Category: Monthly Finds (…but unicorns move fast! These may be gone.)

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A Finite List of Infiniti Manual Transmission Coupes

Car enthusiasts are pretty passionate about manual transmission cars, and can be pretty disparaging about those who can’t drive them. I guess we like them in our older cars but not really in new ones, because only about 13 percent of the new cars sold in America have three pedals. Car and Driver lists only 28 new cars and maybe a half dozen new crossovers and SUV’s you can still buy with a manual. Today CarMax has 44,616 cars for sale and only 1,326 with manuals – a whopping three percent. Not much call for manuals anymore. And to think when we go all EV it will be all automatics. I was intrigued to find three Infinities with six-speeds. Unicorns.

This 2014 Infiniti Q60S is a pretty sports coupe with ultra low miles. Looks damn near new inside. That said, the Q60 started life as the fourth generation G37 coupe way back in 2008. Infiniti revamped its naming convention in 2014 and so this is the “new” first year Q-series. It ain’t so new in design or technology, given it was six years old as a model in 2014 and is another eight years older now. That said, when I drive my V-8 M3 I feel like I sorta bought a near-vintage car from CarMax protected by MaxCare. Except unlike the Q60, I don’t have a manual. Guess I’m part of the problem.

The Q60S does have seat heaters, a Bose audio system, Bluetooth, a rear view camera, a smart key, and a CD- player. It’s clean and tidy inside. The Infiniti Q60S 6MT sold for over $50,000 new and hasn’t depreciated all that much in eight years. Suspect the low mileage has something to do with that.

The car is powered by the 3.7 liter V-6 motor good for 330 hp and a low-to-mid five second 0-60 mph time. The same motor has been driving Nissans and Infinities for a long, long time. I gotta believe it’s refined and reliable and wondering if MaxCare would even be needed?

Poking around the Infiniti forum I learned that Nissan doesn’t release sales figures by model by year. So searching Cars.Com and Autotrader I found 13 comparable 2014-2015 Q60 6MT’s for sale nationwide. There aren’t many out there, and the search confirmed this one is the nicest in the nation for sale, I think. If it’s for you, find it here in Houston.

Stock # 22041905  VIN # JN1CV6EK5EM113442

But if it were my money and I was in the market for an Infiniti 6MT, and wanted to save $5,000, and didn’t have my hard top convertible M3, I could be tempted by a slightly older G37 – with a drop top. Summer is here!

The shifter is not nearly as fine as the Q60 red one.

Same motor – less 5 hp, almost the same interior, and even has heated AND air conditioned seats! It is a one accident car if that matters to you. MaxCare good until 150,000 miles – can’t get that on M3’s. Relatively low mileage. This car is also in Texas, here in Austin.

Stock # 21640362  VIN # JN1CV6FE2CM200219

Only throwing this one in to complete the Infiniti inventory of manual transmission cars. Another G37. This one a 2013, in between the two above. Same motor at 330 hp. Same equipment. Higher mileage at 68,000. No accidents. No bargain, really. No convertible. No real reason to read on?

But if you did, this 2013 Infiniti G37 Sport is here in Edison, New Jersey – a new dealership that opened in May just south of Newark. Enjoy.

Stock # 22007112  VIN # JN1CV6EK2DM923593

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378 Original Miles – Nine Year Old Dodge Charger R/T Max Coming Soon!

Always looking for low-mileage CarMax unicorns and was surprised to find this 2013 Dodge Charger R/T Max with only 378 miles. About 40 miles a year. Doesn’t even need an oil change yet! Yes, I know all about the “all the rubber and seals and gaskets and plastics have rotted” notion, and think some of that is legit and some is not. My theory is anything that needs to move and/or lubricate to stay fresh may be need to be replaced – any part that doesn’t know or care if the car has been moving much over the last nine years should be fine. Even better, ANYTHING THAT ROTTED WHILE SITTING GETS REPLACED FREE BY CARMAX UNDER THE 90 DAY, 4,000 MILE WARRANTY! So what’s the risk of buying a damn near new old car? Mostly just overpaying, but I’ll get to that later.

