Chuck Banks – Page 21 – The Carmax Unicorn Blog

August 31, 2020

Quick Hit – Another Chevrolet HHR SS for Cheap. (And One More Coming Soon)

HHHR side In November 2018 I wrote about a 2008 Chevrolet HHR SS and was pleasantly surprised to find that one of the readers here bought it. At the time I wrote that I didn’t know these HHR SS’ were a thing, and was impressed by the pretty good 2008 car magazine reviews of this sporty little wagon. Check these out; Car and Driver, Motor Trend, Road and Track, and even Popular Mechanics.

The HHR SS was only made for two years, and with a 2.0l 260 hp turbocharged four and “race-tuned” suspension, it was more than just an appearance package. Not a rocket, but more oomph than a regular HHR and a bit of a unicorn. The last one I wrote about sold for just under $14,000 with lower miles, and at $9,899 and 66,000 miles this one looks like a bargain. The Chevrolet HHR SS sold new for about $24,000. Of course, buy some MaxCare that will protect you until this car is an incredible 17 years old! HHR Int This 2008 Chevrolet HHR SS is here, near me in Charlottesville, Virginia. Tempting. Also, at the bottom of this page is a link to another HHR SS in the CarMax “Coming Soon” section of their website. Not as good of a deal though. Also in the for what it’s worth category, there are only 18 of these on Autotrader nationwide, all very high mileage except for one in Hampton, Virginia with similar miles for $2,000 less – but not MaxCare eligible. There is one for twice the price with an astonishing 6,500 miles. Oddly, it’s in Eldersburg, Maryland – putting all three cars within my reach. An omen? 2008 HHR SS $9899 66k Charlottesville 8-30

Continue reading “Quick Hit – Another Chevrolet HHR SS for Cheap. (And One More Coming Soon)”

August 26, 2020

Quick Hit – Low Production Jaguar XJR

XJR Side The 2016 Jaguar XJR L is a pricey unicorn at $55,998, way over my self-imposed cap of $35,000 (okay, my wife-imposed cap), but it sold upwards of $125,000 just four years ago and XJR’s, and especially XJR L’s, are very low production cars. And a very fast car with a sub-four second 0-60 mph and sub-nine second sprint to 100. Lots of aluminum keeps the weight down to just over two tons, and the 5.0l 550 hp supercharged V-8, with an eight speed automatic, keeps the speed up.

Jaguar XJ’s in general haven’t sold well of late, and yet they are wonderful opportunities to “drive rich”. Car and Driver in this review noted, “The upside of it not being a big sales success is that you won’t find yourself parked next to its doppelgänger every time you go to Starbucks.”

Autoweek’s review thought the XJR to be equal to or better than the Mercedes S63 and the BMW 7 series. Yes, I recommend MaxCare for this “nuclear” Jaguar, and yet I was surprised to see CarMax is advertising this XJR L as still under the manufacturer’s five year, 60,000 mile warranty. MaxCare might be cheaper than expected. Find this beautiful car here in McKinney, Texas. 2016 Jaguar XJR $55,998 26k McKinney 8-20-20

August 23, 2020

The CarMax Unicorn Blog – Three Year Anniversary and Thank You!

