Last spring I covered not one but two of 89 2017 Cadillac ATS-V’s with manual transmissions here. Thought they were pretty exclusive unicorns until this 2018 model posted and learned it’s only one of 62 ATS-V manual transmission sedans sold that year. THAT’S exclusive! Manual transmission coupes were even more scarce for 2018 at 54 units sold. Will keeping a lookout for those.
The twin-turbo V-6 makes 464 hp and 445 lb-ft of torque and with the six-speed manual cranks out sub-four second 0-60 mph runs. It also tops out at 189 mph and pulls 1g in lateral handling. Badass numbers all around for an American six-cylinder. I have a soft spot for Cadillacs after going to the 24 Hours of Daytona the last six years and watching the black Caddy’s win overall four of the last five years (second this year). Some serious engineering chops.
This 2018 review in CarBuzz gave the car tremendous props for performance, but dinged the Cadillac for a below grade interior for the money. I’ve plopped my butt in a fair number of Cadillac CTS-V’s and have to agree that the interiors don’t impress me neither. That said, the “for the money” part becomes more interesting when taking into account the car sold new for maybe $70,000 just two or three years ago. Used, with 20,000 miles on it $47,998 makes it seem like a bargain and the interior more defensible. And while I normally almost always advocate for MaxCare, this car is likely still under GM warranty. Find this single owner, accident free Cadillac ATS-V here in Kennesaw, Georgia.
Just got word from a well intentioned but not yet validated kindred CarMax guy (sorry for all the qualifiers) that CarMax intends to resume offering Teslas. I stumbled on CarMax Teslas almost three years ago and posted this blog piece, but not much into electric cars and lost interest. When my friend called me about CarMax carrying cars again I acted all seasoned and wise and pointed out my blog piece from 2018, as if I knew what I was talking about. The young man said well yeah, they used to offer them in California only but now it would be nationwide. Humbled. Hope to learn more about MaxCare options for Teslas soon.
So I dug deeply into this tonight, meaning I Googled it. Found this Business of Business website that explored the Tesla-CarMax relationship in this piece, and this piece. If you read them you’ll learn that CarMax once had over 300 Teslas for sale after I wrote my 2018 blog, and by late 2019 CarMax slammed the gullwing door on selling these cars. We’ll ignore that if you read these pieces you’ll know I REALLY am not a serious journalist. I’ve said it before though – I’d pay good money to have coffee or drinks with the CarMax guru who decides what cars to sell and what to avoid. Still curious on Alfa’s, Acura NSX, and Nissan GTR’s! I do know that CarMax sells over 700,000 cars a year, and must have incredible analytics on what’s working and what’s not. If I didn’t think it would affect my credibility even just a little bit, I’d be buying CarMax stock.
Been busy and the unicorns are piling up in my saved profile, so let’s just turn them loose here with little to no commentary. Just pix and links. Well, maybe a thought or two. Some of them aren’t available at the moment but by having the stock numbers or using the links provided below you can find them and save them to your profile. They may be back.
Found this 2013 Audi A8 L for a ridiculously low price of $22,998 in Palmdale, California. Blue over brown. Nicely equipped with a 420 hp 4.0 liter V-8, AWD, seat massagers, air conditioned and heated seats, this is a real nice example of “driving rich”. It’s currently listed as unavailable but not yet sold. Maybe it’ll come back. Here’s the link.
The 2015 Chevrolet SS (to me) is the one to have. Only imported from Australia from 2014-2017 this model year first offered the adaptive suspension (Magnetic Ride Control (MRC). The SS is a nice sleeper with a 415 hp naturally aspirated V-8 and a slew of standard features. Here’s the peculiar part. Three years ago I posted this piece about 2017 being the last year for these muscle sedans and that CarMax boosted their holdings of this Holden to 24 units. Now they have only three, and most interesting, prices are increasing! This unit has only 16,000 miles. The link to the car is here. And if you’re really curious, check out this 2017 model that is selling for I think the same price as when it was new, four years ago. An investment grade Chevy?
An eleven year old Volvo S40 gets my attention for one reason only – it has a five speed manual transmission. It’s a decent car with seat heaters and a sunroof, and yet the five cylinder 168 hp motor in a 3,300 pound sedan has to be fun, right? It’s here in Tallahassee.
