began arriving in Montgomery County last fall. Here is a pink one parked on the sidewalk outside of Ourisman Volkswagen of Bethesda at 7001 Arlington Road. It was also spotted first arriving at Ourisman's service facility on Butler Road. 

Unlike the black one spotted in Rockville last November, this one has a color that wasn't available on the original VW Bus: pink. Very Pepto Bismol-pink, in fact. I've never seen a vintage VW Bus in either color in person before. Another reminder that Volkwagen chose Northern Virginia over Montgomery County for its U.S. headquarters. Fahrvergnügen!

Are Bethesda residents turning in their Tesla Cybertrucks?

Now that the Tesla store has closed at Westfield Montgomery Mall, the only place to find a Tesla in a showroom or on a sales lot in Bethesda at the moment is at EuroMotorcars at 7020 Arlington Road. A Tesla Cybertruck is now on prominent display in the used car area. Cybertrucks have been on the road here for barely a year, so it seems awfully soon to be trading one in, but here it is. While the Cybertruck design has been divisive, other Tesla models have been hugely popular in Bethesda for over a decade, until Elon Musk began backing Donald Trump last summer. Still, I saw 3 Cybertrucks in one hour in Bethesda.

Koons Lincoln shows off Tesla Cybertruck in Bethesda

Koons Lincoln of Bethesda has a Tesla Cybertruck in stock. The electric truck was parked out in front of the auto dealership at 7315 Wisconsin Avenue this week. One of its own Lincoln SUV models joined it on the sidewalk. The dealership showroom has featured high-end vehicles from competing brands like Ferrari and Porsche since it opened in 2022.

Porsche Studio Chevy Chase nears completion in Friendship Heights

The new Porsche Studio at the Collection at Chevy Chase is nearing completion in Friendship Heights. Construction workers could still be seen at work inside the art gallery-inspired interior of the showroom late last week. Design touches range from the modern - furniture and a flatscreen video display in the front window - to the whimsical (a children's ride-on toy Porsche). Porsche Studio Chevy Chase is located at 5471-C Wisconsin Avenue, and is affiliated with the Porsche Bethesda dealership further up MD 355 at Pike & Rose.

Porsche Studio Chevy Chase construction update (Photos)

The window coverings have come down at the future Porsche Studio, scheduled to open by the end of summer at the Collection at Chevy Chase in Friendship Heights. Many of the interior design elements seen in the renderings of the auto showroom last year are now visible. Permanent signage is now in place on the exterior of the building, and is already lit at night. The art gallery-inspired showroom is being opened by the same ownership of Porsche Bethesda at Pike & Rose.

Bethesda auto dealership to get makeover

The last remaining auto dealership near Montgomery Mall is about to get a makeover. Jim Coleman Infiniti-Nissan will receive an exterior cosmetic update to bring its appearance in line with both automotive brands' current aesthetic and identity standards. Both brands are owned by Nissan Motor Company of Japan. The remodeling will not affect operations of the dealership, as no interior work is planned. Jim Coleman also has Toyota and Cadillac dealerships at the same Bethesda complex at 10400 Auto Park Avenue.

Historic Bethesda bank building sells at a loss in auction

The historic former Bank of Bethesda building at 7500 Wisconsin Avenue was auctioned off in March. A resulting real estate transaction, which closed on April 23, has just been entered into Maryland property records. The winning bid was $4,100,000, a significant haircut from the last sale of the building in 2020, when it sold for $6,175,000. That sale was in turn a major drop in value from the $9,300,000 SunTrust (now Truist) paid for the landmark crossroads property in 2016. SunTrust had sold the building in 2008 for $5.5 million, so it's been a money loser for every buyer for over a decade now.

Who acquired the bank building late last month, and what can we expect to happen to it? The property record is too confusing to reach a solid conclusion on that at the moment. "DNA Real Properties LLC" is listed as the new owner. That entity is a real estate firm located in Las Vegas, with no public-facing website that I can locate. But...the address given on the state record for DNA Real Properties LLC is right here in Montgomery County, at 3111 Automobile Boulevard in Silver Spring. That's the Koons Silver Spring auto dealership at the Montgomery Auto Sales Park. 

But the property at 3111 Automobile Boulevard is not owned by DNA Real Properties LLC. The dealership site is currently owned by the Mary A. Nonnemacker et al Trust. That is the only property at the Auto Sales Park owned by that trust, and as far as my research finds, the only Koons dealership property owned by the trust in Maryland.

Koons recently opened an urban-style Lincoln dealership in downtown Bethesda. Will the bank building become another storefront dealership for Koons, or do DNA Real Properties or the Mary A. Nonnemacker trust have other plans? Who is the real owner, and where are they actually located? Was DNA a holding company for the property until the real buyer could obtain financing and close on it, and is mistakenly listed as still being the current owner? The transaction record raises almost as many questions as it answers.

Signage installed at Ourisman Kia in Bethesda (Photos)

The sign is up at the future Ourisman Kia dealership at 6700 Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Bethesda. Signage has also been placed on the glass entrance doors, and behind the reception desk inside the showroom. All that's needed now are the cars and the furniture for the sales cubicles. Ourisman Kia will join Ourisman Jeep at this site in the Adagio condominium building. 

Construction begins on new Ourisman Kia dealership in Bethesda (Photos)

Construction is underway outside and inside of a future Ourisman Kia showroom at 6700 Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Bethesda. The new showroom will share space with Ourisman Jeep at this dealership in the ground floor of the Adagio condos. This will be the first Kia dealership in Bethesda. It joins Ourisman's other brands downtown here and on Arlington Road: Jeep, Volkswagen and Volvo.

Porsche Studio opening at Collection at Chevy Chase

Porsche has announced it will open a Porsche Studio next year at the Collection at Chevy Chase in Friendship Heights. The new urban dealership concept is similar to that of Tesla, and the recently-opened Koons Lincoln showroom in downtown Bethesda. A handful of vehicles on display in a modern, art-gallery-inspired environment. In fact, like the Lincoln showroom, the Porsche Studio will have actual art pieces on display alongside Porsche memorabilia. 

The first Porsche Studio that opened in the United States in Portland, Oregon, includes a cafe and bar area serving regional cuisine and coffee. That amenity has not been confirmed for this location as of this morning. In the Porsche Studio's upscale setting, potential buyers can review and customize vehicle and options. While a Chevy Chase location might sound like it would steal business from Porsche Bethesda at Pike & Rose, the Porsche Studio is being opened by the owner of Porsche Bethesda. The Chevy Chase Porsche Studio is expected to open in late summer 2024.

New Kia dealership planned for downtown Bethesda

Despite the redevelopment of many auto dealership sites in downtown Bethesda over the last four decades, the prominence of auto sales in the town's commerce continues to endure. Dealerships continue to be established, now in the ground floors of residential and office buildings. Ourisman Jeep at 6700 Wisconsin Avenue in the Adagio condo building was one. Now a Kia dealership is being added there, with its own showroom. 

Kia does not currrently have a Bethesda dealership. Construction of the new Kia showroom at 6700 Wisconsin is anticipated to begin in the coming months.