Yellow GSF This August is the three year anniversary of launching this CarMax Unicorn blog, my passion for deeply depreciated, high-end cars matched with the MaxCare extended warranty to protect against astronomical repairs, a passion that turned into this hobby. Costs me very little to do, and I make even less on it (like zero). I want to give a special shout out to the 120+ readers (so far) who have signed up to follow and get email updates on blog posts. I am grateful for your interest and your comments. Back when there were less than a hundred I thought I’d send a nice note or gift to whoever logged on as number 100, and thought I had plenty of time to plan for that, only to learn this month we blew through 100 to over 120. Waylaid by procrastination. My Christmas gift cards to readers last winter didn’t go so well so maybe that’s a blessing. Red Corvette WordPress stats tell me there are far more than 120 readers, though. I did 22 posts in the four months after launch in 2017 and had 1,100 visitors. Hit second gear in 2018 with 75 cars covered and over 10,000 visitors. Double-clutched into third in 2019 with 83 posts and almost 17,000 visitors. Hit some Covid-19 curves in 2020 with only 42 cars to date and still over 11.000 visitors so far. Since March of 2020 many dealerships shuttered due to the pandemic and CarMax inventory dropped to all time lows in the upper 20,000 range – far fewer unicorns to write about. May have had the flu funk myself (tested negative twice so far) but the CarMax inventory is recovering rapidly – 38,000 cars earlier this week and over 46,000 as of 8/21/20 – and so is my enthusiasm for blogging. Stay tuned for a cheap supercharged Jaguar, a reasonable Mercedes ML63 AMG, and yet another 1 of 249 low mileage Mercury Marquis. E63 I’ve made a few virtual friends here and had a couple of live in person coffee meets. Scott, Hans, Mick – appreciate your support. Always fun. I’ve enjoyed corresponding directly with about a dozen readers who have actually bought cars I’ve written about or similar unicorns based on my scavenger strategy. I always ask that readers tell me if their experience differs from mine – that as a seller CarMax can be as squirrelly and devious as some private owners, but when push comes to shove they have ALWAYS honored the warranty and fixed my car at no charge. So far so good. A special shout out to reader Mustafa, a young man who must have a half dozen or more CarMax unicorns (including an Audi W12!) and unselfishly points out specialty cars that end up on CarMax lots. Unique Cars 2.0 And I absolutely have to give another endorsement to David Fesz’s “Unique Cars For Sale 2.0” Facebook page – when I find a particularly unusual car David allows me to link this blog to his page and my stats skyrocket. Check it out. I also owe my sons Chris and Alex for their support – Chris gently provided technical help on the web page (I think he told me publishing car photos as PDF’s made me look sketchy and suspicious). Alex offered me encouragement and a Mr. Rogers’ quote about his sketching – “I’m not very good at it, but it doesn’t matter. It’s the fun of doing it that’s important. No matter how good anybody says it is, it feels good to have made something.” 1920

Since I started this nlog in 2017 I sold Guenther, the 2004 Mercedes S55 AMG and my first unicorn, and picked up Etta, a 2008 Porsche 911 in January 2018. A year later I splurged and picked up a 2010 Mercedes S600 V-12 as my business car. Putting my money where my mouth is. My plan remains to sell these with at least a year and 10,000 miles left on the transferable MaxCare warranty – could be as early as this fall for the Porsche. S600 The S600 has 3 1/2 years and 60,000 miles left on the warranty so may be enjoying that longer. CarMax generally offers European cars up to 10 years old, and domestic and Japanese/Korean cars up to 12 years old. Sad that some models I once blogged about are already falling by the wayside. Not seeing any more V-8 powered Audi S4’s. This should be the last year for V-10 Audi S6’s or BMW M5/M6’s. But pleased that newcomers like the BMW M850 and the C8 Corvettes are showing up. Would love to see a Hellcat, Acura NSX, or Nissan GTR. Unlikely, but CarMax carried Teslas briefly so who knows? I will let you know if they do.

Just for fun, here are the top 10 posts visited over the past three years. Some are surprising.

SEPTEMBER 22, 2019 – 1 of 2,500 – 2008 Buick LaCrosse Super. $11,599 Sleeper. https://thecarmaxunicornblog.com/2019/09/22/1-of-2500-2008-buick-lacrosse-super-11599-sleeper/

2011 Gand Marquis LS MARCH 5, 2018 – 1 of 248 – 2011 Grand Marquis LS. https://thecarmaxunicornblog.com/2018/03/05/1-of-248-2011-grand-marquis-ls/

Marquis 34 MAY 24, 2020 – Yet Another 1 of 248 – 2011 Mercury Grand Marquis With Ultra Low Mileage* https://thecarmaxunicornblog.com/2020/05/24/yet-another-1-of-248-2011-mercury-grand-marquis-with-ultra-low-mileage/

xjss 34 JUNE 16, 2020 – Quick Hit – Exclusive (and Cheap) Jaguar XJ Supersport – When Normal Supercharging Isn’t Super Enough. https://thecarmaxunicornblog.com/2020/06/16/quick-hit-exclusive-and-cheap-jaguar-xj-supersport-when-normal-supercharging-isnt-super-enough/

2008 VW Eos VR6 $12,998 58k DECEMBER 31, 2017 – Five Obscure Unicorns for $10-$24k……. or Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Beholder? https://thecarmaxunicornblog.com/2017/12/31/five-obscure-unicorns-for-10-24k-or-beauty-is-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder/

S600 FEBRUARY 10, 2018 – Cheap V12 Executive Race Car – 2007 S600. https://thecarmaxunicornblog.com/2018/02/10/cheap-v12-executive-race-car-2007-s600/