Another phantom car that’s currently unavailable but not yet sold is this feisty 2013 Golf R. Only 43,000 miles on the two-liter turbo good for 256 hp, plus AWD and a manual transmission. Seems like a bargain. It’s (not) here in Louisville – but maybe somewhere soon!
Love this Lexus. It’s a time warp sedan. Nothing terribly special with standard air conditioned and heated seats, leather, sunroof, and bluetooth. But the interior is pristine and the car only has 20,000 miles over 12 years. Kind of old school. Only a 272 hp six cylinder and yet it’s still a calming cruiser. Selling for $16,998 here in Covington, Louisiana.
Yeah just last month I blogged about a similar Benz here, and it seems like a better deal with a lower price and lower mileage. But it was a 382 hp 2010 model and this is a 2013 with 429 hp. Always go for more horsepower. Total luxury and AWD. The car sold new for well over $100,000 just eight years ago. Now less than $30,000 here in Laurel, Maryland. (Pssst – if you’d rather have a more beefy CL63 this one I covered two months ago is available again in Cincinnati.)
Another peculiar car that appeals to Acura fans – the TL SH-AWD. With the venerable 3.7 liter V-6 making 270 hp it’s a solid sedan and family hauler. Nicely equipped and only 16,000 miles, I’m thinking this car will be bullet proof and in no need of MaxCare. It’s on sale here in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Thanks to fellow CarMax sniper Hans for alerting me to another 1 of 500 Mini John Cooper Works GP hot hatch. This morning it was available for $25,000 (I think) and tonight it’s currently unavailable. Maybe it’ll be back. In the meantime you can read about the last John Cooper Works GP Hans sent my way here in May 2019. This one was here in Jacksonville.
German Compact Sedan #1 – A 10 year old low mileage AWD Audi S4 would seem to me to be a nice commuter or college car. Qualifies as an enthusiast car with a supercharged six cylinder pumping out 333 hp. Well equipped and I love the black and white panda interior. This single owner S4 is still available here in Modesto, California.
German Compact Sedan #2 – A 10 year old low mileage AWD BMW 335 XI. Sound familiar? I was surprised to find a nearly identical Bavarian twin to the S4 above. Same price. Almost same mileage. Almost same equipment. Only 300 hp though from the inline six – 10 percent less than the Audi. And a coupe. It’s here in Warwick, Rhode Island.
Not in my DNA to own a minivan, although can’t deny their usefulness. Perhaps another day I’ll share the unofficial Cannonball Run my buds and I did in a Chrysler minivan in 2007. This isn’t an R63 (Hans) but it is an extremely well equipped turbodiesel minivan that would make for unique arrivals at soccer practice (Mick). Everybody gets seat heaters. Rear DVD system. Power hatch. Blind spot monitor. Rear view camera. The van has AWD and is powered by a six cylinder that only puts out 210 hp, but 400 lb-feet of torque. Sadly this one is currently off the market. I recall the price being $25,000 but might be wrong. For now you can track it with this link in Sacramento.
If the minivan isn’t for you there’s a helluva lot to like about this 2016 Volvo XC60 T6 R-Design Platinum. The lengthy moniker is not one of them. It’s fully loaded with auto cruise control, seat heaters everywhere, heated steering wheel, all the lane change/blind spot/rear view camera driving aids, and AWD. Here’s the odd part. I think it has a 3.0 liter turbocharged six cylinder engine good for 300 hp. That’s what it says on the listing as I read it on my laptop. BUT – on my phone, this same car is listed as having a 2.0 liter four banger that also makes 302 hp. The engine shot suggests a six cylinder? Nice car either way is here in Maplewood, Minnesota.
For what it’s worth….continuing my search for a compact SUV with enthusiast credentials. Drove an Audi SQ5 last weekend that got a thumbs up from the wife, and today I’m collecting a Macan Turbo for a 24 hour test drive. Doesn’t have the features I want so just hoping to get another positive response from my bride. Then find a Mercedes GLC43 and a BMW X3 M40i to complete the round of possible daily driver SUV’s. Once that’s done and a buy made, back to pondering the fate of the S600 as my indefensible semi-exotic car. Another 911? Another V-12? Something more bizarre? Stay tuned.
