BMW – Page 3 – The Carmax Unicorn Blog

June 15, 2021June 15, 2021

1 of 400 – The Best “M” Ever? The Best BMW Ever?

Not my claim – I’m certainly not qualified to make such a bold statement about any BMW. But the editors of Motor Trend were thinking this may be the best M, the best BMW sports coupe, or maybe even the best BMW ever when they tested and reviewed the car here in March. They thought the one year only 2020 BMW M2 CS was even better than the BMW M4 GTS I posted last week. For what it’s worth, that M4 was one of 300 in the US, and this M2 is one of 400. Both are beyond my price cap at $90,000, but certainly unicorns.

It all starts with the motor. The twin-turbocharged inline six cylinder is rated at 444hp. With a six-speed manual like this one, it’s good for a 4.0 second 0-60 run. The seven speed twin clutch automatic does it in 3.8. seconds. The car weighs about 3,500 and pulls 1.02 lateral g on the skid pad per Motor Trend. It has the M adaptive suspension – first time in an M2.

Carbon fiber inside and out, and a subtle CS logo on the dash. Otherwise a nifty little all around coupe. The car sold new less than three months ago and is now here on the Dulles, Virginia CarMax lot near me – where I’ll be test driving another car shortly. It’s listed in the “Less than 1,000 mile” category and I’ll see if I can find out what’s on the odometer. New the car was maybe $95,000 and is now $89,998 so not much of a price break – but good luck finding a comparable one!

June 7, 2021June 9, 2021

1 of 300 in USA (and 700 Worldwide) – Nearly New 2016 BMW M4 GTS

Warning! Not the actual CarMax M4 GTS for sale! Pix haven’t been posted yet so I borrowed these.

Add the 2016 BMW M4 GTS to the category of “unicorns I didn’t know were a thing”. But when I saw a five year old M4 with less than 1,000 miles on it selling for almost $100,000 I suspected there was something special here. And sure enough, it’s a 1 of 300 in the USA BMW M4 GTS that sold for (get this) over $135,000 new in 2016. Faster around the Nürburgring Nordschleife than a Porsche Carrera GT, McLaren MP4-12C, and the Ferrari 458 Italia. The BMW has a 190 mph top speed, 1.4g lateral grip, and a mid-3 second 0-60 time according to Motor Trend. How do they do that?!

BMW uses a 5.0 liter rear mounted tank to inject water (yes water) into the 3.0 liter twin-turbocharged inline six cylinder motor, boosting power to 493 hp. Motor Trend will tell you “Essentially, above (approximately) 5,000 rpm, water is sprayed into the intake plenum via three injectors. (They’re actually steel-tipped diesel injectors.) The water evaporates instantly, cooling the post-intercooler air by about 80 degrees to around 115-120 degrees.” My pea brain would think the tank is bigger than the motor, so I’m the wrong guy to explain how water injection works. I do think it’s cool (ha ha) that water injection was used on the 1962 Oldsmobile F85 and the Saab 99 Turbo. Neither were this fast.

The BMW M4 GTS has no back seat. Non-US BMW M4 GTS models came with a fully functional roll cage. The US model, pictured above, did not. Instead it has a neato-speedo looking faux cage installed not for safety, but to keep passengers out of the non-seat belted back seat. The car has tons (?) of carbon fiber to reduce weight, and seemingly infinitely adjustable dampers to modulate handling.

The BMW M4 GTS also has a decent rear wing and a front splitter that combines for 210 lbs of downforce at 186 mph. That may be, but at my age I just CANNOT have a daily driver with a wing. I also can’t spend $96,000 on a slightly used race car, and of course I’d have to add another $5,000 (estimated) for MaxCare. Sure as the morning sun rises over Munich I would blow this car up revving high and puttin’ away wet. Water injected wet. Find this pristine one owner 2016 BMW M4 GTS car here in Richmond, Virginia. Will update photos if and when posted by CarMax (but wouldn’t be surprised if it sells first).

May 12, 2021May 12, 2021

A Really Good Deal on a Jeep SRT-8 (and why I haven’t blogged in weeks)

Oh I so wish this 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8 fit the bill for my next family SUV. It’s a damned good unicorn. Over the years I’ve been surprised how much these hot Jeeps retain their value, often costing much more than this one and having far more miles. As of this writing CarMax has seven other Jeep SRT-8’s available or coming soon, ranging from $49,000 for a 2014 model with 56,000 miles to $64,000 for a low miles 2019 model. This hot rod is $38,998 and has only 40,000 miles. That’s a deal.