I was also surprised at how well equipped this 2013 Dodge is – choosing “Max” for the R/T model originally cost another $6,000 and added mirror-mounted puddle lamps, rain-sensing wipers, adaptive cruise control with forward collision warning, a rear parking sensor, rear cross-path sensor, SmartBeam headlamps, the navigation package, the Beats audio package, power adjustable pedals, heated and ventilated front seats, heated steering wheel, Bluetooth, rear view camera, power tilt-and-telescope steering column, blind spot monitoring, and 245/45R20 all-season performance tires on 20-inch chrome wheels. If it had Apple CarPlay and seat massagers I would snatch this up!

The leather interior has nary a crease. Pristine as the day it rolled off the showroom floor to its one and only owner in Channahon, Illinois, southwest of Chicago.

The 2013 Dodge Charger R/T Max was powered by a 370 hp 5.7 liter V-8 motor and only a five speed automatic transmission. It ran to 60 mph in just over five seconds. Not an SRT-8 by any means, but no slouch. The engine bay looks as sharp and clean as the interior.

For me, there are two downsides to buying this car. The first is the car sold new for probably $37,000 or so, and nine years later has depreciated almost not at all. Depreciation is what makes unicorns affordable. This car isn’t so special you’d want to also mothball it away to preserve the ultra low mileage, and not so unique that you’d want to overpay for it. CarMax has a couple Charger R/T Max’s for $10,000 less with 40,000-70,000 miles, and even a 2014 Charger SRT-8 Superbee with the 470 hp motor at 70,000 miles for “only” $33,998. All of these old school V-8 American muscle cars have MaxCare available for another five years and up to 150,000 miles. Not bad.

The second downside to me is I just cannot own any sedan that’s also used as a police cruiser. Years ago I drove a rental Crown Vic for a bit, and found that as I closed in on highway traffic EVERYONE slowed down and blocked me thinking I was an unmarked police car. Not helpful. (But for fun, once, my buds and I drove down the George Washington Parkway outside Washington DC in the Crown Vic with the flashers on and chuckled as everyone got out of our way. We were young and stupid. ) Anyway, if this low mileage 2013 Dodge Charger R/T Max is for you, it’s coming soon to Tinley Park, Illinois – halfway between Channahon and Chicago. Here’s the link if it’s the car for you.

Stock # 22850704  VIN # 2C3CDXCT2DH613727

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A Pair of 2012 911 Turbo S Convertibles – Not Many of ‘Em. Not Very Cheap. But Very, Very Fast.

In 2012 Porsche introduced the third generation 911, designated the 991. But Porsche also still sold in 2012 brand new second generation 911’s – the 997 series. So I’m never sure until I check out the interior of a 2012 Porsche 911 which one it is. Both of these 2012 models are in fact 997’s, just like my old 2008 model I picked up from CarMax for less than $40,000! Except these two are stupid fast convertibles that sold new for $170-200,000, depending on options. Only about 2,100 911 Turbo S convertibles were sold worldwide. A unicorn? Autotrader shows only five for sale, all for more money and lower miles, and none offer MaxCare for another five years and up to 125,000 miles of coverage on a 10 year old race car. Also, there’s a live auction underway on Bring a Trailer for a similar 2012 car – ends on May 25, 2022 and it’s at $63,000. I’ll bet it doubles in the last hour. (5-26-22 Update – the BaT car sold for $121,000. I was close.)

Not much in the way of features inside. Sports chrono. Navigation. Decent audio. No rear view camera.

The 2012 Porsche 911 Turbo S was rated at a ridiculous 523 hp from the 3.8 liter six cylinder, and sprinted to 60 mph in under three seconds. Top speed was just under 200 mph. The car is AWD and runs with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic PDK (Porsche Doppelkupplung) transmission. This particular model is a four-owner, accident free car currently in Irving, Texas. Find it here.

Stock # 22415867 VIN # WP0CD2A95CS773243

Continue reading “A Pair of 2012 911 Turbo S Convertibles – Not Many of ‘Em. Not Very Cheap. But Very, Very Fast.”
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Loaded 2017 BMW 550XI Gran Turismo – An Accord CrossTour for Enthusiasts ?

