Just completed my sixth year blogging about CarMax unicorns, my money losing hobby that leverages my enthusiasm for cars and being cheap. It started with Guenther back in 2013 so really 10 years into buying high-end cars and shifting the repair risk to CarMax with MaxCare – although as you know I just strayed and bought an unlimited mileage Mercedes CPO from a dealer. Promise I will replace my M3 in a few years with another CarMax unicorn, hopefully a Porsche 911.
Still holding steady the last two years with over 10,000 visitors to the blog annually, and this summer hit over 200 email followers and for that I am grateful. “Business” is down, as far as my writing, due to too much work, travel, my now completed search for a Mercedes replacement, and honestly I so hate the new CarMax app I find it painful to surf for cars. I’ll get over it. Hang in there with me?
My goal now is one unicorn posting a week, and I’m starting with this 2020 BMW M4 Heritage Edition sent to me by Mike back in July. He clued me in on the 1/750 limited edition and by the time I wrote him back it sold. Six weeks later it was back on a CarMax lot where it remains today. According to BMW it’s actually called the “BMW M4 Edition M Heritage“, and it mostly, but not all, is a special appearance package to commemorate the end of the line for the (then) current generation of M4’s. First, BMW says the special paint colors are “Laguna Seca Blue. Velvet Blue. Imola Red II. The distinctive paint finishes of the BMW M4 Edition M Heritage pay homage to the original colors of BMW M“. The cars also have special stitching and stripes and a dash plate indicating 1/750. We’ll get to that in a bit.
It would be unfair to suggest that since the Heritage is mostly an appearance package that it’s any less of an M car. In fact, all of the Heritage M4’s include the Competition Package, with a sweet 444 horsepower inline six cylinder and M-tuned adaptive suspension. To reduce weight the Heritage also gets a carbon fiber roof with an embedded red, white, and blue stripe under the clear coat. With the seven-speed DCT the car hits 60 mph in 3.8 seconds (not bragging….same as my GLE63 AMG – okay bragging a little).
The seats are lightweight M-seats and the interior fairly conservative. The car comes with a heads up display, seat heaters, Apple CarPlay and Harman Kardon audio. Leans toward performance over comfort features.
And here’s the “M Heritage Edition” badge. Tricky BMW marketers have listed every single one of these as “1/750” and I guess each car is one of 750, but not #1 of 750. If I’m going to pay for a limited edition, numbered car I’d kinda like the badge to be more exclusive – #34 of 750, for example – my high school basketball jersey number. Or maybe #4 of 750 since it’s an M4?
The car sold new for close to $90,000. Scrolled through a BMW M4 enthusiast forum and most posts preferred a straight CS model instead, and CarMax has a 2020 M4 with the Competition Package for thousands less (and check out this 2020 with a manual for $5,000 more). There’s also slightly older “vanilla” M4’s for $20,000 less than this Heritage. But if you’re a BMW M-fan who is happy to pay a premium for a BMW M4 Edition M Heritage, there’s nothing wrong with this one. It still has some manufacturer warranty and I’d still spring for MaxCare to 125,000 miles. It’s a two-owner car that’s on reserve here in Edison, New Jersey that for some reason isn’t selling. Wish I had recorded the sales price in July when Mike sent it to me!
Stock No: 24567415 VIN: WBS4Y9C06LFJ70934
I appreciate your blog, it has been the inspiration for me to buy my last 3 cars from CarMax. Currently have a 2016 X5M loaded with every option including nightvision and rear seat entertainment. I bought it 2 years ago with 40k miles. Carmax had it listed with zero options and because of this about $8k less than comparable cars in inventory. They’re mistake, my fortune! Just picked up a loaded 2015 M4 convertible with 24k miles 2 weeks ago and loving it!
Three unicorns?! Excellent. It’s a good find when car has options that aren’t priced in. That said, I’ve never gotten them to lower the price when I point out it’s missing features that are listed, and presumably priced in. 🙁
Happy anniversary! And I concur that the new CarMax app is hot trash. I browse 95% less than I used to. My tinfoil hat is on, but maybe they made it worse purposefully to curb guys like us hunting unicorns nationwide. But probably more likely is some department lead needed to justify their job and “fix” something that wasn’t broken. Old app > New app
Yeah the crappy app post is still waiting to be written. It makes me angry, Like why can we only search in two year increments – not for a single year?!
Happy anniversary, Chuck! I for one am happy to read whatever you decide to write, on whatever frequency fits your schedule.
Dang that is a pretty M4… but if I bought that I’d be banished from the condo and would sleeping in it 🙂
Writing one for you now. Sent email, my friend!
Chuck,
Happy Anniversary sir!
Thank you for all you do and have done with your website. Your website also inspired me to acquire my latest vehicle from Carmax. I was lucky as I was able to hunt for my unicorn prior to the app change (which is horrible).
I do miss your writing and articles, but understand that life gets in the way.
Thanks again.
Looking forward to reading about your search for another 911 !