Blog

The Sarasota Studio hosted a special Grand Opening for clients last Friday night. Clients were invited to browse the selection of cars, meet The Sarasota Studio team members, and enjoy some delicious cuisine and live music. The Sarasota Studio is an exciting addition for the Dimmitt Automotive Group. Dimmitt Automotive Group has hundreds of luxury clients in the Sarasota area. The new location provides a better venue to serve the Sarasota-Venice-Bradenton-Lakewood Ranch area guests and provide them with the legendary Dimmitt experience. Visit: www.thesarasotastudio.com for more information on The Sarasota Studio in Downtown Sarasota, Florida. [gallery link="file" ids="289376,289388,289366,289369,289367,289368,289370,289371,289372,289382,289373,289374,289375,289377,289378,289387,289379,289385,289380,289381,289383,289384,289386,289389"]

For three years, the Dimmitt Automotive Group has been committed to the American Cancer Society and their “Road to Recovery” Program. Every day thousands of cancer patients need a ride to treatment, but some may not have a way to get there. The American Cancer Society’s Road to Recovery Program provides transportation to and from treatment for people who have cancer who do not have a ride or are unable to drive themselves. Volunteer drivers donate their time and the use of their cars so that patients can receive the life-saving treatments they need. The Dimmitt Automotive Group has been a proud supporter of this program. We have trained our courtesy drivers to best help those in need of transportation to and from the treatments. All of our courtesy drivers say they feel satisfied and very fortunate to be able to do this for people. Giving back to the community and helping those who need the transportation is what it's all about. Thanks to Mr. Dimmitt's generosity, hundreds of rides have been given in Dimmitt Automotive Group vehicles. The program has come a long way, and the Dimmitt Automotive Group is looking forward to seeing it grow as we will continue to provide transportation to as many patients as possible! To date, the Dimmitt Automotive Group has provided over 450 rides to patients around the Hillsborough/Pinellas County area.  We’re proud of all of our team members who have embraced this program. We are thankful for the opportunity The American Cancer Society provides, which allows us to improve the lives of others. Visit: www.cancer.org to learn how you can get involved with The American Cancer Society.

On Friday, The Sarasota Studio was officially opened. Suzanne Atwell, vice mayor of Sarasota and Peter Dimmitt, co-President of Dimmitt Automotive Group, proudly cut the ribbon in front of The Sarasota Studio. The Sarasota Studio is an exciting addition for the Dimmitt Automotive Group. Dimmitt Automotive Group has hundreds of luxury clients in the Sarasota area. The new location provides a better venue to serve the Sarasota-Venice-Bradenton-Lakewood Ranch area guests and provide them with the legendary Dimmitt experience. Guests are invited to stop by The Sarasota Studio to browse 70+ luxury preowned vehicles and also the unique art which can be found throughout The Sarasota Studio. Visit: www.thesarasotastudio.com for more information on The Sarasota Studio in Downtown Sarasota, Florida. [gallery link="file" ids="289319,289326,289338,289333,289321,289330,289331,289332,289334,289335,289336,289337,289339,289340,289342,289343,289344,289346,289348,289349,289351,289353,289358,289354"]

