Monthly Finds (…but unicorns move fast! These may be gone.) – Page 25

January 25, 2020February 10, 2026

Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona – CarMax Entrants (Sort Of)

Daytona Fiat — Gratuitous shot of my Fiat on Daytona Beach today.

Posting from sunny Daytona Beach, where I arrived today after a grueling overnight train from Virginia. But enough about me. Preparing to watch the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona for my fifth straight year and thought why not a post about unicorns you can buy at CarMax that are also racing in this great endurance race?! There are in fact four sports cars racing this weekend that you can pickup at CarMax and add MaxCare for those unexpected pit stops. There would be five, but the Mercedes AMG GT S CarMax offered last week is no longer available. (Today in the four hour “sprint” race Mercedes AMG GT S’s took the three top spots!). So without further ado, here’s what’s racing that you can buy. 2019 Z06 The Corvette C8 makes its debut in endurance racing this weekend – the first mid-engine Corvette. I’ve stretched this a bit – you can’t buy a C8 Corvette from CarMax just yet, but I’ve been watching Corvettes dominate at Le Mans and Daytona for years and I have so much respect for this car. It’s world class performance for a pittance of what its competition charges. So here’s a Corvette Z06 you can actually buy and crush the local Ferraris if you so choose.

ROLEX VETTE — The C8 that will be racing this weekend.

For the record, I root for the Corvettes because of how their V-8’s rumble like nothing else on the track – I giggle every lap – and also because at Le Mans in 2009 (I think) and Daytona in 2015 the two factory cars raced neck and neck on the last lap thrilling the crowd and scaring the owners. God bless America.

2011 911 S Likewise, I first watched Porsche 911’s race at Le Mans in 1981 (that sounds so old!) and I’m amazed that a car that came on line when I was three (1963!) has been continually updated and remains competitive a half-century later. Not to mention, I finally bought one (Etta) and I get their handling, acceleration, and mystique. rOLEX 911 I have a good friend affiliated with the Corvette team here, and he complains that Porsche cheats – the 911’s that race are actually mid-engine cars and not rear-engined like real 911’s. Whatever. Here’s a CarMax 911 that at this time is the most expensive car they have.

2017 M6 The BMW M6 will be racing in the GT Daytona category this weekend (the new BMW M8 will be in the GT Le Mans category – none yet at CarMax) and I also have a fondness for this huge performance car. Before I bought Etta I found a 2008 BMW M6 V-10 with low miles at a New Jersey CarMax for only $23,998 and I passed. I was a fool. It was so old school brutish but what a car – 8,000 rpm redline. rOLEX m6 Anyway, the current M6’s are V-8’s that are even more powerful. Here’s a sweet and sinister looking M6 from CarMax that’s as close as you can come to this weekend’s race car.

2019 RC F Last, and I had totally forgotten these were racing, is a Lexus RC-F in the GT Daytona category (if you’re new to Le Mans and World Endurance racing, all four classes race at the same time – almost always the prototypes win the overall race and the other three compete for their class victory). Kyle Busch RC F This year one of the four drivers for the #14 RC-F will be none other than NASCAR driver Kyle Busch. I tend to root for upstarts like Toyota when they disrupted NASCAR and hope the RC-F’s do well. I wrote about this RC-F a few months ago, and lo and behold there’s another one for sale!

Will try not to annoy regular readers with too many updates during the race. Thanks for reading – Chuck.

January 22, 2020

Another Quickie – 2010 BMW 750 LiX Drops $1000 to $18,998.

Despite the unusual night time photo shoot this looks like a fairly nice deal – nine year old luxury unicorn with only 54,000 miles. Decently appointed with Convenience Package, Driver Assist Package, Cold Weather Package, and M Sport Package. Also 400hp and AWD! Love the rims. My experience is the MaxCare warranty is not cheap on a 750 but maybe keep it to 100,000 miles and unload? Find this here in South Jordan, Utah.