Finally took advantage of the CarMax 24 hour test drive after returning from the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona. How fitting. I had transferred this 2015 Mercedes S65 AMG unicorn up from Sanford, Florida, where coincidentally my S600 and I left Florida from on the Amtrak auto train last week after the race. Surely these are omens I should buy the car? I also lucked out – this is the car I considered last fall when it was on the west coast. Transfer was a back breaking $2,000 to the east coast. Someone moved it from California to Florida over the holidays without buying, and my transfer from Florida to Virginia was only $149. I had originally planned to test drive the car before the race, but when I showed up at my CarMax to complete the paperwork to drive, they ran the S65 through their car wash to prep the car for me – and promptly slashed two tires. Because they were on the same side of the car it meant all four tires would need to be replaced, and these performance tires are special order. Yes, I started to become suspicious that something was up.
A week later though I picked up the car with minimal fuss at the dealership and put it in my driveway. There was a brief hiccup when CarMax wanted my insurance “binder” indicating my coverage limits, and not just my proof of insurance card. Believe this was due to the high cost of the car – $84,998. That’s a helluva lot of money – what was I thinking? Well, as with my V-12 mania last fall, I was working on a plan to sell all my cars and try to live with one stupid expensive wundercar. Driving to CarMax to pick up the S65 for the test I thought this is a dumb idea. When I saw them polishing it up for me I wavered. Driving it home and seeing it in my driveway I had to have it. YOLO. So what were my experiences over the 24 hours? My CarMax rep had told me of customers borrowing cars for 24 hour test drives and recording themselves drifting and doing burnouts, so I thought I should drive the car the way I would if I owned it. Some quick shots.
First, I needed some lunch. Turned out to be an historic stop for me. Been to many McDonalds. None like this.Within minutes into my test drive this song came on the radio. Another omen? Also within the first few minutes, got an engine alert. I’m reading this as there’s too MUCH oil in the V-12?Brief punch of the gas. I won’t be that guy racing my test drive. I won’t. Regret I couldn’t pull off video of downshifts in Sport mode, with rev matching and pops and bangs and faux backfires. My wife hated that. It made me giggle. Not saying I wouldn’t enjoy that sound once in a while but I would NEVER do it around real car people. The car as shown in the CarMax ads was debadged. I didn’t like that. CarMax graciously acquired and mounted new ones. I’m not convinced the font is right but no time to compare it to others. Didn’t get to see it, but my wife tells me the Mercedes logo pops open to reveal the rear view camera. She thought I broke it.I wondered if this car could accommodate luggage for road trips. With the back seat difficult to access I need to be able to throw bigger bags in the trunk. One large suitcase and one carryon loaded just fine. Same as in my S600.
Service B is the big one, due in less than five months. Thinking I should negotiate having this done before buying.Nice that this info is available to the buyer.
The interior is lovely. I spent the first half hour figuring out how everything works. The aromatherapy diffuser in the glove box was missing. Would have to be replaced. I realize this same interior is available in vanilla S-class cars for tens of thousands of dollars less than an S65, but you don’t get this 621hp V-12.Oh yeah, the center console pad and door armrests heat. Awesome.
Six different pre-programmed seat massage settings. I tried them all.
Style.
An irritant the first time – impossible to see the headlight controls without getting out of the car and poking your head under there, like looking at my Fiat fuse box. Once set on auto no need to revisit. Nuisance.
The car has a different personality from every angle. More sinister snout up front.
More elegant from here. One issue I have with Mercedes is that the E and S coupes looks surprisingly alike.