My frustrated search for a successor unicorn for my 2010 Mercedes S600 (going on sale soon!) continues. I’ve become enamored not only with V-12’s, but with the latest and greatest technology – mostly some autonomous driving capability for long distance driving. Bought and returned the 2018 Cadillac CT6 Platinum (aka Clotmobile – it’s still on sale here at my Dulles Dealer) and came close to buying a 2019 BMW X5 50i. Different approaches, but both blew me away with the comfort of driving extended distances relatively hands free. But neither were real enthusiasts cars, although I tried to convince myself the Cadillac’s 400hp six cylinder and the BMW’s 456hp made up for that. Neither really were worthy of Cars and Coffee, and nobody came up to me at the gas pump with a “whatcha got there?!”. Sleepers both.

I’ve boxed myself in because while there are unicorns in my traditionally sense (deeply depreciated, low miles, expensive to fix but not my problem with MaxCare), once you tag autonomous driving onto an enthusiast car we’re talking $65,000 and up – no longer a bargain. My deal was instead of a three year old Camry we could be driving eight year old Mercedes for the same price, more fun, no risk. Well, CarMax doesn’t have a search feature for autonomous driving (the term too vague right now) so I dutifully plug in my big four – Apple Carplay, autonomous cruise control, heated steering wheel, and seat massagers – and of the 51,365 cars on lots today, only 75 meet my criteria. Half of them Ford Explorers and F150’s! Today, not even a Stinger GT2 available – an enthusiast car that comes with all that. So what’s the best I can do today?

A 2017 BMW 550XI Gran Turismo (GT)! A car that Car and Driver tagged as a model nobody asked for. But it’s really quite a car if you want a hatchback German sedan or can get over its awkward (to me) profile. (Bracing myself – good chance one of the blog readers owns one and loves the lines. My apologies.) Loaded with a 440hp twin turbo 4.4 liter V-8, AWD, heated and cooling seats, Apple Carplay, auto cruise, seat massagers, heated steering wheel, and a panoramic sunroof, once inside you won’t even know it looks kooky to some from the outside. And it’s less than $40,000! Note – the car made its debut at CarMax for $37,998 and almost immediately shot up to $40,998 – then this week backed off $1,000.

Thought just for fun I’d throw in a 2015 Honda CrossTour EX-L for comparison. The Honda only has a 278hp six but cost lots less. That said, it has a rear wiper! So what’s a Gran Turismo – or GT? Motor Trend says a “GT car fit between a sports car and a luxury car. It should have a big engine, a comfortable ride, a luxurious interior, and elegant bodywork. Not just fast, it needed to be able to handle like a sports car when the proper situation arose but coddle like a luxury car the rest of the time.” The BMW 550XI GT fits the bill, although it could be better looking.

The BMW has a handsome interior, although as a 2017 it’s infotainment screen is smaller and a little dated now despite this 550 model being a new gen. I dig the pre-coffee stained seats. Usually I have to turn them that color myself.

The trunk space looks useful. Maybe this is for folks who want to haul stuff but not lug around a larger SUV like the X5?

I like the motor. Thought I would need M models to be happy (I drove, and loved, a stupid fast 2020 BMW X5 M50i once) but the “base” twin turbo BMW V-8 is remarkably powerful. Test results put it at a mid to upper four second 0-60 mph sprint. This car sold new for perhaps $75,000 and is under $40k today. There’s an awful lot of features available for a five year old car, and if I could get over autonomous driving and the shape, I think it’s a bargain. Maxcare available to 125,000 miles and 60 months. Find this two owner, accident free, low mileage car here in Golden, Colorado.

Stock # 22136854 VIN # WBA5M0C58HD085267

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Very Quick Hit – Yet Another 1 of 248 2011 Mercury Grand Marquis

I can’t help it. I’m captivated by CarMax offering these final year Panther-platform 2011 Mercury Grand Marquis LS sedans. Only 248 spilled over into the 2011 model year. CarMax has had maybe a half dozen since I started blogging. I didn’t blog on all of them so I’m catching up. I have a theory that all 248 of these unicorns will be on their lots at some point so from here on I’m documenting them!

