BMW – Page 7 – The Carmax Unicorn Blog

May 21, 2018February 10, 2026

Good Things Come in Pairs – Sub $20k Old Euro Sedans That Should Make You Rethink Wanting a Camry. Or An Accord.

I have nothing against Camrys and Accords and have owned both. Mostly I liked the value and reliability. But they were cookie cutter and that was before I stumbled on CarMax unicorns and the MaxCare warranty that allowed me to own a (once) $120,000 Mercedes S55 AMG beast, Guenther, for less than I paid for either the Camry or Accord. Changed my life. If I only has $20,000 to spend on a daily driver I would seriously consider these.

2009 E550 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 Motor Trend review of this once $70,000 car from back in the day. It’s now a $17,000 2009, two-owner Illinois and Pennsylvania car is all wheel drive and should be affordable to drive for another 100,000 with the MaxCare warranty. Find it here in Charlotte, North Carolina. If the link is dead it’s sold, on hold, or being transferred.

2009 MB E550 $16,998 35k

2008 750Li 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 MaxCare warranty was significantly higher (perhaps double!) than comparable sedans. If that’s the case….not so much of a bargain. Find it here in Georgia.

2008 750Li $17,599 58k

May 21, 2018June 7, 2018

Good Things Come in Pairs – M5 and XKR – Rare 2008 Time Bombs to Bankrupt MaxCare

XKR M5 Yes it’s an odd but delicious pairing. The 2008 BMW M5 with the outrageous 500hp V-10, and the 2008 Jaguar XKR with the supercharged 420hp V-8. The E60 BMW was one of the most popular M5’s, with an 8,000rpm redline, SMG transmission and an alleged (delimited) 200mph top speed. It sold for maybe $90,000 new, and maybe 8,000 came into the US during the E60 run. It’s under $30,000 now and one of the last V-10’s you’re going to see at CarMax. And they will sell you a MaxCare warranty to cover you at least another five years and 50,000 miles – critical if and when when that V-10 augers in. Ayan Basu made my case in Jalopnik two years ago. Every few months one of these V-10 M5’s shows up at CarMax and I so get the urge to snag one. This is a one owner California car found here – if the link is dead the car is sold, on hold, or being transferred. I am surprised after a few days it’s still available – it vanished once when a potential buyer put it on hold.

2008 BMW M5 $29,998 48k

One of only 500 imported to the US! The 2008 Jaguar XKRis only 420hp, but surprisingly about as fast as the M5. But it is pretty. Aston Martin pretty. It sold for almost $100,000. It’s more stylish and refined, so here’s an appropriate review from The Hunt. This XKR has low mileage despite being a five-owner car and bopping around New York, New Jersey, Texas, and Mississippi before being transferred to Wichita for sale. I love the XKR so much I passed not once but twice on buying a newer model. Maybe three times. Sigh. We hear about Jaguar reliability, and every time I note that a reader writes me to say their Jaguar wasn’t a problem at all. But if you’ve been here before you know with MaxCare I really don’t care – for a few thousand dollars I shift the financial burden of tens of thousands of dollars in repairs to CarMax. Everybody wins. Find this beauty here – if the link is dead the car is sold, on hold, or being transferred.

2008 Jaguar XKR $27,998 39k

May 21, 2018June 7, 2018

Good Things Come in Pairs – Nice BMW M3 Unicorns (E93)

2012 M3 CarMax carries BMW M3’s regularly, and even has six today in my unicorn range, but they are usually higher mileage and pre-2010 cars. Lots of them are the hard-top convertibles. Stumbled on a pair that are a little newer and a whole lot less mileage than normal. The 2012 in Salisbury, Maryland is particularly low mileage for a CarMax M3 – and not moving at all. Also a 2011 in Dulles, Virginia with slightly higher mileage. The 2011 is listed with the SMG transmission – thought BMW changed over to a different double-clutch automatic by then but defer to BMW pros on that. The 2012 is not far from me and the 2011 is at my local CarMax – go see my favorite rep Si Sultan if you want either one!

2012 BMW M3 $32,899 34k

2011 BMW M3 $30,998 42k

May 8, 2018June 7, 2018

Will Sell in 24 Hours….Or I’m Buying and Flipping! – 2012 Alpina B7 Unicorn for Cheap.

