10/2020 – The Carmax Unicorn Blog

October 30, 2020October 30, 2020

Quick Hit – The Great Pumpkin! One of 2,441. Killer Corvette ZR1 in Kenosha. Yours for $119,998!

The 755 hp 2019 ZR1 unicorn is the fastest Corvette to date (the C8 variants out in the spring will likely equal or exceed the 2019 ZR1) with a top speed of 212 mph and a 0-60 run in 2.8 seconds. Supercar fast. The Corvette team chief called this Corvette “the most we know how to do” according to this Car and Driver review. Corvette folks know tons more than me about ZR1’s. I love watching Corvette’s whoop far more exotic and expensive cars at Le Mans and Daytona but have given up on owning one – at 6’4″ I just don’t fit behind the wheel.

I’m thinking the gas mileage is N/A because it doesn’t get any?

The 2019 Corvette XR1 sold new for over $120,000. Not much depreciation here? This is the most expensive car I’ve seen at CarMax in the three plus years of tracking unicorns.

As an aside, the most expensive CarMax car I’ve seen before this ZR1 was an almost new 2017 Mercedes AMG GT with only 2,000 miles on it. Listed for $114,998 and over a couple of weeks dropped regularly in price and may have finally sold for $104,998. Here’s the link to that saga. We shall see how long this Corvette stays on the market.

The most likely view I’ll ever have of this car – as a passenger.

This single-owner, low mileage (5,000) hot rod is still under Chevrolet’s warranty for another 31,000 miles and 24 months or so. I would still spring for MaxCare – a car like this needs to be driven hard and fast. That’s what it was engineered for. No need to tell CarMax about your track days when you blow it up. On the other hand if you can afford a $120,000 car maybe you can afford the repairs. Find this ZR1 here in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

October 11, 2020October 11, 2020

Quick Hit – Bargain Benz. 2011 E550 Like a Smaller S-Class? $22,899.

This is one handsome, mid-sized Mercedes Benz unicorn, luxuriously equipped (hence the model “E550 Luxury”), at a ridiculously low price. Adaptive cruise control? Check. All wheel drive? Yup. Adjustable suspension? Absolutely. Blind-spot, lane departure, rear view camera, Bluetooth, Harman Kardon sound, panoramic sunroof, air-conditioned and heated seats….it goes on and on. Check out this little graphic included in the CarMax ad!

The 2011 Mercedes E550 packs a 5.5 liter V-8 rated at 382 horsepower. Mated to a seven-speed automatic the sedan is good for a 0-60 mph run in a hair over five seconds. Here’s a lengthy NewCarTestDrive.com review of all the 2011 E-class lineup, including details on the E550. Looks like from their notes this car sold for over $60,000 new nine years ago, and driven only 4,000 miles annually seems to be a damned good deal. Of course there are cheaper, comparable E550’s out there but none that are eligible for MaxCare protection against out of pocket repairs. You want MaxCare. There will be repairs.

The features on this car remind me a great deal of the S-class cars I’ve owned. I’ve been corresponding privately with some readers pondering the German unicorn market and enjoying depreciated, luxury rides protected by MaxCare. I would very much recommend this car as a safe entry into the market. Find this well-appointed, single-owner 2011 Mercedes E550 here in Frederick, Maryland.

October 5, 2020October 5, 2020

Pop Quiz – What’s The Most Horsepower You Can Buy (From CarMax)?

If you guessed 662 horsepower you’d be right! The 2014 Mustang Shelby GT500 with a supercharged 5.8 liter V-8 tops the General Motors’ 6.2 liter motors in the Corvette Z06’s, the Camaro ZL1’s, and the Cadillac CTS-V by 12 horsepower. And while I search everyday, CarMax has yet to carry a 700+ horsepower Hellcat from Dodge. Even the sixth generation Mustang Shelby GT350’s available at CarMax only ponied up 526 horsepower. So this is as good as it gets for car peeps who want a unicorn with straight line wheel spin bragging rights!

Ford produced 5,730 Shelby GT500’s in 2014, 4,816 as coupes and the rest as convertibles. Haggerty lists them as collectibles. Maybe so – they sold new in the mid-$50,000 range and CarMax is offering this one for $50,998 – not sure I’ve ever seen that little depreciation in a six year old car.

This Car and Driver review of the 2013 car (largely unchanged for 2014) notes a 3.5 second 0-60 mph run, and surprising to me, a 1.0g on the lateral skidpad. I was under the impression live axle Mustangs handled horribly until the 2015 models went independent. But what do I know?

Find this old-school, low mileage hot rod here in Charlotte, North Carolina. You may want to spring for MaxCare, then head to the drag strip quick-fast!