CarMax lists the car as “fully loaded” and gives it a 9 out of 10, but there’s not much going on in there by modern standards. Heated mirrors? CD? Not even Bluetooth. Under “Technology” only cruise control is listed.

Not too many column shifting old school sedans out there anymore. Something satisfying about the “ka-chunk” of pulling it down the PRNDL. Saves console space so kids can stand on the transmission hump and stare out the windshield as the miles go by. Oh wait, that was my generation.

Gargantuan trunk that will hold tons of luggage or multiple bodies. Old joke. I got nothing more.

The down side – an anemic motor with only 224 hp and 275 ft-lbs of torque. But it will last a long time? Only $19,998 and 40,000 miles. If you really want this car it’s here in Irving, Texas. Amazingly, MaxCare is available for another five years – until the car is maybe 16 or 17 years old – and another 110,000 miles!

Stock # 22006347  VIN # 2MEBM7FVXBX603260

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Quick Hit – Cheap Naturally Aspirated 2013 Mercedes SLK55

Tradition has it that “May Day was celebrated by some early European settlers of the American continent. In some parts of the United States…….small baskets usually filled with ….treats and left at someone’s doorstep. The giver rings the bell and runs away.”* That’s the best excuse I can come up with this May 1st to post this sort of small European basket filled with treats capable of a fast getaway. A bit of a stretch. A bit of a unicorn.

* Per the historical expert Wikipedia.

The 2013 Mercedes SLK55 AMG, sometimes called the Mercedes Miata, is a two-seater with a naturally aspirated V8 motor. The car was produced as the SLK from 1996 until 2015, after that it was renamed to the SLC model in accordance with Mercedes badging changes, and switched from the V8 to a six cylinder, becoming the SLC43. Only Mercedes itself knows how many SLK55’s were made – I just lost an hour reading Mercedes enthusiast forums where owners themselves are trying to track how special their cars are. The best I can tell is someone is tracking motor numbers by VIN and thinks there were around 3,500 total.

(If you want to see a bit of history, here’s the link to one of my first blog posts ever in 2017, on a 2007 SLK55 selling for $21,998. That would have been a steal – and still under MaxCare!)

The basket of treats mentioned above really includes only seat heaters, Bluetooth, rear view camera, nav, and a Harman Kardon audio system. It’s a handsome cockpit, but not opulent. Analog car like my M3.

The seats do have the very nice Mercedes Air Scarf feature, heating the neck and shoulders (or top of your head if you’re tiny). The seats are also the same color as my M3‘s – not sure what Mercedes calls them but mine are “fox blood”. Creepy name but better than red. Included this picture really to show that unlike the M3, there’s no back seat. No matter how unusable my M3 back seat might be for humans, it’ll still hold two guitar cases and a gig bag. Also, most cars with bolsters this big tend to show wear and tear over the years – these seem fairly fresh.

Hardtop convertibles lose trunk space, some more than others. The protective shell above has to be in the “down” position before the automatic folding process tucks the roof and rear glass into the trunk. With the shell up, it’s easy to fit a large suitcase in there. Even down there’s room for a carry on (or amplifier!) back there. (Side note – I never read the instructions for my convertible and got my roof stuck half closed. Thought I was going to have it towed. Realized I left a six pack of soft drinks in an area of the trunk I didn’t think mattered and it got wedged. Thought about reaching in there to dislodge it and worried I’d be that guy that lost his arm in a freak convertible accident. I got the roof to raise and was able to secure my Diet Cokes. So glad I didn’t have it towed to CarMax and have them ridicule me for years.)

Kudos to CarMax for the rare photo of a convertible with the top down. A little less of a “pug” look. The upside of this being a two seater is unlike the BMW M3, there are no permanently raised headrests looking goofy all the time.

The SLK55 AMG is really about the 5.5 liter hand-built V8. It produces 415 hp, 398 ft-lbs of torque, and per Motor Trend will hit 60 mph in a spectacular 4.2 seconds. (The car in the Motor Trend review looks identical to this one inside and out – how cool would it be if it was the same?) I can attest there’s just something awesome about a high-revving naturally aspirated V8 that can’t be matched by a turbo. The car sold new in the upper $70,000 range. It’s now half that nine years later, and MaxCare is available for another five years and up to 125,000 miles. Find it here just outside Chicago in Schaumburg, Illinois.