Should I buy or not? Yeah, I was all over the place during my 24 hour test drive. Not literally, CarMax limits travel to 150 miles. I started with “that’s a lotta money” and struggled with the idea of spending $84,998 on a car – with tax and MaxCare looking at $95,000. (By the way – the MaxCare choices below cost LESS than they did for my S600!) This would be a once in a lifetime buy. However, the 24 hour drive had me thinking more and more that this was not a practical plan. The S65 would be an awkward car to have as a daily driver. It can handle a suitcase and a half, and yet what about my guitars and amp when I play at a brewery? Can I throw a couple of boxes in the back seat every now and then? I loved Etta, my 911, because I also have the S600 as my utility vehicle. I could not imagine persuading my wife this S65 would be my sole daily driver, my dream car, and having to tell her a month later I need a Macan to go with it. I’ve also enjoyed putting miles on my cars. My 911 cost less than $40,000 out the door and I recovered $30,000 three years later when I sold. The S600 also cost less than $40,000 two years ago and I hope to sell it for about the same as the 911. This 2015 sold new for $237,000 I think and is now $84,998 with 39,000 miles on it. How much more depreciation in three years, when it’s nine years old and has maybe 75,000 miles? I could see a $30-40,000 loss. I got into this unicorn game to bag deeply depreciated cars, limit my exposure with MaxCare, and not lose my shirt. Not feeling it.
Oh yeah, another perk of cars retaining data – look at the mileage over the lifetime of this car! I get 19 mpg in my S600. Granted this car appears to be more of a commuter car given the low average speed.
Guess what came on the radio as I completed my 24 hour test drive? Another omen.
Went for a run. Mulled it over. Thumbs down on the 2015 S65.
I turned the car in with nothing more than a toss of the keys to the friendly CarMax rep and a pleasant “sorry the car’s not for me.” The 24 hour test drive is a big hit with me. So much more learned over a ten minute loop around the dealership. I’m fairly convinced I need to pick up a small SUV (Macan Turbo, GLC43 AMG, X3 M40i, SQ5) and scratch the functional itch, and then pursue the successor to the 911 I just sold. I became infatuated with this S65 because I dig V-12’s and the car became available, not because it makes sense for me. And I can probably nail a small, loaded enthusiast SUV AND a daily driver 911 (991) for a little more than the price of this S65 alone. Finally, the day after I turned in the S65 we got hit fairly hard with a snow storm on the east coast and I needed to drive to New Jersey to see my son and watch the Super Bowl. Didn’t think twice about loading the “old” S600 and cruising up I-95, with a couple of end tables in the back seat for him. The 10 year old V-12 is still a bargain and still fits my lifestyle. But maybe the 2015 S65 fits yours?
On Sunday February 7th the S65 went back on the market at Dulles, Virginia, and today (8th) it’s off. It’s been on and off since fall. Someday someone will buy it. I’ll update if it returns!Stock number 19513486.
The MaxCare menu I promised. Not easy to read. The best plan (for me) is always maximum mileage, 125,000 in this case which would give me 85,000 miles of driving, and $50 deductible – waived if serviced at CarMax. At $5,879 for a car of this complexity and expense that seems like a no brainer.
Intrigued by this 2014 Cadillac CTS-V unicorn at a not unreasonable price of $41,998. Nice sedan with 556hp 6.2 liter motor. Low mileage. But the history puzzled me.
Check out the prior use – Government! Did some poking around on the internet and yes, there are police departments that have used marked and unmarked CTS-V’s. But this is a five owner car. Confiscated narco Cadillac?
Not a bad car. Low mileage. Accident free. Would be cool if it was a cop car. Disappointing if a confiscated narco car – not quite fast enough as a getaway car? Find it here in Greenville, South Carolina. Hmm. Moonshiner car?
Haven’t seen many hardtop Jaguar XK’s on CarMax and even longer for an XKR unicorn. A little dated but the lines are still lovely. I don’t think this one will be available long so winging it with a blog post by phone.
It’s a 2012 model with 57,000 miles and if you go to the CarMax website you’ll see some of the worst marketing photos ever. Maybe that’s why the price is reasonable?
Identical to the Jaguar XF inside, the car has a heated steering wheel, air conditioned and heated seats, and a rear view camera. Adequate but not overly equipped. For a car that sold new for $103,000 I’d expect a little more.
The power plant is impressive. A 5.0 liter supercharged V-8 with 510hp good for mid-four second 0-60 mph runs. It’s not a 550hp XKR-S, but plenty faster than the 385hp XK. Choose your poison. This three owner, accident free California-Florida car is here in Mobile, Alabama.
My sixth annual journey to Florida for the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona race is coming to an end, and as with anything automobile related, there is a CarMax link. Hang in there with me. My original plan was to drive my ’71 Fiat convertible here from Virginia, but some minor electrical gremlins and possible bad weather prompted the prudent switch to the Mercedes S600. I still took a few days to meander the back roads here in splendid comfort. Tomorrow we load up on the auto train for the 900 mile overnight trip home.
