Stuck at home while my house is being painted. A bit cooped up (ha!) so did a quick run through of the fun coupes in my saved file and hoping to complete this before the fumes get to me. As I write CarMax has 1,679 cars nationwide officially listed as “coupes”. I could easily get wrapped around the axle finding Camaros, Corvettes, Mustangs, M3’s, Infiniti Q60’s that fit the bill but there are just so many of them. So I’m going with these three Audi TT’s, and this weekend perhaps a 1 of 1,418 model worthy of it’s own page. If you can guess what it is you win.
This 2012 Audi TT RS has been available for quite some time. The little coupe has a 2.5 liter five cylinder turbo pumping 360 hp. Car and Driver calls it a “mini-R8”. The dual clutch version tested in Europe sprinted to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds, and later the US model six-speed manual transmission TT RS hit it in 4.0 seconds flat – disappointing only in comparison to the dual clutch – still faster than my 911 was! Top speed was limited to 174 mph. The first gen RS only came to the US in manual mode. Only 641 were imported in 2012, and about the same for 2013 before the car was discontinued. The TT RS was reintroduced to the US market from 2018-2022, when it ended again. Even with the second generation, annually only a few hundred of the TT models were sold as RS. A unicorn.
Car and Driver panned the TT RS for highway drone, but otherwise loved the almost 1g of AWD lateral grip and rip snorting performance once past the turbo lag. The only other criticism? “The TT RS is so competent,” we reported, “so coldly immune to human clumsiness as to diminish the role of the driver.” I tried on a regular TT once, and while getting in and out was as challenging as any low slung car once inside I was surprised how roomy the cockpit was for my 6’4″ 225 lb frame.
The 2012 Audi TT RS sold new for almost $60,000. For a ten year old car with 71,000 miles it’s still a bit high priced. But it’s a bit unique with only a dozen or more for sale across the country. As with other older European cars, MaxCare is only available for 48 months and capped at 125,000 miles. I’d buy it, and enjoy this mini-R8 for 13,500 miles a year – plenty of space for a daily driver! Find this one owner, accident free Audi here in Garland, Texas.
Midway between San Francisco and Sacramento along Interstate 80 sits the Fairfield, California CarMax – a CarMax that in my humble opinion gets far too many unicorns. Too many because it is too far from me on the East Coast. Search my archives and you’ll find more than a few references to cars out in Fairfield – my favorite being this Jaguar XJ8 that made an epic journey of transfers over the course of a year from Florida to Fairfield. Today I was pleased to see two nearly identical 2012 Jaguar XF’s in Fairfield, one a naturally aspirated V-8 and the other a supercharged V-8. Only $4,000 and 90 horsepower separate the two. Given I’ve been writing ridiculously lengthy and infrequent blogs I’m keeping this one minimalist. Here’s the pix and some facts. Enjoy.
The 2012 Jaguar XF Supercharged sold originally for about $65,000. It sported a 5.0 liter supercharged (duh) V-8 and would hit 60 mph in under five seconds. It was positioned nicely between the regular V-8 below and the more aggressive XFR with 510 horsepower. It’s a handsome sedan with plenty of performance yet not overly aggressive. About a year and a half ago I last blogged about a 2013 Jaguar XF Supercharged here, and it was selling for about the same price. Can’t believe there was once a first year 2009 for only $14,998!
Here’s the link to this 2012 Jaguar XF Supercharged in Fairfield. It’s a one-owner, accident free car. Throw in MaxCare and you’re out the door in the low $30,000’s, with a fast, attractive sleeper.
Last week the pieces fell into place to go nuts and pick up my next two unicorns. One is my daily driver and the other my business car. The journey has had many twists and turns, and both cars are compromises – but for me, pretty darned good placeholders until the opportunity presents itself to acquire what I really want. I’ve had the chance to put some miles on both cars this week, and I am not unhappy. Just broke. Let’s go to the cars.
