Category: Uncategorized

Couldn’t resist.  Probably a typo or maybe has a Formula 1 engine?

Got a kick out of this car that surfaced last week in the CarMax inventory.  Thought you might find it amusing.  CarMax carries nothing older than 2008 models, and 130,000 miles.  Not sure if this would even be a bargain.  It came up with no photo, and disappeared pretty fast, but not before a few of us saved it.  Oddly, it has a stock number and by searching that it’s still out there in th CarMax ether as inventory!  Here’s the link.

God bless America. Thought I’d take a moment to pick out a handful of unicorns that fit this holiday. Start with that American icon, the Jeep Wrangler Freedom edition. Six cylinder, six speed manual transmission, real four wheel drive, cruise control, found here in Albuquerque. Continue reading “Remembering and Honoring Those Who Have Fallen for America – Five American Cars for Memorial Day”

This 2015 Jaguar XF Supercharged is posted as a six cylinder but is clearly a 5.0l V-8. All the other CarMax XF’s are sixes, and this one might be a bit underpriced for a 470hp mid-sized sedan. Here’s a review comparing the XF’s – not as fast as an XFR but not a slug at 4.9 seconds to 60! Find it here in Henderson, Nevada.

Used to seeing the occasional BMW Alpina B7 unicorn in the CarMax inventory, and maybe a B6 from time to time, but today there are three B7’s for sale in the $40k range. Only a couple of hundred of these $130,000+ sedans make it to the US yearly. Add a couple grand for a five year, 150,000 mile MaxCare warranty and you’ve got a worry free long distance cruiser! This review (and BMW press release suggests the 2013 and up models amped up to 540hp (and 194 mph top speed!) but CarMax lists all three at 500hp. Not sure why. This 2012 model is the “bargain” at $40,998 with AWD, auto cruise control, black on black, and heated steering wheel – but not much else. Find it here in Shaumburg, Illinois – full ads at the bottom of the page. In the middle of the pack is this 2014 for $44,998. It’s an L model, just the Cold Weather and Executive packages – no auto cruise control…but if you’re into baseball the interior must have come from Wilson.It’s here in Burbank, California.Last is this beautiful 2014 L model at $48,998. Got the NASCAR look black wheels, Driver Assist Package, auto cruise control and nifty video screens in the back. Find it here in Murrieta, California.

Here’s the ads for all three: If it were me I’d be happy to get into the Alpina club with the $40k model, although this year we’ve seen two in the high $30’s at CarMax. Enjoy.

Never occurred to me but this review took notice that the 2009 Volkswagen CC VR6 resembles the first gen Mercedes CLS that I thought was cool (and still do). CarMax offering this smartly styled, low mileage (42k), three-owner (one accident) 280hp AWD German sedan here in Austin, Texas for $13,998. If only it had a manual transmission!

Not really a unicorn at this price, but amused that a used 2019 Audi Q8 is already on a CarMax lot. Only 5,000 miles and at $64,998 it’s about $12,000 less than a new one (priced one out with same packages on Audi’s web site). BTW – experimenting with blog post on phone – appreciate patience! Unremarkable review on Car and Driver except intrigued it’s the same chassis as the Bentley Benteyga and Lamborghini Urus (and just saw a Urus roar away from a stoplight here in Leesburg, Virginia this morning!). Suspect it rides well although underpowered. No need for MaxCare – still under dealer warranty for some time. Find it here in Columbus, Ohio. 

By no means advocating these cars as unicorns, but writing from Minneapolis before attending the NCAA Final Four and two things come to mind.  First, been here 24 hours and I cannot get over how many Pontiacs are on the road here.  Azteks, G-cars, Vibes….I stopped counting at about two dozen in an hour or so, all in downtown Minneapolis.  Googled it but no answer on why so many.  Maybe just GM territory?

Anyway, got me to thinking that CarMax tends to limit inventory to cars no more than 10 years old, and the day is coming when there will be no more Pontiacs for sale since they went out of business in 2010.  Here’s four of the six Pontiacs still on CarMax lots.  The G3 is a Daewoo piece of shit.  The G6 GXP at Dulles may be a 2009.5 model, a bit rare.  The Vibe is really a Toyota Matrix and probably not a bad car.  Understand only 97 2010 Pontiac Vibes were made before the Pontiac shutdown – now that would be a unicorn!  And to think you can get the bumper-to-bumper MaxCare warranty for another 100,000 miles, until these extinct cars are 15 years old!