LOS ANGELES -- As Cadillac prepares to launch the new CT6 large sedan, it's trying something different in its long-running bid to challenge the German luxury brands. It's being different. With almost every new entry in recent years, Cadillac has tried to match BMW, Mercedes and Audi. The Cadillac ATS and CTS sedans were developed almost inch for inch to the dimensions of their German peers, drop for drop to the engine displacement -- and yes, nearly dollar for dollar on sticker price. Same with Cadillac's go-fast V series variants, which took dead aim at the horsepower ratings and the 0-to-60 times of the German models. But the CT6 that hits showrooms in March is its own animal. It's a fresh approach to the big-boy luxury sedan category, one that defies categorization in terms of its size, interior space and price. As Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen told auto journalists during a media test drive here last week: "It is a car like no other." Big talk, for sure. But he's got some numbers to back him up. Even though its dimensions straddle the midsize and large-sedan categories, the CT6 looks every bit the part of a large luxury car. It's got serious road presence, with a long hood and low, wide stance. Its cavernous interior rivals BMW's 7 series and Mercedes' S class in space. But General Motors' alternative approach to the CT6's chassis development has rendered it lighter than even the smaller CTS. GM is using a mix of aluminums and high-strength steels, largely welded together with minimal riveting and fewer overall components. That has enabled Cadillac to equip the CT6 with a powertrain lineup befitting that of midsize sedans and offer the promise of sprightly, agile performance in a big-sedan package. (Journalists who test drove it here were restricted from publishing reviews until later this week). How the Cadillac CT6 stacks up against big-sedan rivals 2016 CT6* 2016 BMW 740I 2016 Mercedes s550 Wheelbase 122.4 in. 126.4 in. 124.6 in. Length 204 in. 206.6 in. 206.5 in. Curb weight 3,926 lbs. 4,225 lbs. 4,773 lbs. Front legroom 42.4 in. 41.4 in. 41.4 in. Rear legroom 40.4 in. 44.4 in. 43 in. Engine 3.6-liter V-6 3.0-liter I-6 4.7-liter V-8 Horsepower 335 320 449 Price** $64,565 $82,295 $95,650 *Premium luxury trim **Includes shipping A few other numbers that underscore how the CT6 is tough to pigeonhole: • The CT6's wheelbase is nearly 6 inches longer than that of the BMW 5 series, but the Cadillac is lighter. • A CT6 with a twin turbo, 3.0-liter V-6 is priced at $65,390, vs. $82,295 for the 7 series with the same displacement and power. • The CT6 is just 2 inches shorter than the S class, though its twin-turbo V-6 model is 700 pounds lighter than the Mercedes S550 with its 4.7-liter V-8. Of course, the fact that the CT6 starts with a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder turbo engine and no V-8 underscores the fact that it is not a range-topper out to unseat the Germans' flagship sedans. Mercedes doesn't even bother with an S class engine smaller than a V-8. (That engine differential also explains some of the weight difference). De Nysschen has said there is a flagship in the works for around 2020. In the meantime, the CT6's tweener status could make it tricky for Cadillac to pitch the car to import drivers, says IHS Automotive analyst Stephanie Brinley. IHS forecasts annual U.S. sales of 12,000 to 15,000 units in coming years. "The bigger problem continues to be getting on the shopping lists of traditional luxury buyers," she said. Cadillac executives here steered clear of bold proclamations about pulling drivers out of their S class or 7 series sedans. De Nysschen was reluctant to cite any one brand for conquests, instead saying that the CT6's unique package and "aggressive pricing strategy" should be enough to get it on the radars of luxury buyers. "We priced the car very competitively," he said, "and we'll let it find its natural level in the marketplace." Cadillac CT6 The 2016 CT6 is a “tweener” -- closer to a big luxury sedan in size and closer to a midsize lux sedan in price. Cadillac wants to carve its niche as a driver's car, one that can satisfy the affluent customer's desire for a spacious and nattily appointed cabin without giving up tight and nimble driving dynamics. It will serve as Cadillac's flagship sedan for several years -- at least -- as the brand's comeback bid unfolds. It returns Cadillac to the brand's “spiritual home” of big luxury sedans, brand chief Johan de Nysschen said. But “it is absolutely forward-looking and forward-thinking.” Powertrains: A 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder and a new 3.6-liter V-6 both serve as base engines; a Cadillac-exclusive 3.0-liter, twin-turbo V-6 tops the lineup. Each will be mated to a GM-developed, eight-speed automatic transmission. Technology: Active rear-wheel-steering feature to improve cornering and traction Safety: Enhanced night vision identifies people and animals via heat-signature images in the driver-information screen. Sales target: 10,000 to 15,000 vehicles a year in U.S., per forecasting firms Competitors: BMW 5 series or 7 series; Mercedes E class or S class; Audi A6 or A8 Strengths: Exceptional driving dynamics for a big sedan Weaknesses: No V-8 engine option Bottom line: Cadillac showed confidence in the CT6's ride-and-handling chops by allowing some 100 journalists to flog the car on twisty mountain roads outside San Diego. Across the engine lineup, it returned driving characteristics of a smaller performance sedan. Now, Cadillac marketers have the tough task of convincing import-leaning buyers to take one for a test drive. VIA: http://www.autonews.com/article/20160124/RETAIL/301259983/why-the-ct6-is-cadillacs-square-peg-sedan?profile=1657&cciid=email-autonews-carsconcepts

Last week, The Clearwater Free Clinic’s annual Martinis and Matisse fundraiser was held at the FrankCrum Complex. Guests purchased lottery tickets and entered to win donated artwork while enjoying live music, fine wine, smooth martinis, and amazing food provided by some of the area’s finest restaurants. Dimmitt Automotive Group is a proud sponsor of Martinis and Matisse and The Clearwater Free Clinic. The Clearwater Free Clinic (CFC) delivers comprehensive medical care to uninsured families through volunteerism and community partnerships which helps build healthy communities. Visit www.martinisandmatisse.org for details on Martinis and Matisse.