A 2013 BMW M3 (E93) hard top convertible surfaced out of nowhere at my local Dulles CarMax priced at $41,998 with only 32,000 miles and I immediately reserved it. The last year for the V-8 M3’s, low miles, and reasonably priced. The description said red interior – I hate red interiors – but the pictures did not look like someone bled out inside. You may recall the day I bought my Jeep I also drove to New Jersey to test drive an M3 that went badly. I’m so glad I gave this one a second chance.
The sales rep in New Jersey had no idea how the SMG transmission worked, and neither did I. The car revved and lurched at every stop light and I was embarrassed to look like I wanted to race everyone. When I arrived at Dulles, Ryan, my favorite service rep ever who also owns an M3, showed me how simple it was to put the car in “D” and drive like a normal guy. I test drove the car and in seconds it was clear this could easily be my daily driver. Hit the “M” button on the steering wheel and it screamed. Hit it again and I was back to daily driver mode.
Not sure the photo does the interior color justice. The photo looks more orange than red, and I thought what the hell, I’m from Baltimore and it’s almost baseball season and maybe I could accept this as Orioles colors? I think the color is “ox blood”, but it really looks like just brick. It’s not at all offensive and almost pleasant. Unique. The bolsters are not yet worn. I once owned a 2002 BMW 330CiC and the left bolster showed the effects of big bodies sliding in and out. This one not yet.
I’m pleased that with the top up there is plenty of trunk room for daily errands, and even a suitcase would fit in here. Top down, maybe a gym bag or two.
The 414 hp naturally aspirated V-8 is a joy. Old school. High-revving. Torque is low but most M3’s hit 60 mph in less than five seconds. Unfortunately, the additional weight of the hard top convertible hurts acceleration a bit and probably has it at five seconds flat. It’s still a joy getting to sixty.
Why an M3? Here’s my logic. It’s a convertible, and sort of takes the place of my recently sold 1971 Fiat 124 Spider for drop top driving. Second, it’s an enthusiast sports car, and sort of takes the place of my 2008 Porsche 911 I sold last year. That’s the only reason I call this car a compromise – I really want another 911 but the prices are upwards of $80,000+ for a 2017 991.2. Could be a while until 2017 911’s are in my price range. Last, I’ve concluded a daily driver sports car doesn’t need auto cruise control or seat massagers (although Apple Carplay would be nice), and should be legitimate enough to not embarrass me at cars and coffee. The V-8 M3 fit the bill. For what it’s worth, I thought there was something funky about the exterior and Ryan immediately noticed it has an expensive aftermarket carbon fiber package inside and out. The side panels don’t bother me too much and the front air dam I’ll probably tear off parking at some point. but the lip on the trunk just looks boy racer and has to go. It’s not me, and I actually like the subtle lines of the original M3 trunk. It’ll have to go. Also, in the glove box was a recent registration from an owner in Gaithersburg, Maryland, not far from me. The CarMax pictures were with California plates. Apparently, the car was transferred from the West Coast, bought, and returned. I do not know why. I did buy Maxcare (not cheap at almost $5,000 for $50 deductible up to 125,000 miles) , so I’m not at all worried that there’s a problem. I’ll let you know if there is.
About a month ago I wrote this piece about my discovery of the Cadillac CT6 Platinum model, with a 400 hp twin turbo six and tons of modern features. I took home a 2016 model and loved it. When I returned it I was just learning about Super Cruise, Cadillac’s industry leading self-driving technology, and thought I needed to find a 2017 model with Super Cruise. I would have been wrong. Dulles CarMax service tech James is a GM guru and told me I had to find a 2018 model and showed me the plastic arc on the steering wheel indicating Super Cruise. Kept me from making an unforced error. I found a 2018 CT6 in Charlottesville, white with black interior, and had it transferred. Loved it. Loved Super Cruise. But when I tried to use the automated parking feature it kept trying to back into spots that already had cars in them, so I returned it to be fixed before I made a decision. It was also $58,000 – a lot of money and not too much less than a Mercedes S560. While waiting, though, a 2018 CT6 that was white over tan, my preferred old man colors, showed up in Huntsville, Alabama as “coming soon” for the same price. The transfer fee was $249. The next day I saw the transfer fee increased to $349 and as I was getting agitated over the rise – the car dropped $4,000 in price to $53,998. I had no idea why. I still don’t. I immediately booked it for transfer, and when it arrived I bought it. MaxCare was less that $4,000 (the car is still under manufacturer warranty) and with the price drop, I’m viewing it as free!