For 2012 the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8 was redesigned with a bigger motor, now 6.4 liters and 470hp, and good for a 4.6 second 0-60 mph run. The Jeep got great marks for handling with AWD and adaptive dampers. Here’s what Motor Trend had to say (I could hardly understand it myself but maybe you will) “The rear-mounted electronic differential also uses clutch packs to send power side to side. The torque vectoring keeps the Jeep turning even when the front end is losing grip. It felt much more natural on the racetrack than it did on our figure-eight. In big sweepers, it is tough to keep a steady speed as small inputs in throttle will cause torque vectoring, but as soon as neutral throttle is needed, the added turning force goes away.” Remarkably, the Grand Cherokee SRT-8 handled as well in the slalom and on the track as the Charger and 300 SRT-8 sedans. The Brembo brakes stopped the 2 1/2 ton Jeep from 60 mph in 106 feet – less than comparable Porsche Cayennes and BMW X5’s. What was unimpressive in the reviews was the outdated five speed automatic transmission with no rev matching on downshifts.

As impressive as all the oomph and performance and raucous V-8, the interior features surprised me at this price point. Auto cruise control. Air conditioned and heated seats. Heated steering wheel. Panoramic sunroof. Carbon fiber trim as standard. This Jeep sold new for just under $60,000. While $38,998 may not seem like much depreciation for a nine year old Jeep, given the prices of all the others on the lots it’s damned good. And with 40,000 miles, add on MaxCare and this thing is good for 85,000 more worry free miles. And yes I checked – accident free and only two owners! Find this 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8 here in Torrance, California.

April 17, 2021April 17, 2021

Quick Hit – Old School BMW 650i Makes Me Rue The M6 That Got Away

Surprised to see a 2010 BMW 650i unicorn pop up at CarMax this week. This is a second generation E63 as BMW folks know, and the last year for this model. This 11 year old offering gives me hope that maybe, just maybe, there’s a chance coming to score a CarMax E63 M6 of fabled V-10 fame, aka the one who got away from me when I was looking to replace Guenther. It was this 2007 BMW M6 selling for $23,998 and only 44,000 miles. Still kicking myself.

I never liked the lines of the trunk, but could get over it for the right car. Car and Driver called it “semi-demented”.

I’ve test driven a couple of these big (4,400lb) coupes and they fit me like a glove – better than a 3-series by far. Cup holders suck. If you really REALLY want to see an in depth review of this car here’s a NewCarTest review from 2010. The 2010 BMW 650i sold new for upwards of $80,000. This one is just over $20,000 and eligible for MaxCare until it’s 16 years old. Still amazes me. Suspect CarMax will go to a 125,000 miles cap but that’s still plenty of driving miles left. The 650i has a 360hp V-8 that will only get you into the five second 0-60 mph zone, not terribly quick. Find this four owner, accident free beauty here in Athens, Georgia.

December 11, 2020December 11, 2020

Quick Hit – $21,998 Loaded BMW 550i

Remember the fully loaded 2011 Mercedes E550 unicorn I wrote about in October 2020? (Act like you do while catching up on it here.) Well here’s its BMW twin, a 2011 550i chock full of features usually only found in the more expensive 750’s.

A handsome interior with a nice infotainment screen, the car also has all the buttons – blind spot, collision avoidance, lane departure, my beloved night vision assist, and heads up display.

The BMW 550 also has rear DVD entertainment for the kids or your Uber customers. But wait there’s more! Cold weather (heated seats and steering wheel) and convenience packages, air conditioned seats, and a 400hp twin turbo V8.

If the car had AWD it would be perfect. It’s a two owner, accident free southern car currently here in Naples, Florida. Enjoy.

August 4, 2020

2007 BMW M6 CarMax/MaxCare Resale Up for Auction! (Bidding at $12,500 as of 8-4)

ObVI1X5r2zR This is a little different in that this fabulous 2007 BMW M6 unicorn is NOT on a CarMax lot. It was purchased from CarMax three years ago by one of my blog readers (full disclosure – he’s a virtual car buddy friend now and way better at sniping CarMax hot rods than I) and is now up for resale on Doug DeMuro’s “Cars and Bids” auction site. The MaxCare warrantyis transferable, and this sale should support my strategy (and your’s?) of buying high-end but depreciated cars from CarMax, transferring the repair risk to CarMax via the MaxCare warranty, driving “rich” for a few years, then selling the car and transferring the warranty for a new owner’s peace of mind and moving on to the next.

