Author: Chuck Banks

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Good Things Come in Pairs – Mercedes S63 Unicorns: 0-60 4.6 Seconds! (W221)

2010 S63Don’t often see S63’s in my unicorn range, and here’s a pair that remind me so much (sadly) of Guenther, my first CarMax unicorn.  Style, executive comfort, stupid fast for a 4,700 lb sedan.  Ignore the bubble-butt trunk if you can.  Both are 518hp V-8’s with Active Body Control (ABC), auto cruise control, and just about every option you could imagine in a $150,000 S-class.  And as with my S55, these cars are outrageously expensive to repair (the ABC fails after 50,000 miles – $5-7,000 bill) and you don’t want to own without MaxCare, which makes them free (to you!).  The 2010 is in Fredericksburg, Virginia (too close to home!) and the 2008 is in Los Angeles.

2008 MB S63 $34,998 39k

2010 MB S63 $34,998 55k

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Good Things Come in Pairs – Nice BMW M3 Unicorns (E93)

2012 M3CarMax carries BMW M3’s regularly, and even has six today in my unicorn range, but they are usually higher mileage and pre-2010 cars.  Lots of them are the hard-top convertibles.  Stumbled on a pair that are a little newer and a whole lot less mileage than normal.  The 2012 in Salisbury, Maryland is particularly low mileage for a CarMax M3 – and not moving at all.  Also a 2011 in Dulles, Virginia with slightly higher mileage.  The 2011 is listed with the SMG transmission – thought BMW changed over to a different double-clutch automatic by then but defer to BMW pros on that.  The 2012 is not far from me and the 2011 is at my local CarMax – go see my favorite rep Si Sultan if you want either one!

2012 BMW M3 $32,899 34k

2011 BMW M3 $30,998 42k

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1 of 1963 – 2014 Porsche 911 50th Anniversary, a Six-Figure Unicorn?

2014 911 50No, this 2014 911 doesn’t meet my unicorn standard at $109,998, but it is a bit rare, and I love tracking the few CarMax cars over $100,000.  The last one I covered was a 2017 AMG GT with only 2,000 miles on it that listed for $114,998 in August, 2017 and sold for $104,998 after languishing a month on the market.  Would love to know what MaxCare will cost on this beast?  Found a gushing review of the car from Motor Trend when new, noting a 3.9 second 0-60 and a price tag of circa $150,000.  This one-owner car spent its first years in New York and is now in Tampa.  I’ll be there next week and may have to drop in and see it.  Suspect it’s a whole lot nicer than Etta, my 2008 911 Carrera unicorn, and for $75,000 more it damn well better be!  Find the 50th anniversary 911 here; if the link is dead it’s on hold, sold, or being transferred.  I’ll bet it’s going to be here for a bit.2014 911 50 $109998 14k

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A Real 2008 Volkswagen R32 Drops $4000 – And It Won’t Sell.

2008 R32This car surfaced in November 2017 in Cranston, RI with a price tag of $19,998 (see ad at the bottom).  Disappeared from my radar a couple of times, and is now in Omaha, NE with a $4,000 price reduction – $15,998.  From what I can see, the interior looks a little tired – is that a respray or melting plastic on the PRNDS console?  Seats are weathered.  It was a two-owner car – Brooklyn and Philadelphia, and me thinks a city car.  And above all, it’s an automatic, albeit a DSG.  Bummer.  But so is Etta – my 911 CarMax unicorn.

But it is a real MK5 VW R32, with all-wheel drive, DSG sequential shift transmission, and a REAL narrow-angle VR6 250hp six cylinder power plant.  The car does 0-60 in roughly six seconds – not terribly impressive by today’s standards, and handles well.  And holds a ton of crap in the hatch.  And, with only 5,000 imported, is a bit rare.  The car was $35,000 new.  Not sure at $15,998 it will sell to an average buyer looking at GTI’s given it’s about the same in performance, and for folks in search of hot hatches there are hotter cars out there.   But there’s something special about stuffing larger-than-normal engines in cars, and maybe there’s an R32 enthusiast out there who will want this.  It’s 10 years old, and the MaxCare warranty will cover it until it’s a whopping 15 years old, and easily another 100,000 miles.  All around I’m thinking it’s a but of an affordable, vintage hot hatch for the right enthusiast? Find it here – if the link is dead the car is sold, on hold, or being transferred – again.