The Cadillac CT6 Platinum is also a compromise, in that I really want another V-12 Mercedes. There just haven’t been any at CarMax in a long, long time. It’s time to sell my S600 and I need a long distance highway cruiser with all the modern features – adaptive cruise control, Apple Carplay, seat massagers, HUD, and tons of leg room. I also wanted enough oomph to not miss the V-12 too much and I was hopeful the twin turbo six cylinder would give me that, with 400 hp.
The cockpit in the CT6 is comfortable and luxurious. Like the S-class, it has almost too much leg room in the front. The infotainment is a little clunky, in that some controls can only be accessed by reaching for the touch screen and it seems a long ways away. There is a touch pad by the gear shift but odds are I would crash before scrolling to where I need to be on the screen. I have been a little frustrated getting in and out of the car. With long legs the front seat is way behind the B-pillar and I feel like I’m squeezing in and out of the narrow opening. The “easy exit” feature moves the seat forward in such a way that only really small people could ever use it. Possible that’s adjustable and maybe when I take the time to read the manual I’ll figure it out.
Rear seat room is somewhere between an S-class and E-class in Mercedes. There are a nice pair of DVD screens that rise from the front seat backs, and a box of headphones and remote controller was in the back seat. Nice. The rear side window sunshade is manual, which seems primitive compared to my 12 year old S600. The rear window sunshade automatically drops when the car is in reverse and returns up when in drive – nice.
I’m currently on a business trip to North Carolina and left the day after I bought the car. The motor is the only thing really giving me pause. In “Touring” mode it is luxury car quiet and as strong as any six cylinder on the road. But I wanted more zoom and left it in “Sport” mode much of the time since I bought it. Yes, it will do 0-60 mph in almost the same time as my V-12 Mercedes. But it’s “growl” sounds an awful lot like the 1981 Citation X-11 V-6 my best friend once owned, and that brings back bad memories of all the GM failures of that era. I’m hoping, though, after watching Cadillacs dominate endurance racing at Daytona, that the motor will hold out.
The highlight of my drive from Northern Virginia to North Carolina was Super Cruise. It’s possible to literally drive a hundred miles and never touch the steering wheel. Driving I-95 through downtown Richmond Super Cruise executed some tight left and right curves flawlessly, even braking on its own to keep me safe. I only needed to touch the wheel to change lanes to pass. At dusk I had Super Cruise going, along with night vision, adaptive cruise control. seat massagers, a podcast on Carplay, and a rotisserie chicken cooking in the glove box (just checking to see if you’re paying attention). I was delirious with the drive. I was also getting a whopping 28 mpg gas mileage at 78 mph. So when I start feeling disappointed in the 3.0 liter six cylinder as only being adequate, and I realize gas is well over $4 a gallon for premium here, I’m becoming comfortable that this car is a pretty good compromise – and I have the M3 for when I want an old fashioned V-8 powerplant. One week in, I am not unhappy.
The world is going to hell in a handbasket. Because of the tragic Russian invasion of Ukraine, gas prices in the USA averaged $4.25 a gallon for regular and over $5.00 for diesel as I write. Fortunately my V-12 Mercedes S600 is in the shop for last minute repairs before I sell it. But we still gotta drive, right? Thought I’d put together a short list of cars I might be tempted to drive if I had to endure these prices long term. (Of course I say that as I prepare to pickup a 24 test drive of a BMW M3 V-8 this afternoon!) Unicorns? Only during these times.