Stock # 22552936  VIN # WDDPK7FA0DF052559

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Quick Hit – Three’s Company: A Third Mercedes CL550 Now Available!

Last week I found this beautiful white-over-tan 2014 Mercedes CL550 with only 23,000 miles on it selling for $42,998. Here’s the link to that car. Seems that only a few hundred CL550’s were imported annually, making this a unicorn. And out of nowhere CarMax now has two more CL550’s, a bit older, more mileage, but far cheaper. The first one below is to whet your appetite – the second is a far better car and deal.

The first is a 2011 model with 58,000 miles. All the same features as the more expensive one, less adaptive cruise control. The 2011 model ran with a 4.6 liter twin turbo V-8 rated at 382 hp, a good 47 hp less than the 2014 model. Tradeoffs for $8,000?

I’m always fascinated when CarMax sells high end European cars that are almost a dozen years old and offers MaxCare warranties until the car is almost 17 years old. MaxCare is available for 60 months and 125,000 miles on this one. Find it here in Centennial, Nevada.

Stock # 22442117  VIN # WDDEJ9EB3BA026810

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Quick Hit – 1 of 237 2014 Mercedes CL550 $42,998

This 2014 Mercedes CL550 has been on and off the web for months, I believe. I’ve started to write about it and paused, either because I was including it in a lengthy blog about a bunch of cars and changed my mind, or it went into “Currently Unavailable” status. It’s been back for a few days so here we go. The CL class started way back in 1992, and this 2014 is the final year of the third generation spanning 2006 to 2014. The successor to the CL is the S-class coupe. As far as I can tell only 237 2014 CL550’s were sold. A unicorn?

From the B-pillar forward (if it had a B-pillar!) it would be the same cockpit as an S-class sedan and looks and functions the same as my S600. I’d feel real comfortable here. Not lost on me it’s the same color combo as the CT6 I just gave up. Grrrr. I’ll get over it.

The CL550 is AWD (4Matic), and has auto cruise control, seat massagers, heated and cooled seats, and a Harman Kardon sound system. The coupe is such a pretty car from the angle above. From the front I always thought it a bit porpoise-like.

The CL550 is powered by a 4.7 liter twin turbo V-8 rated at 429 hp mated to a seven speed automatic, good for sub-five second 0-60 mph runs. The car sold new eight years ago for probably $120,000 and is now depreciated to about a third of its sales price. I like that. MaxCare is good to 125,000 miles and the max of 60 months, and with the ultra low mileage on this car – only 23,000 – you could cruise 20,000 miles a year worry free. Not a bad deal for $42,998. Rare car and out the door for under $50,000. Find it here in Kearny Mesa, California.

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2018 Cadillac CT6 Clotmobile Returned for Refund.

Brace yourself. What follows is too much information about Cadillac seats and clots. And too many shots of my chicken legs. A few weeks ago I wrote this piece about buying a 2018 Cadillac CT6 and setting off the next day on a business trip to North Carolina. I was falling hard for the car and Super Cruise, the industry best Level 2 autonomous driving. Hands free for miles and miles of interstate driving on I-95 south. Made only one stop in Ashland, Virginia on the 300+ mile drive. I fidgeted with the seat trying to get better leg support but didn’t think much about it, until late the next day after a four mile run near Fort Bragg. The back of my knee hurt in an oh so familiar way. I’ve had blood clots twice, the first in 2014 and again in 2019, after which I’ve been on blood thinners. Thinking another clot unlikely I ran another pair of four milers that week unsure if it was clots or a muscle strain. By the time I drove back to Virginia I was pretty sure and headed to the emergency room, where I was diagnosed with another “acute deep vein thrombosis (DVT)” – a blood clot. Got a shot in the belly and changed blood thinners and made my 3pm music gig at a local brewery.

