Haven’t done a holiday themed unicorn blog yet, but it’s Veterans Day, and thought I should pick out a special unicorn for those who have served. Didn’t take long to punch in the requirements. Had to be 4WD/AWD, of course – don’t want to be restricted to asphalt. And diesel. The third world thrives on diesel. Run flat tires – not stoppping if we can avoid it. Room for four shooters and all their gear. Low profile color. And 21st century troops need technology – heads up display to stay focused on the horizon, rear view camera and blind spot monitoring to track bogeys, Bluetooth to communicate with Hqs, and a killer sound system for when off the net. Cold weather package because pretty much everywhere in the world it gets cold at night, and the US military owns the night. Bummed I could not find something with all this and night vision, too! And just in case you read no further, thanks to all who have served in the armed forces in defense of this great nation. Check out Jason Isbell’s tribute, “Tour of Duty”, for those who came home safe.
Only one vehicle had pretty much everything needed, and at first I was bummed it was not a Humvee (there’s one at the bottom of this page as a back up plan. Military folks always have a back up plan). It’s a BMW!. But then I thought after all our troops have been through, this would be a really sweet ride. And having been to Iraq and Afghanistan, I know our Special Operations Forces are not unfamiliar with BMW’s, and BMW is not unfamiliar with tough places either – especially armored BMW’s. (Somewhere in a shoe box, pre-internet days, is a picture of me driving a lightly armored BMW 320 in the Middle East!).
At $34,998 this 2016 BMW 535 dxi would be a really nice unicorn for any road warrior. I was actually surprised to find a two-year old car with low miles, still under factory warranty. Means MaxCare will be really cheap and take this car to 2023 and 150,000 miles without paying for a repair. The diesel will only be getting broken in by then! The expensive electonic gizmos would all be covered, though, and well worth it.
The in-line, twin-turbo six-cylinder diesel puts out 255hp and 413 ft-lbs of torque, and with an eight-speed automatic is good for a mid-5 second 0-60mph run and get this, a 550 mile cruising range on a tank of diesel! Stole some of that from the great Car and Driver review in 2014 (car was unchanged for 2016), where they estimated a fully optioned AWD 535d would run close to $90,000. If that was the price tag for this California leased car, here it is at a deep discount two years later at almost a third the price. I love me some depreciation. The 2015 model was named the Diesel Car of the Year. Even the great and candid Jalopnik reviewer dug it. This is a car I could learn to love on road trips. Owned an E34 1992 BMW 525i in-line six when I lived in Germany and could pull off 600 miles on a tank, and comfortably cruise as long and as far as the bladder could handle. Find this car here in San Jose, California. 
Continue reading “The (Nearly) Perfect Unicorn for Veterans – AWD Diesel F10 BMW. You Earned It.”
Once is awhile a BMW X5M comes close to 
My CarMax service tech seemed surprised when I told him about the BMW M5 and M6 
Next on my list is this 2008 BMW M6 in Boston. It’s not a great deal, with higher mileage, an accident in its history (it was a NY car!), but the same price as the 
Last, here’s a 2008 BMW M6 convertible. Not a big fan of the convertibles – the M6 of this era already suffers from a big butt, and the ugly soft top doesn’t help much. But top down, this V-10 roars and is probably right for someone. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder! It’s also low mileage for a 2008. 
Surprised at the price tag ($22,998) of this 2012 BMW 750i, a two-owner California car. With 400hp from a twin-turbo V-8 and a boatload of luxury features, this once nearly $90,000 car would seem to be a bargain – with 
This first-gen CLS-550, more sleek and far better looking than its angular successor, is also even less expensive than the BMW. At $21,998, or $50,000 less than it sold for 10 years ago, this relatively low mileage sedan seems to offer style at a bargain. It’s admittedly a little older and little slower than the BMW, giving up 18hp, and the interior isn’t as plush….and yet for the price of a Camry you can driver one of the prettiest Mercedes of the modern era. IMHO. Find it 
Beautiful BMW with a wicked and rare 535hp V-12 
Some cars are all about the motor. And some motors are more special than others. I’m tracking the dwindling number of V-10’s and V-12’s carried by CarMax, and I think snagging one of these 
I have always loved the lines of the W212 Mercedes E550, understated and elegant before Mercedes went all sharp and scary in 2010. Not as high end as the S-class, but a decent daily driver with 380hp and a sub-5 second 0-60. And this one has such low mileage the V-8 isn’t even broken in. Here’s a 
The E65 2008 BMW 750 Li, on the other hand, is a little slower, a little older, a little uglier (I hate the bubble butt trunk), has higher mileage, and yet looks to be a decent cruiser. And it’s cheap. And it’s the long wheelbase model, so like a living room on wheels. It’s a two owner Texas and Vegas car. Jalopnik noted, “You don’t look at the car and think “beautiful.” But if you think about it, you think “perversely attractive.” It has the loathed I-Drive knob. But at $17,599 it still seems like a bargain. I should note, every BMW 7 series I looked at the 