You're wrong about that. Dealerships do give email quotes. Just received one two days ago. This is the new way to car shop.

I assure you it is not. Ive been working in automotive business (from the factory, to the head office to the dealer group) for 30 years and its my day job. Remember back in 08/09 when all those GM dealerships got the pink slip and had to close? Those were dealers too close to another GM dealer because after getting a price in writing they were just driving over and asking them to beat it, and they would and often all the profits would be lost. I had a guy that was selling 40 cars a month at a Nissan store (he was making around $20,000 per month). I asked him how he dealt with the online guys, he simply said to them they are a vert busy high volume dealer and his sales manager will not accept floozie online offers (most ARE BS) and if you truly want the best deal, you have to come in. The serious buyer would come in. Also, this being post 2009, my other top GM salesman would sell 30 cars a month and he made $30,000 a month - so what they did at GM worked. Nissan guy sold 10 more cars and made 10K less because there was (still is) a Nissan dealer a mile away in each direction

That said, car sales are in the toilet right now after all the shenanigans over the last 4 years and they need to sell sell sell so things might be loose at the moment, and should be, I myself have never paid MSRP but I seek out volume stores that get paid by Chrysler on that volume. last I heard they would get $250,000 bonus checks each quarter for hitting sales target, at that rate they can give crazy discounts and I believe we are headed back there, just dont expect to get that bottom price over email - I mean BOTTOM price. You have to show up and be sharp to get that.

Your "assurance" is your opinion. Plenty of cars get sold via online and phone. Yes, in an ideal world, everyone would go to the dealership. But, with car (and in particular higher end cars like Hellcats) allocations and location play a huge roll in who actually has cars. So, it IS common practice today to make deals by not coming into the dealership.

I assure you it is not. Ive been working in automotive business (from the factory, to the head office to the dealer group) for 30 years and its my day job. Remember back in 08/09 when all those GM dealerships got the pink slip and had to close? Those were dealers too close to another GM dealer because after getting a price in writing they were just driving over and asking them to beat it, and they would and often all the profits would be lost. I had a guy that was selling 40 cars a month at a Nissan store (he was making around $20,000 per month). I asked him how he dealt with the online guys, he simply said to them they are a vert busy high volume dealer and his sales manager will not accept floozie online offers (most ARE BS) and if you truly want the best deal, you have to come in. The serious buyer would come in. Also, this being post 2009, my other top GM salesman would sell 30 cars a month and he made $30,000 a month - so what they did at GM worked. Nissan guy sold 10 more cars and made 10K less because there was (still is) a Nissan dealer a mile away in each direction

That said, car sales are in the toilet right now after all the shenanigans over the last 4 years and they need to sell sell sell so things might be loose at the moment, and should be, I myself have never paid MSRP but I seek out volume stores that get paid by Chrysler on that volume. last I heard they would get $250,000 bonus checks each quarter for hitting sales target, at that rate they can give crazy discounts and I believe we are headed back there, just dont expect to get that bottom price over email - I mean BOTTOM price. You have to show up and be sharp to get that.

Can anyone provide an example of a legit discount on a car that actually exists for sale?

Haven't heard of anything. I have heard of dealerships pulling the same BS that they always have, though.

Buddy ordered a challenger, dealership liked the car so much the decided to keep it for their own stock and screwed him out of it.