In between my 2014 and 2019 clots, with no blood thinners but getting up often, I’ve flown to India and back non-stop (each way, not the entire loop!), to Africa, and to South America. On thinners I’ve driven cross country twice in the Mercedes S600 and even knocked out a thousand mile day solo. I thought I knew how to manage. But on the 2018 Cadillac CT6 Platinum seat above, the intersection of the seat bottom bolster, the seat bottom, and the metal bar crossmember that should extend (but don’t) intrudes on the bottom of the leg just above the knee, and (for me) makes it impossible to get comfortable. And I’m 90 percent sure that pressure gave me a clot. Press the button and there’s a faint sound of a motor doing something, but movement is imperceptible.

The Dulles CarMax service folks were superb in taking a quick look at the car and sending it out to Cadillac for inspection. Sadly, per below, Moore Cadillac advised the seat is not supposed to extend despite the manual, the controls, and the infotainment graphics below suggested it should. They reported back that it works just like all the other Cadillac CT6’s. Disappointing. I even joined the Cadillac CT6 online forum to ask for help, and other owners confirmed that the seat bottom just don’t move. That despite the shot below of the infotainment display indicating extension and the owners’ manual confirming it should. Moore Cadillac just pissed me off. Pretty much offended me with their answer.

For comparison, I checked out a BMW X5 and Mercedes E300 seat, and both extended significantly compared to the immobile Cadillac seats. Below you can see what a normal Mercedes seat does. A cheap E300.

Unfortunately, the 2018 Cadillac CT6 Platinum with Super Cruise that I bagged after it dropped $4,000 one night had to be returned. And for what it’s worth, the Dulles CarMax business office processed the return in less than 30 minutes. Pain free (unlike my leg). A refund check for the car and a refund check for MaxCare are on their way. They had me drive it into the service bay to check the mileage and it was a wistful 100 yard cruise. It’s a really nice car with near Mercedes luxury at a decent price. The seats just (literally) came up short. I suspect for a less than six foot driver they’d never know. The car should be available again soon. Meanwhile, I’ll be driving the S600.

Here’s the link if you want to track the car – it’s not yet back on the market. Suspect there’s work to be done to clear the title.

Stock # 21964952 VIN # 1G6KP5R64JU157486

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Quick Hit – 2012 Audi S5 V-8 6MT (Short Piece!)

Been writing novellas about multiple cars in (infrequent) blogs so here’s a simple one. CarMax has a total of 1,291 manuals transmission cars out of a 47,000-plus inventory, and only 173 V-8’s mated to manual transmissions. Most of them are Camaros, Mustangs, and Challengers (so resisting the urge to postpone this post to include the lone Cadillac CTS-V with a V-8 and manual!) this one comes across as a nice affordable unicorn to me. A 2012 Audi S5, with both a 4.2 liter V-8 motor and a six-speed manual transmission. The last year for the V-8 in an S5. “Only” $27,998.

The manual transmission was actually standard on the 2012 Audi S5. And the V-8 was also offered only on the 5-series among the S-line. The S6 and S8 kept the wonderful Lambo-ish V-10 until 2013 I believe, and the S7 was introduced to the US in 2013 with a V-8. The 5 started using a supercharged six cylinder in 2013 and you’d have to move to the RS5 to keep a V-8. The 4.2 liter V-8 only produced 354 hp and a 0-60 mph sprint in just under five seconds. But I’ve heard an S5 wail on an exit ramp near my home and it was a glorious vintage power motor sound. That was before I knew it was not a 450 hp motor and quite surprised.

Other than the motor and transmission there’s nothing all that special about the 2012 Audi S5. Bluetooth, parking sensors – not even a rear view camera, heated seats, AWD. It’s a lot like my 2013 M3 in concept (last year for an old school V-8). But it’s a nice 10 year old driver’s car and if you want to shift a last of its kind here you go. Sold new for maybe $55,000 and with relatively low miles and MaxCare available up to a full 60 months – but only 125,000 miles, this car could be used for 15,000 miles yearly until it’s over. That would make it MaxCare covered until it’s 17 years old. Not bad. Find this three owner New England car currently here in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Stock # 22476322  VIN # WAUGVAFR2CA003845

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