2008 R32 Omaha $15,998 45000
CURRENT AD – MAY 2018
2008 R32 Cranston
ORIGINAL AD – NOVEMBER 2017
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A First! Reader Buys the Mercedes S600 and Already Recovers MaxCare Cost!

S600First sale of a car I posted to a blog reader (that I’m aware of).  Had the opportunity to collaborate with the reader who bought the 2009 Mercedes S600 (V-12) that I declined to buy last fall and taunted me as it moved up and down the East Coast.  The car was over $175,000 new and sold for $29,998.  The blog reader made contact and got my take on the car, the MaxCare warranty, deductibles, repairs at CarMax vs Mercedes dealerships, and took the plunge – bought the car just over a month ago.  We maintained contact as I wanted to know if his experience with a high-end CarMax  unicorn and the warranty were the same as mine – I’d feel bad if my experience was an anomaly.

The good news is he absolutely loves the S600.  The bad news is I didn’t buy it.  Also in the good news column, he did a post-purchase inspection and found trouble with the lower control arms, an oil pan leak, and valve cover leak.  Later a headlight failed.  ALL were covered under the MaxCare warranty.  Because they exceeded CarMax’s service capabilities the car was sent to an independent/specialist shop for the suspension and leaks, and to a Mercedes dealer for the headlight.  The reader noted the independent service rep advised the repairs were $6,800 – all covered by MaxCare.  He seems to be happy so far.  Because he lives some distance from a CarMax he intends to have future repairs done at a dealer or independent shop, and eat the $50 deductible (that $50 is waived when you go to CarMax).  Will continue to

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Cheapest S-Class Ever (2007 S550)….and Ignore the Risk of M273 Meltdown!

2007 S550By themselves, S550’s aren’t really unicorns ($35,000 or less, 60,000 miles or less) given that today CarMax has six of these on lots nationwide.  Not rare. And this one technically isn’t either, with 67,000 miles.  But rarely do CarMax S550’s drop below $25,000.  Snaring an S550 for less than $20,000 is a deal.  Of course, it’s only a deal with MaxCare bumper to bumper protection, because this three-owner model will be expensive to fix.  I suspect the warranty will be offered to 125,000 miles, and five years from the date of sale.

And the warrant is CRITICAL for a 2007 S550 per Jalopnik and their piece “For The Love of God, Don’t Ever Buy A 2007 Mercedes-Benz S550” from 2016.  Jalopnik warns that this model is cheap to get into, but has a little gear called the “M273” that will catastrophically fail and meltdown your S550 engine.   And that takes me back to the premise of the CarMax unicorn – with the MaxCare warranty I really don’t care if pistons explode through the hood into the night sky.  Jalopnik warns that the cost of used replacement S550 engine with installation is around $6500.  CarMax or Mercedes wouldn’t put in a used engine, so it will likely be a new engine and this car will run forever!

I don’t think you’ll find a more luxurious ride at this price.  Find it here in Irving, TX – if the link is dead it’s sold, on hold, or being transferred.  I suspect this car will move in days.  2007 S550 $18,998 67k

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Quick Hit: Niche Extinct Low Mileage Sedan – 2007 Saturn Aura XR for Cheap

2007 Saturn Aura XRNormally I look for more oomph in unicorns but I’m also intrigued with extinct cars that have more to them than meets the eye, for cheap.  This 2007 Saturn Aura XR, what one reviewer called “…..an American-built Opel that looks like a Japanese copy of a German car”, and was the top of the line Saturn during its four year production run.  That run ended when Saturn was discontinued by GM in 2010.   This car, believe it or not, was the 2007 North American Car of The Year.  Decent comfort and features, a 252hp six-cylinder, and relative obscurity and anonymity – all for $12,599.  Not sure if you even need the MaxCare warranty – but I’ll bet it’s not that expensive, and for an extinct car why not?  Second car? College kid? This one owner car, driven less than 2,500 miles yearly, can be found here in Denver, Colorado.  If the link is dead it’s sold, on hold, or being transferred. 2007 Saturn Aura XR $12,599 27k

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Another Jaguar XJ8 For Cheap (the car that got me busted)

