Quick Hit – The Great Pumpkin! One of 2,441. Killer Corvette ZR1 in Kenosha. Yours for $119,998!

It even looks likes it’s on fire!

The 755 hp 2019 ZR1 unicorn is the fastest Corvette to date (the C8 variants out in the spring will likely equal or exceed the 2019 ZR1) with a top speed of 212 mph and a 0-60 run in 2.8 seconds. Supercar fast. The Corvette team chief called this Corvette “the most we know how to do” according to this Car and Driver review. Corvette folks know tons more than me about ZR1’s. I love watching Corvette’s whoop far more exotic and expensive cars at Le Mans and Daytona but have given up on owning one – at 6’4″ I just don’t fit behind the wheel.

I’m thinking the gas mileage is N/A because it doesn’t get any?
I’d have to be to pay this much!
The 2019 Corvette XR1 sold new for over $120,000. Not much depreciation here? This is the most expensive car I’ve seen at CarMax in the three plus years of tracking unicorns.

As an aside, the most expensive CarMax car I’ve seen before this ZR1 was an almost new 2017 Mercedes AMG GT with only 2,000 miles on it. Listed for $114,998 and over a couple of weeks dropped regularly in price and may have finally sold for $104,998. Here’s the link to that saga. We shall see how long this Corvette stays on the market.

The most likely view I’ll ever have of this car – as a passenger.

This single-owner, low mileage (5,000) hot rod is still under Chevrolet’s warranty for another 31,000 miles and 24 months or so. I would still spring for MaxCare – a car like this needs to be driven hard and fast. That’s what it was engineered for. No need to tell CarMax about your track days when you blow it up. On the other hand if you can afford a $120,000 car maybe you can afford the repairs. Find this ZR1 here in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Quick Hit – Another Chevrolet HHR SS for Cheap. (And One More Coming Soon)

HHHR sideIn November 2018 I wrote about a 2008 Chevrolet HHR SS and was pleasantly surprised to find that one of the readers here bought it.  At the time I wrote that I didn’t know these HHR SS’ were a thing, and was impressed by the pretty good 2008 car magazine reviews of this sporty little wagon.  Check these out; Car and Driver, Motor Trend, Road and Track, and even Popular Mechanics.

The HHR SS was only made for two years, and with a 2.0l 260 hp turbocharged four and “race-tuned” suspension, it was more than just an appearance package.  Not a rocket, but more oomph than a regular HHR and a bit of a unicorn.  The last one I wrote about sold for just under $14,000 with lower miles, and at $9,899 and 66,000 miles this one looks like a bargain.  The Chevrolet HHR SS sold new for about $24,000.  Of course, buy some MaxCare that will protect you until this car is an incredible 17 years old!HHR Int This 2008 Chevrolet HHR SS is here, near me in Charlottesville, Virginia.  Tempting.  Also, at the bottom of this page is a link to another HHR SS in the CarMax “Coming Soon” section of their website.  Not as good of a deal though.  Also in the for what it’s worth category, there are only 18 of these on Autotrader nationwide, all very high mileage except for one in Hampton, Virginia with similar miles for $2,000 less – but not MaxCare eligible.   There is one for twice the price with an astonishing 6,500 miles.  Oddly, it’s in Eldersburg, Maryland – putting all three cars within my reach.  An omen?2008 HHR SS $9899 66k Charlottesville 8-30

Continue reading “Quick Hit – Another Chevrolet HHR SS for Cheap. (And One More Coming Soon)”

First 2020 C8 Corvette (Off and) On at a CarMax Lot – $94,998

COrvette sideSurprised to see this 2020 Chevrolet Corvette C8 unicorn pop up this afternoon on the CarMax website.  I titled this “off and on” because the car does not show up on the CarMax app on my phone, and only shows up on my laptop depending on how I search for cars.  Bizarre.  Regardless, it’s a stunning red over black mid-engined race car that could easily be confused for a Ferrari for non-car people.

The ribbon of controls for the electronics are unlike anything I’ve seen.  Unsure on the PRNDL levers below but what the hell.  I like the dashboard center angled towards the driver, and love the engine bay.  The car is listed at $94,998.  I do not know Corvette lingo so had no idea where an “LT” model fits in against Z51, Stingrays, and Z06’s and was baffled since the 2020 Corvettes start at $60,000.  The CarMax “features and specifications” page for the car is fairly boilerplate and documents normal accessories, but not Chevrolet-specific trim.

Well, between this flattering review in Automobile Magazine and doing a VIN search, I was able to see this car has the 3LT Z51 package and likely sold for it’s asking price here, plus or minus a few grand based on options I cannot see.  Corvette experts probably can.  I’m not an expert, but I am a fan.  I’ve watched Corvettes dominate endurance racing at Le Mans and Daytona over the past decade-plus, and got to see the C8’s debut at the 2020 24 Hours of Daytona.  Didn’t go great, but they are doing far better now.