The new McLaren 570S is the newest edition to the McLaren Sport Series. The McLaren Sport Series combines high performance with luxury and everyday usability. The 570S features a twin turbo V8, generating 562 horsepower and 443 ib ft of torque. Several interior options are available including alcantara and leather. For more information on the 570S, contact Matthew Jones at Dimmitt Automotive Group, home to McLaren Tampa Bay. Call 844.494.1134 or visit www.Dimmitt.com. [gallery link="file" ids="289300,289302,289304,289305,289307,289306,289299,289303"]

Checkout this new 2016 Rolls-Royce Wraith at Dimmitt Automotive Group. Dimmitt Automotive Group is home to Rolls-Royce Tampa Bay. The Wraith is a 2 door fastback that features a V12 that produces 624 horsepower. Visit Rolls-Royce Tampa Bay to view our current inventory or visit www.Dimmitt.com.

A few weeks ago, Dimmitt Automotive Group sponsored the Festivals of Speed Orlando. The Festivals of Speed Orlando is a 3 day event. Friday night is the luxury lifestyle jetport reception, Saturday is the golf tournament and Sunday is the car show. Dimmitt Automotive Group is a proud sponsor of Festivals of Speed. This year, a portion of the proceeds went to the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children. Matthew Jones, manager of McLaren Tampa Bay, showcased the new McLaren 570S in the car show Sunday. Aspire Autosports, a division of Dimmitt Automotive Group, also was present at the Sunday car show. The upcoming Festivals of Speed Amelia Island will be held in March and Dimmitt Automotive Group will have some McLaren's on display. Dimmitt Automotive Group would like to thank Festivals of Speed for organizing a great weekend for owners and enthusiasts. Visit their website to learn about upcoming events: www.festivalsofspeed.com [gallery link="file" ids="294567,294568,294569,294570,294571,294572,294573,294574,294575,294576,294577,294578,294579,294580,294581,294582,294583,294584,294585,294586,294587,294588,294589,294590,294591,294592,294593,294594,294595,294596,294597,294598,294599,294600,294601,294602,294603,294604"]

Dimmitt Automotive Group, home to Aston Martin Tampa Bay, hosts a monthly car show and free breakfast following the DuPont REGISTRY Cars & Coffee. During the last Afterparty, the Aston Martin DB10 was on display for enthusiasts and owners. This example was used in the new James Bond film, Spectre. Only 10 DB10's were made and 7 were crashed during the making of the film. This is the only DB10 that is in the USA and will be sold at an auction in Arizona this month. The dials, gauges and switches are all fake. The car was designed to be sleek and modern to compliment the image of James Bond. Interested in a new or preowned Aston Martin? Click here for current inventory: www.Dimmitt.com For information on upcoming events, subscribe to us on Facebook. www.facebook.com/DimmittAutomotive/events [gallery link="file" ids="289275,289272,289270,289273,289274,289269,289268,289265,289266,289267,289276,289277,289278"]

Matthew Jones, McLaren Tampa Bay Sales Manager, successfully delivered a beautiful Tarocco Orange McLaren 675LT last week. This example featured various parts in satin carbon fiber including the rear wing and optional $40,000+ roof snorkel. Enthusiast were able to catch the 675LT unloading at McLaren Tampa Bay before it was prepared for the delivery. The owner was very impressed with McLaren's latest creation. The 675LT is McLaren's newest supercar. With 666 horsepower and 516 ibs. of torque, the 675LT rockets to 125mph in 7.9 seconds. With a dry weight of 2711 ibs, the LT is much lighter than it's older brother, the P1. The McLaren 675LT is the ultimate road and track machine. Contact McLaren Tampa Bay to purchase a new or preowned McLaren. Visit www.Dimmitt.com to view our current inventory. [gallery link="file" ids="289255,289250,289251,289252,289253,289254,289256,289257"]