I won’t bore you with too much on the race details. Lots of web sites will tell you how it went. If you’re new to endurance racing though, it’s five categories of cars racing simultaneously at Daytona; three classes of prototypes and two classes of race-prepped sports cars. Usually four drivers taking turns at the wheel per car, although a few teams had only three drivers. Here’s the winners for three of the categories, and their (sorta) CarMax equivalents. (The other two prototype categories have no road car lineage as far as I can tell.)
I stole this photo. Credit goes to…whoever took it and put it on the web.
Yes, for the first time, an Acura prototype (not an NSX) was the overall winner at Daytona, completing over 800 laps. Fascinating, and frustrating, that after 23-plus hours the Cadillac prototype was hot on its tail looking for a way to pass. Cadillacs have taken the last four overall wins here. But seven minutes – SEVEN MINUTES – before the finish the Cadillac had a tire puncture and pitted. Acura earned the win.
I actually too this shot of the winning Acura in the winner’s circle from the BMW Champions Club rooftop.2014 Acura TL SH-AWD – with a stick!
And this is the best I can do to find the CarMax unicorn that might be fun to drive. It’s a stretch. A good 305 hp 3.7 liter six cylinder, AWD, and a six speed manual transmission. Not a rocket at a six second 0-60 mph sprint, but no slouch. This was the last year for the TL, and especially a manual transmission one. The car was a good $44,000 new, and can be had for less than $20k here in Parker, Colorado.
In the for what it’s worth category, the 24 Hours of Rolex is ridiculously fan friendly, even during a pandemic. I splurged on the BMW Champion’s Club, with infield roof top views from the start finish line, an open bar, great food, and lots of TV’s for replays. The Club was horribly run and a bad deal this year compared to last. The infield has more than a few vantage points and bleachers for watching racing close up through the infield turns.
The grandstands, though, offer spectacular views of the tri-oval, Turns 1-5, and the high banks. And so few people attend the race you can sit anywhere you want. I tend to spend much time up here. But back to the cars.
Borrowed. Credit to someone other than me.
The Corvette C8R won the GTLM class, completing 770 laps. Second place went to another C8R just 3.5 seconds back. First win here for the Corvettes since 2016 when they also placed 1-2. Last year the C8R debuted at Daytona and struggled a bit, but went on to win the championship for the 2020 season. If you weren’t sure about Corvette making the switch to mid-engine, be a believer now.
The 2021 GTLM winning Corvette crossing the line!2020 Corvette C8
Earlier today when I was pondering this blog post there were a handful of 2020 Corvettes for sale by CarMax. Tonight there are none. I wrote about this first 2020 Corvette on CarMax’s lot last August. I have since seen the street version live. Beautiful car. Allegedly the list price on 2020 models started at $59,000, and pretty clear nobody ordered base models. The used ones on CarMax, albeit with very low miles, are selling in the mid to high $80,000 range. This first one was offered up at $95,000!
Sunrise at Daytona is always special. Unlike Le Mans, run in June, Daytona’s winter race happens a little more than 50 per cent at night. But when the sun rises, there’s still almost nine hours of racing to go!
And in the morning, from the Champions Club roof, I can see my lonely S600 in the infield! I may dig my V-12 sedan, and yet it got none of the attention my ’71 Fiat got here last year. Sigh.
Back to the race cars. In the “lowest” class of all, the GTD (GT Daytona) winner was this Mercedes AMG GT S. It completed 745 laps and was just 16 seconds ahead of the second place car – another AMG GT S. They were dominant as hell on Sunday. And lucky for you, there’s one available right now at CarMax!
2016 Mercedes AMG GT S
This Mercedes has been on and off the net and recently dropped $1,000 to $82,998. Once a $130-150,000 car it seems like a bargain. Entry level exotic. Over 500 hp and a mid-three second 0-60. Stunning to the eye. I have been tempted. Sat in one, though, and was way more cramped than in my 911. The gigantic center console has something to do with that. But I so love this car, currently for sale here in Covington, Louisiana.