I’m fairly good at spotting cars that will vanish in 24 hours or less and never be seen again. Mercedes CL600’s and CL63’s, BMW M5’s with V-10’s, 10 year old Mazda B2300 pickups with 2,000 miles…..they go quick. CarMax carries only one Alpina B7 at a time nationwide, usually, and today they have two. They are also usually way above my unicorn level of $35,000 and 60,000 miles maximum.

This 2012 Alpina B7 (F01) is the only one that meets my criteria. Auto Cruise Control, 500hp hand-built twin-turbo V-8, 0-60 in 4.5 seconds, night vision, driver drowsiness detection, air leveling suspension – executive comfort, exclusive production – only hundreds sold in the US annually – and it sold new just six years ago for over $120,000! Yes, there will be exorbitant repairs, and that’s why this car, like Guenther, my first CarMax unicorn (2004 S55 AMG) and Etta, my second CarMax unicorn (2008 911), this ONLY makes sense if you spend a couple of grand more on the MaxCare extended warranty and transfer all that financial risk to CarMax. With that, you can be out the door for less than $40,000 and NEVER have a major repair bill. Depreciation and MaxCare allow us to drive cars way beyond our means without going broke!

Find this two-owner car here in California – if the link is dead the car has either sold (and I predict by May 9th it will!), is on hold, or being transferred. And for those new to the blog, per my Bio and Disclaimer please remember this is a hobby – I’m not affiliated with CarMax, make no money on this, not even ads on the blog!

2012 Alpina B7 $33,998 56k

From the Rick Hendrick BMW review in 2012: “We drove an Alpina B7 and came away thinking the Alpina is the closest we should expect to come to an M7. We don’t expect to see BMW build an M7 because its size and weight would prevent it from achieving the sporty character BMW expects in an M model. Having the Alpina B7 means they don’t have to play that card. Continue reading “Will Sell in 24 Hours….Or I’m Buying and Flipping! – 2012 Alpina B7 Unicorn for Cheap.”

February 15, 2018May 8, 2018

Manual 6 spd. 400hp. Autobahn Cruiser for Camry Price. What’s Not to Like?

550 Manual Photo I’ve been in and out of BMW M5’s and 550i’s and because of my vanity, I couldn’t go with a high performance sleeper. I needed something that shouted “Car Guy!”. If you are more secure than I, give some thought to a BMW 550i with a 400hp twin turbo and an old fashioned 6 speed manual transmission. The Mustang GT will never see you coming. Here’s the CarMax link – if it’s dead the car is being transferred, or on hold/sold.

2011 BMW 550 Manual

February 1, 2018June 11, 2018

1 of 500..and 500hp – BMW Alpina B7 Beast

Who would of thought CarMax would carry these autobahn cruise missiles, and offer a five year 100,000 mile bumper-to-bumper MaxCare warranty?! Well, other than me. The BMW Alpina B7 is in lieu of an M7, with the engine hand-built by Alpina in Bavaria. The car sold for about $130,000 new and only 500 were slated for the US market in 2011. You can have it for $39,998. Stiffer suspension, 100 more hp than a 750, bigger wheels, and just more style. I usually cap my unicorns at $35,000, but this one is just a bit more and a bit rare. It’s a two-owner Texas/California car with low miles. Here’s the Car and Driver review from 2011, and here’s the CarMax ad – the car is in LA. If the link is dead, the car is sold, on hold, or being transferred. 2011 Alpina B7

December 27, 2017May 8, 2018

Be Careful What You Ask For – Surprise V10 Unicorns

One of my CarMax boilerplate searches I saved is for any V10’s that surface. I get alerts occasionally for BMW M5’s and M6’s, but no longer Audi S6’s. Not sure why CarMax no longer carries them but one can hope. Today I got alerts for a pair of ten-year old V10’s. Both are bargains. One is for a ten-year old, 9,000 mile vehicle for $18,998. Sounded like a bargain. Maybe it is. The second is a little more pricey at $28,998 with 45,000 miles. Here you go.