Hummer 34 OCTOBER 5, 2019 – 1 of 48 and The Only One For Sale – Final Year 2010 Hummer H3t Alpha – $31,998. https://thecarmaxunicornblog.com/2019/10/05/1-of-48-and-the-only-one-for-sale-final-year-2010-hummer-h3t-alpha-31998/

760 side APRIL 10, 2020 – 2015 BMW 760 Li V-12 Reduced to $44,998 (and CarMax Covid-19 Impact). https://thecarmaxunicornblog.com/2020/04/10/2015-bmw-760-li-v-12-reduced-to-44998-and-carmax-covid-19-impact/

2012 E63 side SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 – 175mph/Sub-4 0-60 mph Family Wagon for Fast Vacations: 2012 Mercedes E63 AMG. https://thecarmaxunicornblog.com/2019/09/18/175mph-sub-4-0-60-mph-family-wagon-for-fast-vacations-2012-mercedes-e63-amg/

911 34 2 DECEMBER 10, 2019 – Quick Hit – Hot Hardly Driven 2010 Porsche 911. https://thecarmaxunicornblog.com/2019/12/10/quick-hit-hot-hardly-driven-2010-porsche-911/

And also just for fun, here are the three most rare/limited production CarMax unicorns in the past three years.

jag xf side MARCH 25, 2020 – Quick Hit – 1 of 20! Jag Wag. Sportbrake. 2018 Jaguar XF S First Edition. https://thecarmaxunicornblog.com/2020/03/25/quick-hit-1-of-20-jag-wag-sportbrake-2018-jaguar-xf-s-first-edition/

GS460 SIDE AUGUST 24, 2019 – 1 of 23 in the US! 2011 Lexus GS460 $21,998. https://thecarmaxunicornblog.com/2019/08/24/1-of-23-in-the-us-2011-lexus-gs460-21998/

2015 LR 34 SEPTEMBER 27, 2019 – 1 of 25 in US: 2015 Range Rover Autobiography – $110,000 Less Than New! https://thecarmaxunicornblog.com/2019/09/27/1-of-25-in-us-2015-range-rover-autobiography-110000-less-than-new/

S600 2

As always, I’m winging it here and welcome suggestions, comments, or advice on bow to make this blog informative and entertaining. Thanks again for reading and I’m looking forward to jumping back in with more cars shortly – Chuck.

August 4, 2020

2007 BMW M6 CarMax/MaxCare Resale Up for Auction! (Bidding at $12,500 as of 8-4)

ObVI1X5r2zR This is a little different in that this fabulous 2007 BMW M6 unicorn is NOT on a CarMax lot. It was purchased from CarMax three years ago by one of my blog readers (full disclosure – he’s a virtual car buddy friend now and way better at sniping CarMax hot rods than I) and is now up for resale on Doug DeMuro’s “Cars and Bids” auction site. The MaxCare warrantyis transferable, and this sale should support my strategy (and your’s?) of buying high-end but depreciated cars from CarMax, transferring the repair risk to CarMax via the MaxCare warranty, driving “rich” for a few years, then selling the car and transferring the warranty for a new owner’s peace of mind and moving on to the next.

That’s what this owner is doing with the beautiful BMW. He’s had $25,000 in repairs done (I had $35,000 on my 2004 Mercedes S55!) and there’s still two years and 30,000 miles left on the MaxCare warranty. Like all good car guys (and gals) the seller has been quite candid about qualities and cosmetic flaws on the car (I would have recommended replacing the tires rather than note they will need replacement but that’s just me.) The seller provides 159 photos and great history and detail on the car at Cars and Bids (link below).

Doug describes the car as “These are very special vehicles, and the V10 powerplant is impressive. The transferable warranty makes this one very appealing, as it’s hard to find warranties for these anymore — but my own experiences with MaxCare suggest this is a very good thing.” FWIW – I learned after I started this blog that Jalopnik columnist Doug DeMuro wrote about a Range Rover he bought from CarMax and was stunned how many repairs they covered under his MaxCare warranty. He now sponsors this Cars and Bids website, a bit of a competitor to Bring a Trailer. I like them both. M6 34 I also love this BMW and it once again reminds me of this 2008 BMW M6 I passed on– low mileage and $23,998. The V-10 was nothing but brute force and a sweet song at 8,000 rpm. Sigh. Take a look at this 2007 model still under MaxCare here at Cars and Bids. I wish the seller well – would bode well when I sell my 911 this fall. 2007 BMW M6 Cars and Bids

August 3, 2020

First 2020 C8 Corvette (Off and) On at a CarMax Lot – $94,998

COrvette side Surprised to see this 2020 Chevrolet Corvette C8 unicorn pop up this afternoon on the CarMax website. I titled this “off and on” because the car does not show up on the CarMax app on my phone, and only shows up on my laptop depending on how I search for cars. Bizarre. Regardless, it’s a stunning red over black mid-engined race car that could easily be confused for a Ferrari for non-car people.