Legend has it that Ettore Bugatti once called the Bentley 4½ Litre the “world’s fastest truck.” We’re guessing that he didn’t know he was merely being prophetic. Because now Bentley builds an SUV, and guess what? Its 187-mph top speed is the highest on record for a vehicle of that type. Why an SUV? Simple: People who drive Bentleys tend to have other vehicles (a lot of them), and the vehicle they drive in the winter—or when it’s raining, or foggy, or below 75 degrees—tends to be an SUV. Now that Bentley makes an SUV, a lot of those buyers will make that SUV a Bentley, as well. For the last three years, Bentley has sold more than 10,000 vehicles annually, a major milestone for the company. The Bentayga is going to help obliterate that record: The company plans to build 5500 Bentaygas in 2016. That estimate already has been revised upward once, and company executives tell us that, as interest builds, that figure may enjoy yet another upward correction. And while the Bentayga might be tall for a Bentley at 68.6 inches, it’s not otherwise particularly large for one. At 202.4 inches long and 78.7 inches wide, it’s about 17 inches shorter than a Mulsanne and three inches wider. At nearly 5400 pounds, it’s about 550 pounds lighter than the Mulsanne and just shy of a Flying Spur W-12. The floorpan is steel, but most of the rest of the sheetmetal is aluminum, including all exterior panels. Bentley says that the body side is the auto industry’s largest single aluminum stamping. With its (relatively) low mass for a Bentley, the Bentayga is kind of spectacular to drive. The damping of the multilink front and rear suspensions is exemplary. Even over the extreme speed bumps peppered throughout the hamlets of southern Spain, the most massive of wheel displacements are forgotten in a single, gentle compression and rebound of the suspension. The electric power steering is weighty and direct, although it doesn’t enjoy a ton of feel. But by SUV standards, it’s excellent. As are the brakes. The pedal is firm and progressive, and even barreling down the twisting switchbacks of the Sierra Blanca mountains, there was never a hint of fade. Handling is neutral enough that you’ll forget this is a 5400-pound SUV with a 12-cylinder engine in the nose. Sure, you can force it into understeer, but you can also set it up to flow through turns better than a vehicle this size has any right to, mostly because it corners remarkably flat. Its outstanding body control is the result of Bentley Dynamic Ride, a new active anti-roll bar that counteracts natural roll with a pair of electric actuators, one at each end of the vehicle to stiffen and soften the front and rear bars. It’s a trick system, but don’t expect the sports-car world to rush to adopt it. In order for the system to act quickly enough, says product-line director Peter Guest, it needs to operate on 48 volts, with a supercapacitor meting the voltage. With the bars, the actuators, the supercapacitor, and the heavy-duty cables—which he says are about four times the diameter of most automotive cables—the system weighs between 30 and 40 pounds. Bentley chief executive Wolfgang Dürheimer says Bentley Dynamic Ride is technically capable of leaning the Bentayga into a turn, motorcycle-style, but, in the interest of passenger comfort, the company stopped short of allowing that capability. We’d be quite interested to see what sort of impact that would have on cornering. The system allows a firm, controlled—but never harsh—ride on pavement but allows maximum wheel articulation off. Ready to Crawl That’s right: off road. Because this is a Bentley meant for dirt, our drive included some semi-serious off-roading. At first we feared that the trail was going to be too easy, something a rental Toyota Camry could conquer, but we got into some pretty tricky attitudes—the oiling system is designed to keep the engine lubricated at up to 35 degrees of tilt in any direction. We crawled through a few ditches that had the Bentayga alternately kissing the ground—a few trucks in our group actually did scuff their chins, an occurrence that is probably about 10 times more expensive than your entire beater Jeep—and hanging a rear wheel off the ground at full suspension droop. There are, of course, additional vehicle settings for off-roading: snow and grass, dirt and gravel, mud and trail, and sand dunes. There are two suspension settings that raise ground clearance a little or a little more (Bentley declined to provide specific figures). Hill-descent control holds your speed on downslopes, and there’s an infotainment-system screen that monitors each of these settings as well as wheel articulation and incline/decline and side-slope angles. Also, the front parking camera is well suited to peeking over sharp crests for a better view of what’s out of sight below the Bentayga’s domed hood. Some of these features distract from the simple joy of driving through nature—as does the pulsing of the brakes mimicking limited-slip differentials—but you don’t have to use them. They turn off automatically above 47 mph in case you accidentally drive onto pavement with them still engaged. At the end of the trail, Bentley had positioned a car-washing crew, but we waved them off and finished our drive proudly wearing a fine dusting of ruddy dirt over our Bentayga’s immaculate Verdant Green paint. The off-road driving might be impressive, but the de rigueur semiautonomous operation is less so. As is the standard for modern luxury vehicles, the Bentayga pairs its adaptive