That’s what this owner is doing with the beautiful BMW. He’s had $25,000 in repairs done (I had $35,000 on my 2004 Mercedes S55!) and there’s still two years and 30,000 miles left on the MaxCare warranty. Like all good car guys (and gals) the seller has been quite candid about qualities and cosmetic flaws on the car (I would have recommended replacing the tires rather than note they will need replacement but that’s just me.) The seller provides 159 photos and great history and detail on the car at Cars and Bids (link below).

Doug describes the car as “These are very special vehicles, and the V10 powerplant is impressive. The transferable warranty makes this one very appealing, as it’s hard to find warranties for these anymore — but my own experiences with MaxCare suggest this is a very good thing.” FWIW – I learned after I started this blog that Jalopnik columnist Doug DeMuro wrote about a Range Rover he bought from CarMax and was stunned how many repairs they covered under his MaxCare warranty. He now sponsors this Cars and Bids website, a bit of a competitor to Bring a Trailer. I like them both. M6 34 I also love this BMW and it once again reminds me of this 2008 BMW M6 I passed on– low mileage and $23,998. The V-10 was nothing but brute force and a sweet song at 8,000 rpm. Sigh. Take a look at this 2007 model still under MaxCare here at Cars and Bids. I wish the seller well – would bode well when I sell my 911 this fall. 2007 BMW M6 Cars and Bids

July 13, 2020

Quick Hit – Another 1 of 500 BMW Alpina B7 L Models for “Cheap”

B7 Side This is the newest BMW Alpina B7 unicorn I’ve seen CarMax offer, a 2014 “L” model for $39,998 – a good $100,000 less than when new just six years ago (or the price of a new Camry?). It’s fully loaded, with auto cruise control, heads up display, lane departure, blind spot, heated/cooling seats, and even includes my beloved night vision. (I had to have it in my Mercedes S600 – I almost NEVER use it!)

b7 wheel Also has the full rear seat entertainment system treatment. The rocket ship is good for 194 mph, or a 0-60 mph run in 4.2 seconds if you run outta room trying for top end. Here’s the 2013 Car and Driver review.

I’m puzzled because CarMax has the 4.4l twin-turbo V-8 engine listed as 500hp, and every review I read says it pushed 540hp. Obviously MaxCare is a must to protect against B7 bankruptcy. For comparison, here are the other Alpina B7’s I’ve covered.

Previous Alpina B7’s at CarMax

In September, 2017 I spotted this 2011 B7 in Duarte, California, selling for $39,998 with 43,000 miles.

February, 2018 brought us a nearly identical 2011 B7 model in Los Angeles for $39,998 but with 41,000 miles (yes, had to check the VIN to make sure they weren’t the same!)

And in May, 2018 this 2012 B7, another California car with higher miles at 56,000, sold for a mere $33,998! I predicted a quick sale and it went in a day.

In March of 2019 we saw this 2012 model for sale in Chicago at $40,998 with 49,000 miles (also had a $65k B6 for sale then too!)

May of 2019 we saw three B7’s for sale at the same time – a 2012 and two of the higher-horsepower 2014’s, all in the $40-48,000 range.

Wrote about this one that was mysteriously sold in August 2019 for $37,998, and popped up for sale again at the same dealer for $39,998 this year. No idea how that happened.

This 2014 two owner, accident free race car is available here in Charlotte, NC – a little frightened because I’m in Fayetteville, NC now. An omen? 2014 BMW Alpina B7 L $39,998 41k Charlotte 7-20

May 29, 2020

First One – 2019 BMW M850l X Drive!

M850 side Not a lot to cheer (or write) about with CarMax unicorns lately. Inventory has dropped to the low 30,000 car level from a high of over 70,000 cars just as the coronavirus hit, dealerships went on lock down, and employees were laid off. But out of the blue comes this beautiful 2019 BMW M850l X Drive, the first of its kind with CarMax. Technically not in my unicorn range at $81,998, and yet it’s pretty special so here it is. And it’s hot off the press – it’s listed a “Coming Soon” – a new feature on the CarMax website. Oddly I can see this car on my laptop but not the iPhone app.

