Gordon Hunter’s love affair with sports cars began when he bought himself a racy ’69 Corvette at the ripe old age of 18. “And that was my third car,” quips the general sales manager of Suncoast Motor Sports, the region’s destination dealership for a trio of coveted German brands. Hunter presides over luxurious side-by-side showrooms for Porsche, Audi and Volkswagen, and a staff trained to fulfill motoring dreams as diverse as their Sarasota clientele.

“For our customers, it’s all about lifestyle and how a car makes them feel. The Porsche Boxster 911 and Audi TT typically appeal to a younger driver; the [Audi] A7 and A8, the Porsche Cayenne SUV, and the Panamera customers often are a little older. They’ve finally raised their kids, and this is their reward for all the sacrifices they made,” Hunter says.

Suncoast Motor Sports,

5005 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota

(941) 923-1700

What’s Hot in Sarasota? “For Porsche, it may surprise you. It’s 50-50 now between the Panamera, a four-door luxury sports car, and the Cayenne, an SUV. The big news is the 2013 Boxster (from $49,500) and Boxster S, both redesigned. We’ve seen lots of demand and healthy pre-sales even before models hit our showroom.”

Can’t live without: “Being near the water. I grew up in Detroit, came to Florida in 1992, and lived on the east coast until Suncoast hired me 2 ½ years ago. My wife and kids and I absolutely love the lifestyle in Sarasota.”

What do you drive? “I’m lucky: I get to drive all the cars our showroom has to offer. The one that gets thumbs up everywhere I go is the Panamera. It looks elegant and drives like a Boxster—I love the way it rides.”