November 19, 2017May 8, 2018

The $577 Million Car Loan and Other Fascinating CarMax “Analytics”

Small 73000 — **The total cars on the lot around noon, November 18th 2017. The numbers fluctuated by hundreds between the beginning and completion of this blog, rendering all my calculations estimates.**

The CarMax nationwide inventory jumped from just over 40,000 cars in the summer of 2017 to over 73,000 today. That’s the highest it’s been since I started tracking CarMax unicorns a year ago and it got me pondering on all things cosmic CarMax. For example, that 33,000 plus-up in stock equals a staggering $577 million* investment in cars in just a few months. I’m thinking like you and me, CarMax didn’t pay cash and owed somebody a helluva lot of money. You think they get dealer financing? I’m thinking CarMax needs to move some cars and hoping there are more unicorns and lower prices!

*The average CarMax vehicle sells for $19,677 with a gross profit of $2,178, indicating a rough guess each car costing CarMax $17,489. See “CarMax Reports Second Quarter Results, September 22, 2017″.

So I decided to do my own homemade “analytics” and dive deeper on what makes up an inventory of 73,000 cars. CarMax knows what they’re doing, and I suspect their inventory largely reflects what America wants in a car. So here’s what I learned. Continue reading “The $577 Million Car Loan and Other Fascinating CarMax “Analytics””

October 25, 2017May 8, 2018

Five Quick Hits! BMW 650, CTS V, MX-5, Shelby, and a Corvette.

2006 Miata $13599 34k — Not sure if I’m most surprised by the price or the stupid low miles. Yes it’s an automatic, but cute and cheap.

The CarMax Link – 2006 Miata

2007 CTS V Sedeqn $25,998 27k — This is a rare one! Ten year old 400hp CTS V Sedan with driven less than $2,700 miles yearly.

The CarMax Link – 2007 CTS V

2008 Mustang Shelby GT500 $27,998 47k — A 500hp beast for under $28,000! Mileage is still low at 6,000 yearly.

The CarMax Link – 2008 Shelby GT500

2008 Corvette $28,998 9k — 9,000 Miles? Why don’t these people drive their cars????!!!!

The CarMax Link – 2008 Corvette

2007 BMW 650 CiC $18,998 39k — Less than $20,000 for a BMW 650. Horsepower a little low for me but a helluva lot of fun for the price and low miles.

The CarMax Link – 2007 BMW 650 CiC

September 6, 2017May 8, 2018

BMW Unicorns – $24,000 M6’s, $30,000 750’s, and Other Highs and Lows from Munich.

2007 M6 I just passed on the $23,998 2007 M6 above with 44,000 miles and wondering if I blew it. Not often you get a chance at a unicorn like this. Even with a $6,400 MaxCare warranty to cover me for five years and up to 100,000 miles, this was a good deal. But even though the V10 revving to 8,000 rpm made me silly, the suspension beat the hell our of me much as the M5 did on a test drive last year, so I opted out for my daily commuter. Mistake? I don’t know. It vanished from the internet within minutes of me releasing my hold. I documented the car when it was in NJ before it moved to VA, and you can only see the price from my appointment confirmation. 9/22/2017 Update – I just passed on this car a second time. It resurfaced in Maple Shade, NJ and I went and drove it. Fantastic car – no blemishes. Finally learned to soften the suspension and I think I could get used to the double-clutching automatic. Sales rep showed me the CarFax – car spent its life in Georgia for the most part and bizarrely, its last 16 months in my town in Virginia. Intrigued. BUT…while it has Bluetooth it’s voice only – no music, and virtually no modern infotainment. Picky, but I passed. Would have been $31,000 out the door with five-year warranty. Sigh.

2007 M6 $24,998 52k

Take comfort, as of this writing the convertible M6 at left was still available!

So check out these other BMW’s available below for cheap on CarMax. I picked the highest and lowest priced of about a half-dozen or more enthusiast cars and I could own almost any one of them as a daily driver!

Let’s start with almost everybody’s favorite sports coupe, the M3. CarMax has 29 of them on the lot as of early September 2017, some as low as $26,998 but stupid high mileage, and a 2017 for $66,000 (and a Frozen Limited Edition for $47k – what the hell is that?). But in our unicorn world of $35,000 or less and 60,000 miles or less Continue reading “BMW Unicorns – $24,000 M6’s, $30,000 750’s, and Other Highs and Lows from Munich.”