cruise control with an automatic lane-keeping function for short stints of hands-off driving. But like many of them, Bentley’s system tends to either ping-pong back and forth in the lane or crowd the middle of the road with the wheels nearly on the center line. If you signal to pass the car in front, it won’t pull out like the Tesla Model S does, but it will accelerate toward the car ahead, which seems like the wrong order of operations. We found the system more annoying than helpful, fighting us with little steering-wheel tugs on even our most relaxed lines through corners. Where once there were rumble strips and other motorists honking, now there’s electric power steering jerking the car back and forth. It’s not necessarily more graceful than the old system, but at least it’s less obnoxious to other motorists. ‘W’ For ‘Win’ But don’t worry, the Bentayga is fully capable of being obnoxious. The all-new 6.0-liter W-12 grunts out 600 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 664 lb-ft of torque from 1350 to 4500 and will whip this horse to 60 mph in a claimed four seconds flat. That’s sure to widen the eyes of occupants and bystanders alike. The new W-12 shares its bore spacing with its predecessor but no parts. Bentley shaved 66 pounds from this generation, an impressive feat with such a dense box of mechanical parts. Engineers pulled precious ounces from everything—the block, heads, crank, and cams to name just a few. The one system that isn’t lighter is the fuel injection, which now has direct and port injectors. At idle and under full load, the direct injectors do their precise work, while the port injectors are engaged at part throttle, when they’re said to better mix fuel and air while reducing emissions. Bentley also claims the W-12 is 10 percent more efficient than its predecessor, with cylinder deactivation shutting down six cylinders when conditions are right and a “sail mode” that decouples the engine from the transmission when the driver is off the throttle at higher speeds. We noticed neither system at work. Product-line director Guest says that twin-scroll turbos are much of the reason the W-12 is all-new—the engineers couldn’t fit the faster-spooling turbos onto the old engine. Here, they’re so snug against the block that they’re almost integrated into it. And they actually are integrated into the exhaust manifolds. New oil pumps make sure the turbos get a steady supply of fresh oil even at extreme off-road angles. Immaculate Interior Guest also tells us that the sound insulation that enables Bentley’s famously serene interiors means that those worried about off-road dust in their Bentleys have nothing to fear. Like any Bentley, the Bentayga uses triple seals around all openings, and sound waves are smaller than any particulates. “Once you’ve insulated for noise, you’ve insulated for everything,” he says. The Bentayga’s interior is one you want to keep pristine. Buyers can choose from 15 colors of hide to trim the cabin, in three different two-tone layouts, plus contrast or matched stitching and piping. There are seven different veneers—heck, there are 14 different seatbelt colors. Not only does the instrument panel still use physical gauges with real needles, but those gauges are protected behind a sheet of actual mineral glass, rather than the plastic used on just about every other vehicle. The speaker grilles are even designed to mimic high-end stitching. And of course that’s only the beginning. Buyers can spend $5715 on extracost paints, $7870 for the Touring Specification technology package, $11,015 to replace the three-place rear bench with two individual thrones, $7155 for a pair of removable tablets to put in front of those seats, and $28,500 on carbon-fiber trim. Plus, a ton of other stuff, including pie-in-the-sky customization. It’s pretty easy to send the base price of a Bentayga from $232,000 to well north of 300 grand. But the coolest (and most appalling) thing in the Bentayga interior is the optional Breitling clock set atop the dashboard. It’s available in either white or rose gold, with a face of black or white mother-of-pearl, and studded with eight diamonds. Cost? 150,000 euros, or about $160,000. Only a handful of craftspeople make the clocks, which take three months apiece.That exclusivity guarantees that Bentley will sell the four it can offer every year. Even without that clock, the Bentayga should vacuum massive amounts of cash into Bentley’s coffers. As the Volkswagen Group, in the wake of its diesel scandal, scrutinizes the business case for every last model in its portfolio, maybe Bugatti will want to take its own crack at that “world’s fastest truck” business. VIA: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2017-bentley-bentayga-first-drive-review

The Salvation Army has been ringing bells and collecting donation in red kettles for decades. Dimmitt Automotive Group team members volunteered yesterday at the Publix on McMullen Booth Road by ringing bells and collecting donations. As seen in the photo, the daughter of a team member enjoyed helping her father collect donations. Dimmitt Automotive Group has been volunteering with the Salvation Army for years and will continue to assist their charitable efforts in the future. Dimmitt Automotive Group would like to extend a sincere appreciation to all those involved with the Salvation Army. The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination. Please visit: www.salvationarmyusa.org for information on how you can get involved.