XJ8LCarMax doesn’t carry very many XJ8’s.  Maybe three or four in the years I’ve been tracking.  I blogged about a 2008 Jaguar XJ8 with low miles and a low price tag in January, and it wasn’t until April when another popped in Las Vegas.  Been toying with the idea of buying a unicorn for the sole purpose of driving and reselling (with MaxCare Warranty ) and maybe defraying the cost of driving some interesting cars, and maybe turning a profit. So foolishly, and impulsively, I did my guerrilla tactic  to take it off the market – putting it on hold while I figured out what to do next.  But when I bought Etta (my 911) somehow my CarMax profile got changed to make my wife’s phone number the primary contact.  So yes, she got a call to coordinate HER appointment to see a Jaguar in Las Vegas.  I plead the fifth and let the car go.  It disappeared for almost a month. Today it showed up in Fort Myers, Florida.  Something about these old school XJ8’s I find very appealing.  A V-8 without too much horsepower, luxury and room, and above all, style.  Of course repairs can be expensive, especially as one reader pointed out – the air suspension, that’s why we get the warranty.  Find this two-owner California car now in Florida here – if the link is dead perhaps the car is on hold, sold, or once again being transferred.  2009 XJ8L $18,998 58k Fort Myers FL

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Will Sell in 24 Hours….Or I’m Buying and Flipping! – 2012 Alpina B7 Unicorn for Cheap.

B7I’m fairly good at spotting cars that will vanish in 24 hours or less and never be seen again.  Mercedes CL600’s and CL63’s, BMW M5’s with V-10’s, 10 year old Mazda B2300 pickups with 2,000 miles…..they go quick.  CarMax carries only one Alpina B7 at a time nationwide, usually, and today they have two.  They are also usually way above my unicorn level of $35,000 and 60,000 miles maximum.

This 2012 Alpina B7 (F01) is the only one that meets my criteria. Auto Cruise Control, 500hp hand-built twin-turbo V-8, 0-60 in 4.5 seconds, night vision, driver drowsiness detection, air leveling suspension – executive comfort, exclusive production – only hundreds sold in the US annually – and it sold new just six years ago for over $120,000!  Yes, there will be exorbitant repairs, and that’s why this car, like Guenther, my first CarMax unicorn (2004 S55 AMG) and Etta, my second CarMax unicorn (2008 911), this ONLY makes sense if you spend a couple of grand more on the MaxCare extended warranty and transfer all that financial risk to CarMax.  With that, you can be out the door for less than $40,000 and NEVER have a major repair bill.  Depreciation and MaxCare allow us to drive cars way beyond our means without going broke!

Find this two-owner car here in California – if the link is dead the car has either sold (and I predict by May 9th it will!), is on hold, or being transferred.  And for those new to the blog, per my Bio and Disclaimer please remember this is a hobby – I’m not affiliated with CarMax, make no money on this, not even ads on the blog!

2012 Alpina B7 $33,998 56k

From the Rick Hendrick BMW review in 2012:  “We drove an Alpina B7 and came away thinking the Alpina is the closest we should expect to come to an M7. We don’t expect to see BMW build an M7 because its size and weight would prevent it from achieving the sporty character BMW expects in an M model. Having the Alpina B7 means they don’t have to play that card. Continue reading “Will Sell in 24 Hours….Or I’m Buying and Flipping! – 2012 Alpina B7 Unicorn for Cheap.”

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Unloved 2008 Audi A4 3.2 – “Not Quite a Golf R32” But Still a Hoot?

2008 A4 3.2This 2008 Audi A4 3.2 Quattro unicorn has been sitting on the lots for a long, long time.  Since last fall I’ve watched it bounce around the Midwest.  I don’t know why.  It has a 255hp, 3.2l six-cylinder engine and I believe Tiptronic transmission (even paddle shifters!), and all wheel drive and unlike it’s Golf siblings, a trunk!.  Readers more astute than I pointed out to me that it’s not the high-performance engine of the VR6 in the EOS and Golf R, but not a lot of Audi A4 sixes out there.   This little sleeper reminds me of the A6 with the 4.2l V8 I saw last summer for almost the same price – both old school Audis that are far more capable sedans than their austere looks, and low price, would suggest.  Decent gas mileage, heated seats – great commuter car.  If I were a college kid wanting some spunk and no State Police attention, I’d give it serious consideration. Driven less than 5,000 miles yearly.  For another $2000 or so I’d add MaxCare and have no repair bills until the car is 15 years old and hits 150,000 miles.  Find it here in Illinois – if the link is dead it’s sold, on hold, or being once again transferred!2008 Audi A4 $14,599 45k

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