The ribbon of controls for the electronics are unlike anything I’ve seen. Unsure on the PRNDL levers below but what the hell. I like the dashboard center angled towards the driver, and love the engine bay. The car is listed at $94,998. I do not know Corvette lingo so had no idea where an “LT” model fits in against Z51, Stingrays, and Z06’s and was baffled since the 2020 Corvettes start at $60,000. The CarMax “features and specifications” page for the car is fairly boilerplate and documents normal accessories, but not Chevrolet-specific trim.

Well, between this flattering review in Automobile Magazine and doing a VIN search, I was able to see this car has the 3LT Z51 package and likely sold for it’s asking price here, plus or minus a few grand based on options I cannot see. Corvette experts probably can. I’m not an expert, but I am a fan. I’ve watched Corvettes dominate endurance racing at Le Mans and Daytona over the past decade-plus, and got to see the C8’s debut at the 2020 24 Hours of Daytona. Didn’t go great, but they are doing far better now.

This C8 is a sub-three second 0-60 mph supercar, and a bargain compared to its competition. Hard to call a $95,000 car a bargain, but you’d have to pay two or three times that for a comparable 911, Ferrari, or Lambo. And this is under manufacturer warranty, so no need for MaxCare! See, I just saved you thousands. My guess was the car is a repossession but the history report says no. And no accidents. The 2020 C8’s sold out before production began, and rumors are Chevrolet didn’t allocate the whole 40,000 production run of 2020’s that was expected. Find this sexy red car here in Hartford, Connecticut. The link may or may not work, depending on the app, the car’s availability, and Hurricane Isaias’ track? Enjoy. 2020 Chev Corvette LT $94,998 4k Hartford 8-3-2020

July 27, 2020

Quick Hits – 11 Peculiar Finds (10 of Them Bargains)

Thumbing through the cars saved to my profile and a few that just surfaced today, and came up with this quick list of interesting, odd, or special unicorns. Not necessarily all cars I would own, but they are peculiar finds that coupled with a MaxCare warranty could be something different. Here we go.

I was surprised to see this bargain 2010 Mercedes S550 for $23,998. Same body style as my 2010 S600, not as much horsepower at only 382, but it is “4Matic” four wheel drive – and those four wheels look to have some cool aftermarket rims. Beautiful single-owner, low-mileage Oklahoma car found here in Colorado Springs. Great opportunity to “drive rich”! 2010 Mercedes S550 $23,998 33k Colorado Springs

Continue reading “Quick Hits – 11 Peculiar Finds (10 of Them Bargains)”

July 22, 2020

Coming Soon! 1 of 884 Gentleman’s Jaguar to Georgia – $19,998

xj8 side Between us, there’s a new “Coming Soon” category on the CarMax website. That’s where I spotted this 2019 BMW M850i that sold quickly, and today the above beautiful ultra low mileage 2009 Jaguar XJ8 L unicorn. Only 22,000 accident-free miles by a single owner in Georgia. It’s a nice gray over tan sedan with bluetooth, heated and cooling seats, adaptive suspension, and Alpine sound system. Big back seat, and big four-body boot for you mobsters.

xj8 shift It’s not a fast car with the 300hp 4.2l V-8 with a mid-six second 0-60mph run, but it’s fast enough for motoring down the interstate. Here’s a lengthy review from The Car Connection. Jaguar folks know it as the X358. I know it as the last year for this model before the XJ became a sleek, angular and more modern car. Seems Jaguar only sold 884 of these in 2009.

Interesting that CarMax generally limits European offerings to 10 years old or less, with a few stragglers. At this time there are a total of 11 European cars from 2009 on the CarMax lots and this beauty will hopefully be one of them. And the beauty is that CarMax will still sell you a 10 year, 100,000 mile MaxCare warranty on this 11 year old Jaguar – guaranteeing you no massive repairs until the car is 21 years old! Almost vintage. Probably a $75,000 car new and not cheap at $19,998, but unique. Find this lovely car here soon just outside of Atlanta, Georgia.

