Sigh. If you’ve read my search for Guenther II you know I’ve wrung my hands over the wheel of several Jaguar XKR’s.
Looks Aston Martin like, fast as hell, and who cares about reliability for the supercharged V-8 and ZF six speed – MaxCare is a bargain – where else can you get 0-60 in four seconds flat and a once-$100,000 Car for $25k?
Here’s the Car and Driver review from back in the day, consistent with all my XKR test drives. Still on my bucket list for when my 911 blows up.
CarMax Jaguar XKR’s have always been $29k and up in the 2 1/2 years I’ve been tracking them. This two-owner bargain is here in California. 
Quick Hit – The One You’ve Been Waiting For: Low Miles 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP
Most CarMax Pontiac G8 GT’s and G8 GXP’s sell in the upper $20k range, and frequently have 2-3 times the mileage of this one. 
For a 2009 unicorn – the last year on the planet for Pontiac – this one seems to be a little underpriced at $29,998. Perhaps the automatic is a drawback (or the red seats?), but most of the comps at CarMax were too. There’s always the to and fro on which is a better car – the Chevrolet SS or the Pontiac G8 GXP (actually both are now extinct in the US), and yet when a 10 year old Pontiac sells for almost the same price as a five year old SS, there must be a reason. 
Both are naturally aspirated V-8’s with over 400hp and 0-60’s in the four second range. Here’s the 2009 Car and Driver review. And to think you can add another five years, 100,000 mile MaxCare warranty that’s good until the car is 15 years old! This two owner Pontiac can be found here in Oklahoma.
Low Mileage 2013 BMW X5 M in California
CarMax normally has a dozen or so X5 M’s around the country, and occasionally one in my sub-$35k unicorn zone – but they are usually higher mileage (50,000+). 
Here’s one that’s reasonably priced at $32k, and has only 41,000 miles. Hard not like a four second 0-60 mph behemoth with a 555hp, twin turbo 4.4 liter V-8. And AWD, so I could tell my wife it’s practical? 
With the cold weather and driver assist packages this was maybe a $100,000 SUV just six years ago. Here’s a review from 2013 if you need more justification to buy. But this beast demands MaxCare – repairs won’t be cheap. Find this two owner California car here in Duarte, outside LA. 
Quick Hit – 2010 Mazda 3 Mazdaspeed Manny – $19k – 10,000 Miles
Zoom zoom. Found this Mazda unicorn today, and thinking it’s a wee bit special because of the low miles, one owner, 263hp four-banger, six speed manual transmission, and because Mazda doesn’t make this car anymore.
It’s a second generation Mazda 3 Mazdaspeed, good for a 5.2 second 0-60mph and crazy 155mph top speed! It’s a bit high priced, since it sold for just under $30,000 new (with the optional Bose system and other goodies) but it looks extremely clean and fun – except for the terrible torque steer noted in more than one review.
You could spring for the Maxcare warranty if you plan to run it hard and blow it up, but I wouldn’t bother. Driven just over 1,000 miles a year I’m thinking it has plenty of trouble free road time ahead. Find it here in Chicago…..if the link is dead it’s sold, on hold, or being transferred. 
Zombie Unicorns – Back From The Dead 2011 E63
This 2011 Mercedes E63 unicorn popped up in my search already bookmarked – meaning I had tagged it once before in my saved cars. Sure enough a good four months ago I recommended this to a reader but it disappeared from the web before he could see it. Not sure where it’s been and why, but it’s here in Illinois.Â
I love a “cheap” E63, with the gnarly, handmade 6.3l, 518hp V-8, and actually bought one two years ago (see the whole sorry saga here). Unfortunately I love my V-12 S600, too, but at times I don’t love the bulk of my big car and think an E63 (or CL65?!) would be more practical. Wouldn’t own either one without MaxCare! This is a three owner Florida car with decent miles that’s made its way to Illinois. Enjoy.
Quick Hit – Nice $26k CL550
Not a lotta Mercedes CL’s out there so this relatively cheap one caught my attention. The coupe version of the S-class is well appointed with AWD, heated steering wheel, night vision – all the necessary stuff for a luxury cruiser.
It’s a five owner east coast car. It only has the 382hp V-8, though, but it’s $10,000 cheaper than this 2013 in Georgia – a nicer, more powerful car that started at $40k months ago and has inexplicably dropped to $36,998 and still not sold. Find the 2010 CL550 here in Frederick, Maryland. 
Quick Hit – Fastest (Rare) Wagon Ever? – 2018 Mercedes E63 S for $92k
CarMax had a Mercedes E63 wagon for sale last month for $70,000 or so that came and went so fast I couldn’t write about it. This 2018 E63 S is a bit more pricey at $91,998 and fortunately (for me) it’s lingered for a week or so. This wagon is spectacular on every level. Twin turbo 4.0 liter V-8 pumps out 603hp, nine speed automatic, good for a 3 second 0-60 mph time and a 180mph top speed. All wheel drive. Distronic auto cruise control. Automated parking. I could go on and on.
Only a couple of hundred make it to the US. Here’s the gushing Car and Driver review. Or the equally exceptional Jalopnik review. Everybody loves this car. It’s a single owner car, still under manufacturer warranty, so not sure I’d spring for MaxCare.  It sold for maybe $130-140,000 last year and is now available for $91,998 here in Los Angeles. 
Quick Hit – 2008 Jeep Wrangler X Driven 10 Miles PER WEEK!
I’ve driven a Jeep off road (tons of fun) and on the highway (lotta noise) and not really for me. But for a brand that has survived being owned by American Motors, Chrysler, Daimlier, Fiat, and maybe Renault next, and a World War, it must have something going for it. Was surprised to find this 11 year old, lovely yellow, 2008 Jeep Wrangler X unicorn sporting less than 6,000 miles on the CarMax website today. That’s 10 miles per week of driving!! But here’s the downside; per this Car and Driver review from 2008, it looks like this car is actually listing at CarMax for the same price as when it was new!
It’s a manual transmission, six cylinder legit Jeep. With a bad ass subwoofer. Surprised this little box weighs in at 4,200 pounds. But it’s a real Jeep. And with these miles, you could buy the MaxCare warranty for up to 150,000 miles. Think about it – you could drive five more years, almost 30,000 miles a year, worry free with a bumper-to-bumper warranty. That would be a rough 30,000 miles of highway driving annually!  Find it here in Los Angeles. 
Remembering and Honoring Those Who Have Fallen for America – Five American Cars for Memorial Day
God bless America. Thought I’d take a moment to pick out a handful of unicorns that fit this holiday. 
Start with that American icon, the Jeep Wrangler Freedom edition. Six cylinder, six speed manual transmission, 
real four wheel drive, cruise control, found here in Albuquerque. Continue reading “Remembering and Honoring Those Who Have Fallen for America – Five American Cars for Memorial Day”
Quick Hit – Misnomered 2015 Jaguar XF Supercharged
This 2015 Jaguar XF Supercharged is posted as a six cylinder but is clearly a 5.0l V-8. All the other CarMax XF’s are sixes, and this one might be a bit underpriced for a 470hp mid-sized sedan. 
Here’s a review comparing the XF’s – not as fast as an XFR but not a slug at 4.9 seconds to 60! Find it here in Henderson, Nevada. 