January 18, 2020

Quick Hit – Low Mileage 2009 Mercedes CLK550 Cabriolet. Like a Convertible But Way Cooler! $16,998

CLK Side Thought CarMax was done with Mercedes CLK’s, and for sure this is the last year they will carry the last year CLK unicorn. CarMax only carries European models 10 years old and younger, and 2009 was the last year Mercedes made CLK’s (W209’s). This well appointed convertible (yeah, yeah….”cabriolet”) is a low mileage beauty, driven less than 4,000 miles annually in the Nevada desert.

It’s got the 382hp 5.5 liter V-8, good for 0-60mph in 5.1 seconds per this (very good, but very lengthy) New Car Test review. The review suggests the car sold new in 2009 for a good $65,000 – and 10 years later it’s looking nearly new for $16,998. Of course I’d use some of that depreciation for MaxCare. Great to have that protection for a 10 year old car for another five years. Find this two owner convertible here in Henderson, Nevada. 2009 Mercedes CLK550 $16,998 39k Las Vegas 1-18-2020

January 16, 2020

Quick Hit – 2013 BMW M6 On Sale? Dropped $3,000 Today

M6 side — 2013 BMW M6 (sorry about the silly plus sign – embedded in CarMax photo!)

Been tracking this 2013 BMW M6 for maybe a month when it was in the high $30’s but as a V-8 and not a V-10 it didn’t feel like that much of a unicorn so didn’t write about it – until today when it dropped $3,000. Believe it’s the third price drop on the car. At $31,998 it’s starting to feel like a 560hp bargain. It’s fully optioned – even has night vision! Wondering how much MaxCare you could buy with that $3,000 savings?

This is the latest generation (F13/LX93) M6 and as far as I can tell only a few hundred sell new annually. Check out this review from Car and Driver, indicating a 0-60mph in 4 seconds – and that the car sold new for maybe $110,000. The current $31,998 is looking like a deal. Find this three owner car here in Doral, Florida. 2013 BMW M6 $31998 52k Doral Jan 2020

January 13, 2020February 10, 2026

$12,998 Maserati? Or Another Intern Flub?

Pretty sure it’s a mistake, but why is CarMax even shooting photos of this? Probably a trade in? No thanks.

January 12, 2020

Quick Hit – 3rd Cheapest Porsche 911 in Two-Plus Years!

911 top down Been tracking Porsche 911 unicorns at CarMax since the summer of 2017 and there have been a total of three that were less than $40,000. Two of them I snagged (bought one – Etta posted here, and declined on one because it had manual seats and I didn’t fit!), and the third is this one – just listed for $39,998. The down side….it’s a one accident car, and it’s a convertible (unless you want a convertible – the one I drove was noisy as hell). The up side….it’s a 911. There’s few sports cars with the racing heritage or the handling of a 911. I first saw them race at Le Mans in 1981 and first drove one in 2008 and have always been smitten. They are very, very special cars.

NEVER thought I could afford to own or maintain one until I scored Etta from CarMax two years ago. Absolutely love the way my 911 accelerates – even for a base 325hp Carrera (this one is 345hp) and corners, and the biggest disappointment is that the damned thing has not broken enough to recover my MaxCare outlay! I’m sure it will. If you’ve always wanted a Porsche 911 but like me were wary of the initial outlay or repair costs, maybe this is your starter 911? Find it here in Orlando. And kudos to CarMax Orlando for providing photos of a convertible with the top down! 2009 911 Porsche Carrera $39,998 56k Orlando 1-12-20

January 8, 2020

Real Quick Hit – 2010 Mercedes E550 $17,998

Thinking I need to post this quickly. Seems like a bargain – luxury, low miles, low price. The 2010’s “only” had 380hp – same as BMW 550 and Jaguar XF V-8’s of the same era. Also thinking with tax and MaxCare you could be out the door for $23,000. Yes it’s a 10 year old car but easy way to drive semi-rich! Find this two owner car here in Duarte, California.

January 6, 2020January 5, 2020

The Daily Driver I’d Choose If I Only Had $10,000 To Spend? Really.