Let’s start with an electric vehicle (EV), the controversial 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E SELECT. I’ve seen them on the road and the design doesn’t offend me, I just wish Ford hadn’t contaminated the Mustang brand on this EV. But since I drove a pitiful (borrowed) 1978 Mustang II with the 84 hp four-cylinder to my high school prom I guess I have little credibility here. Is is an SUV? A crossover? A car? Who cares. It’s electric! (Boogie, woogie, woogie)
The Mustang Mach-E Select has 266 hp and will do 0-60 mph in less than five seconds – not bad – and go maybe 270 miles on a charge. Middle of the pack EV performance. It’s fairly well equipped with auto cruise control and Apple Carplay. Car and Driver liked it so much they gave it an “Editors’ Choice” award. The car sold for maybe $50,000 new, and is now selling at a disappointing premium of $53,998 here in Potomac Mills, Virginia.
Stock # 22328427 VIN # 3FMTK1RM6MMA10386
Next we have what I thought was the gold standard for EV’s, but don’t hold me to that – a 2018 Model 3 Long Range. CarMax today has 253 Teslas on the lots, ranging from $41,998 for a Standard Range model to $156,998 for a Model S Plaid rocket ship. I chose the 2018 below for no other reason than it was “reasonably” priced and a long range model. It’s similar in performance to the Mustang, albeit with a little less range (200 miles?!). Same with features.
The 2018 Tesla Model S Long Range rolled out to mixed reviews. Car and Driver noted the highs as “satisfying handling, impressive tech integration, looks and feels like the future.” The lows were “Not the price we were promised, not the range we were hoping for, the questionable build quality we’ve learned to expect.” This was probably a $56,000 car new, and is now $43,998 here in Kearny Mesa, California.
Stumbled on this hot 2020 Range Rover Velar SV Autobiography Dynamic and wondered if there was anything special about it. Was surprised to learn it’s a one year only model and Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) made only 600 units. A unicorn, but not a cheap one. Invested another whole hour on the web only to learn that 60 made it Canada, and no idea how many to the USA. It was once a $100,000 SUV and two years later, it’s on the lot for $83,998. A bargain? Probably not. Exclusive? I’d say so.
With the convenience package and driver assistance package there is nothing available from Land Rover this vehicle don’t have. Adaptive cruise control, heated, cooling, and massaging performance seats for all, knurled-metal finish on the infotainment and HVAC knobs, multiple big screens, leather, carbon fiber, and on an on. Looks handsome. Tasteful.
No rear DVD system – probably interferes with the suit jacket hangar built into the driver’s headrest? Nothing opulent in the back. Nothing really to see here mate, move on.
Here’s what you really get for the $40,000 over a regular Velar – a monstrous 550 hp 5.0 liter supercharged V-8 powerplant mated to an eight speed automatic that’ll take this beast to 60 mph in less than four seconds. Same motor in the higher priced Range Rover Sport SVR and lower priced (usually) Jaguar F-Pace SVR (see the bottom of this piece). The motor engineered and built by Ford for Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations until 2020. The SVAD gets bigger wheels. bigger brakes, and corners with brake-based torque-vectoring. It also has a bigger gas tank – gonna need it. JLR is also pretty proud of the active exhaust system, providing the video sound track below to whet your appetite, or be music to your ears, depending on your epicurean preferences.
This one-owner, accident free 2020 Range Rover Velar SV Autobiography Dynamic is available in Corpus Christi, Texas here – it’s been on and off the net today so the stock number and VIN are also below. What about MaxCare? This Range Rover still has two years and 20,000 miles of manufacturer warranty – after that it’s a crap shoot. I suspect the legendary unreliability of JLR vehicles is by now more folk lore than reality, despite Doug DeMuro’s famous Range Rover some time back. (For the record, CarMax dropped more money repairing my Mercedes S55 AMG – $35,000 – than they did on his Range Rover – $21,000!) Spending $84,000 on this Velar would be a strain for me, and MaxCare might push that to $90,000. But I couldn’t own this without it. Your call.