Anyway, this BMW M850 is all wheel drive and cranks 523hp out of its 4.4 liter twin turbo V-8. Good for 0-60 mph in 3.3 seconds. Here’s the full Car and Driver review. The highs – “Brilliant driving dynamics in the right context, sweet mother lode of torque, gloriously impractical.” The lows – “Lacks visual drama, can be claustrophobic, gloriously impractical.” One reviewer thought it looked like a Honda Accord coupe from the side. I think the rear looks like a Lexus LC500.

The verdict – “A half-price grand tourer with full-price performance.” The car sold new for maybe $120,000 and is now a third less. Love depreciation. For what it’s worth, the BMW M8 won its division at the 24 hours of Daytona the last two years, over my beloved Continue reading “First One – 2019 BMW M850l X Drive!”

May 19, 2020

Quick Hit – 2009 BMW 750Li for a Stupid $15,998.

BMW 750 side Again, to quote one of our readers, “driving rich” is the whole ides of this blog – acquiring high end, highly depreciated unicorns from CarMax and leveraging their bumper-to-bumper MaxCarewarranty to protect against extraordinary repairs. I wish I could remember who sent that to me. Anyway, this low mileage, 11 year old long wheelbase BMW 750Li is very, very nice for a stupid low $15,998. It’s also the first year of the fifth generation, no bubble-butt trunk lid.

Here’s the review from Car and Driver when the car was new. When the car sold for just under $100,000. And here’s a long term testfrom Automobile magazine. It’s modestly equipped with blind spot monitors, lane departure, rear DVD, and seat massagers, and also comes with a 4.8 liter twin-turbo V-8 good for sub-five second 0-60 sprints. This is a real autobahn cruiser at a used Corolla price.

I would not own this without MaxCare, and my experience is that MaxCare for 750’s is expensive. But with a starting price of $15,998 it’s worth a try. Think about it – the warranty can protect you until the car is 16 years old, and for maybe almost 100,000 more miles. That’s driving rich. Find this two owner, accident free luxury car here in Pleasanton, California. 2009 BMW 750 $15,998 54k Pleasonton

April 10, 2020

2015 BMW 760 Li V-12 Reduced to $44,998 (and CarMax Covid-19 Impact)

760 side (CarMax Covid-19 impact at the bottom.) Just got an alert from CarMax that this car dropped another $1,000. Okay not the deal my 2010 Mercedes S600 was last year at $30,998, but this 2015 BMW 760 Li unicorn is much newer than mine, and here to say there are few things as sweet as a V-12 European motor. Silky sooth, powerful, and quiet power plant for big luxurious European sedans. Not a lot of them sold here.

This BMW 760 Li sold for probably $150,000 new ($50,000 more than the V-8 750) and is now only $44,998. Fairly well equipped car with auto cruise control, seat massagers, and most every luxury amenity (although no night vision) and was first listed a month or two ago for thousands more. Check out that back seat.

The twin turbo 6.0 liter V-12 launches the BMW to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds and a governed top speed of 155mph. Saw a review that hit over 190 mph on the autobahn in Germany. Find this beautiful car here in Raleigh, North Carolina. And of course, don’t buy without MaxCare! 20155 BMW 760 Li $44,998 31k Capitol Blvd 4-2020

CarMax Covid-19 Update – Last wrote about CarMax and coronavirus here. Learned this week CarMax has laid off 15,000 of their 27,000 employees nationwide. Half of their 200+ stores are either shuttered or by appointment only. Inventory is at 55,000 cars….financial analysts saying that’s at an all time high for “year end” – but fiscal year end for CarMax is the end of February. I’ve written before that CarMax tends to beef up to 70,000 cars during this period, dropping to 45,000 or so at the low point in the fall – so not sure what that’s about. I do know that something is up with transfers – not the free regional ones, but the long distance transfers we pay for. Transfers that used to be $750 are now almost $1,500, and the $949 coast to coast moves are now $1,999. Don’t know if that’s a real increase due to real cost jumps, or a price that says “we really don’t want to do long distance transfers at this time”. What I do know is there would have to be a really, really unusual deal to get me in a CarMax at this time – say a 2015 S65 AMG Coupe?