$10000 Say you need a daily driver and times are hard, or you’re ~~cheap~~ frugal, and really don’t want to spend a lot on a car – but you want some fun, some style, and self-respect on the road. What do you do? What would I do? CarMax has 1,548 cars for sale nationwide priced under $10,000. Filter that by my self-imposed unicorn ceiling of 60,000 miles, and that number dwindles to 183 prospects. Most of those are Chevrolet Sparks and Sonics, Nissan Versas, Smart cars, and Mitsubishi i-MIEV’s (looks like that applicance that sweeps your living room floor when you’re not home). All fine commuter cars but no soul, no individuality on the interstate. Fiat 500 side My choice would be this 2013 Fiat 500 Turbo. Really. While it’s not a 160hp Fiat 500 Abarth (that’ll run you $12,000!) it’s also not the 101hp base Fiat 500. It’s a 135hp, 2,500 pound car that rides good enough, quick enough (for $10,000), gets over 30mpg, and has that Italian style and flair. Here’s a cute review from Car and Driver back in 2013. I would definitely drop some lire on MaxCare – it is an Italian car after all!

But mostly, I’d pick this Fiat 500 Turbo for my selfish nostalgic reasons – in the summer of 2010 before these came to the US and I lived in Europe, I rented one in Norway for a bucket list solo drive from Oslo to the Artic Circle. I drove 25 hours – 14 hours up in a day, and 11 hours back (different route) in a day, and almost 1,500 miles round trip – and not once was I uncomfortable or disappointed in that little car. Loved it. If you really, really want to read the whole story, here’s my write-up in Trip Advisor after I returned. So yeah, I have an emotional enthusiasm for this little Fiat and could easily daily drive it. And tempting – this single-owner Fiat 500 Turbo is here at my local CarMax dealer! 2013 Fiat 500 Turbo $9599 53k

HONORABLE MENTION Continue reading “The Daily Driver I’d Choose If I Only Had $10,000 To Spend? Really.”

January 2, 2020

Happy New Year! Here’s a 2020 Unicorn for 2020!

M2 side Technically this doesn’t meet my *unicorn* standards (Less than $35,000, under 60,000 miles) but I wanted to wish readers a Happy New Year to start 2020 – and it’s a real driver’s car and got my attention amongst the 13 used 2020 models in the CarMax inventory. I once asked a CarMax rep why damn near brand new cars are up for sale and he told me most of these are repossessions. Interesting.

This 2020 BMW M2 Competition sold new very recently for a good $60,000, so not much depreciation in the selling price of $55,998. I thrive on depreciation. The short take on this short M2 from this Car and Driver review suggests adding the M4 Competition engine to the M2 Competition in 2019 was a good thing – the 405hp twin-turbo inline six mated to a six speed manual transmission is good for a four second flat 0-60mph run.

The down side, in the review, is that the M2 Competition beats the hell out of the driver on the road but is exhilarating and rewarding on the track. No need for MaxCare – the car is still under manufacturer warranty. Find it here in Virginia Beach, Virginia. 2020 BMW M2 Comp $55,998 2k Virginia Beach 1-2-20 Continue reading “Happy New Year! Here’s a 2020 *Unicorn* for 2020!”

December 30, 2019

The Daily Driver I’d Choose If I Only Had $15,000 To Spend – 2009 Jaguar XF Supercharged

Jag XF 34 Thought I wrote about this unicorn – the first year Jaguar offered 420hp supercharged V-8 engines in the XF line – but I suspect it was a car that was gone as fast as it was listed. It returned recently and yesterday dropped $1,000 to a bargain price of $14,998. The car sold for over $60,000 new. It’s fairly well appointed with heating and cooling seats, heated steering wheel, blind spot monitor, rear view camera, 20″ wheels, and Bluetooth.

Was pleasantly surprised by this Car and Driver review that gave the car kudos for a decent ride on high performance tires, .87g on the skidpad, and a five second 0-60mph run. CarMax has about 11,000 cars under $15,000 and under my self imposed mileage cap of 60,000 miles, but this is the one I’d pick as a daily driver.

Of course, by the time you add MaxCare, and I wouldn’t own it without the warranty, and taxes, it would be a $20,000 car. Find this one owner car here in Salt Lake City, Utah. 2009 Jaguar XF Superharged $14,998 51k Salt Lake 12-30-2019

HONORABLE MENTION!

THESE WOULDN’T HURT MY HEAD IF I HAD TO DRIVE THEM.