August 2019 – 2009 Jaguar XJ8 L – $20,998.

May 2019 – Unloved 2009 XJ8 – $19,998. Continue reading “Coming Soon! 1 of 884 Gentleman’s Jaguar to Georgia – $19,998”

July 13, 2020

Quick Hit – Another 1 of 500 BMW Alpina B7 L Models for “Cheap”

B7 Side This is the newest BMW Alpina B7 unicorn I’ve seen CarMax offer, a 2014 “L” model for $39,998 – a good $100,000 less than when new just six years ago (or the price of a new Camry?). It’s fully loaded, with auto cruise control, heads up display, lane departure, blind spot, heated/cooling seats, and even includes my beloved night vision. (I had to have it in my Mercedes S600 – I almost NEVER use it!)

b7 wheel Also has the full rear seat entertainment system treatment. The rocket ship is good for 194 mph, or a 0-60 mph run in 4.2 seconds if you run outta room trying for top end. Here’s the 2013 Car and Driver review.

I’m puzzled because CarMax has the 4.4l twin-turbo V-8 engine listed as 500hp, and every review I read says it pushed 540hp. Obviously MaxCare is a must to protect against B7 bankruptcy. For comparison, here are the other Alpina B7’s I’ve covered.

Previous Alpina B7’s at CarMax

In September, 2017 I spotted this 2011 B7 in Duarte, California, selling for $39,998 with 43,000 miles.

February, 2018 brought us a nearly identical 2011 B7 model in Los Angeles for $39,998 but with 41,000 miles (yes, had to check the VIN to make sure they weren’t the same!)

And in May, 2018 this 2012 B7, another California car with higher miles at 56,000, sold for a mere $33,998! I predicted a quick sale and it went in a day.

In March of 2019 we saw this 2012 model for sale in Chicago at $40,998 with 49,000 miles (also had a $65k B6 for sale then too!)

May of 2019 we saw three B7’s for sale at the same time – a 2012 and two of the higher-horsepower 2014’s, all in the $40-48,000 range.

Wrote about this one that was mysteriously sold in August 2019 for $37,998, and popped up for sale again at the same dealer for $39,998 this year. No idea how that happened.

This 2014 two owner, accident free race car is available here in Charlotte, NC – a little frightened because I’m in Fayetteville, NC now. An omen? 2014 BMW Alpina B7 L $39,998 41k Charlotte 7-20

July 10, 2020July 10, 2020

Quick! Stupid Good Deal on a C63 AMG!

Had to pool over and post after seeing this while at a stoplight. This beautiful blue 2009 Mercedes C63 AMG unicorn just surfaced up north much to my surprise. Only $21,998 and 31,000 miles. Sweet 6.3l V-8, detuned from the E63 to 451 hp. Navigation and heated seats. It’s a one owner car, and yes that one owner did have an accident in Kirkland, Washington some time back. But it is a very low mileage car and a very low price. It’s also a pretty hot car.But it is a very low mileage car and a very low price. It’s also a pretty hot car. CarMax generally sells European cars not more than 10 years old, and this 11 year old sedan is a bargain. It’s also a perfect candidate for Max care. Think about it, you get a warranty until this car is 16 years old. And with this mileage you can probably buy another 100,000 miles coverage. Find it here in Hartford Connecticut.

July 4, 2020

One Year Wonder – 2008 Opel…errr Saturn Astra – $7,998

astra side This isn’t my normal unicorn, and yet I’m sure this car appeals to somebody, somewhere. It does something for me. First it’s extinct, as all Saturns are. Second, it’s a one year wonder, in that Saturn imported these Astras only in 2008. Third, and I kinda gave it away, it’s a German Saturn, a European GM Opel, which makes it unique in its own right. The Opel Astra was the second biggest selling hatchback in Europe (after the VW Golf).

And this one has a manual transmission! And it’s been driven only 4,000 miles yearly in California, and in Havre de Grace, Maryland near my home town! And normally I wouldn’t recommend the MaxCare extended warranty for a car this simple, but did I mention this car is A) extinct, and B) German? And yet I always think there’s something nifty about owning a car under warranty through it’s 17th year, and for another 100,000 miles, without worrying about repairs. Continue reading “One Year Wonder – 2008 Opel…errr Saturn Astra – $7,998”