This C8 is a sub-three second 0-60 mph supercar, and a bargain compared to its competition.  Hard to call a $95,000 car a bargain, but you’d have to pay two or three times that for a comparable 911, Ferrari, or Lambo.  And this is under manufacturer warranty, so no need for MaxCare!  See, I just saved you thousands. My guess was the car is a repossession but the history report says no.  And no accidents.  The 2020 C8’s sold out before production began, and rumors are Chevrolet didn’t allocate the whole 40,000 production run of 2020’s that was expected.  Find this sexy red car here in Hartford, Connecticut.  The link may or may not work, depending on the app, the car’s availability, and Hurricane Isaias’ track? Enjoy.2020 Chev Corvette LT $94,998 4k Hartford 8-3-2020

Super Bowl Unicorns: CarMax Kansas City vs CarMax San Francisco?

What else to do before the big game but to match up unicorns at the Kansas City and San Francisco dealerships?  KC has a deeper bench with 352 cars that meet my unicorn threshold (Less than $35,000 and 60,000 miles) against San Fran’s 249.  Some interesting  choices (alas none worth a hoot in each teams’ colors) and I went with my final criteria – what would I drive away if I needed a car today from either dealership and had a bag with $35,000 in cash?   My picks are below.s90 side In San Francisco we have this gorgeous 2017 Volvo S90 T6 Inscription.  Thought this was a striking design inside and out from the start.  Willing to tolerate the 2.0 liter turbo four cylinder since it puts out 316hp since the car is so good looking – and AWD!

Fortunately this Volvo is made in Sweden – I’d rule it out if it was a Chinese-made Volvo (nothing to do with coronavirus!).  Find this single-owner Volvo here in Serramonte, California.2917 S90 T6 $30,998 40k Serrramonte Continue reading “Super Bowl Unicorns: CarMax Kansas City vs CarMax San Francisco?”

332 Miles – 2015 Camaro

Planning to do a piece soon on CarMax unicorns with ridiculously low miles and thinking this one may not be around that long. A 2015 Camaro with only 332 miles on the odometer. Called the Tupelo dealer to verify. Unfortunately they couldn’t produce the MaxCare numbers. It’s only a 323 HP six cylinder, but it’s got a manual transmission, it’s a sunshiny Yellow, and damned near new for a four year old car. Find it here in Tupelo.

Quick Hit – 2010 Camaro With 2k Miles! Need You More Than Want You……

2010 Camaro….and I want you for all time.  This adorable 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS unicorn has been on a CarMax lot in Wichita lot for over a week and got an alert today it dropped $1,000 (again).  C’mon….it has been driven just over 200 miles PER YEAR by a single owner!  I would even skip the MaxCare warranty – no need. It’s a new car.

With a 400hp 6.2 liter V-8, pristine interior, and a six-speed automatic, it’s perfect for enjoying driving the main road, searching in the sun for another overload.  Or maybe you just need a small vacation.  Car and Driver described this car as “Quiet + Calm Ride = Surprising Comfort” in the 2010 review.  Find this nearly new Camaro in Wichita here. 2010 Camaro $23,998 2k Wichita

 

The CarMax 600hp Club – 19 Hot Rod Unicorns

Corvette front

The Trump administration and the Iranians are circling once again and oil prices are skyrocketing – what better time to pick up a bargain 600 hp unicorn before they become extinct!  And CarMax has 19 of these high-horsepower bad boys on lots nationwide.  Almost all of them are General Motors products, with one Audi and one BMW from our (for now) European ally, the Germans.  Been watching, and (surprise) no Hellcats have made it to CarMax, and Ford isn’t making a Mustang that bucks 600.  So here’s what we have today (CarMax listings at the bottom).

M760 SideThe lone BMW M760 is a beautiful, big sedan that squeaks in at 601hp from a 6.6 liter twin-turbo V-12.  This is the motor Rolls Royce uses in the Ghost and Wraith, I’ve learned.  If you’ve been here before, you know I have a thing for V-12’s.  (Check out my S600 with a measley 510hp here.)

This 2017 BMW M760 has only 14,000 miles, and is loaded with AWD, auto cruise control, and a business class backseat – at 206″ long it’s almost business jet sized – and tops the price list today at $97,998.  According to this Motor Trend reveiw the M760 once sold for maybe $170,000.  It’s a one-owner car still under dealer warranty (buy the MaxCare Continue reading “The CarMax 600hp Club – 19 Hot Rod Unicorns”

Reader Buys the 2008 Chevy HHR SS!

HHR SS SideNo, I don’t get a commission. Just wanted to share that a kind reader told me he bought this 2008 Chevy HHR SS I wrote about in November.  When folks tell me they buy unicorns I post I always want to know how it went – make sure that my experiences aren’t off the mark from theirs.  I’ve bought four CarMax cars and transferred many more, helped a half-dozen friends make a purchase, and now I think I have four readers who bought cars I’ve written about.  Anyway, the HHR buyer’s transfer was about as miserable as mine, taking a long time to execute and not much tracking along the way – plus a damaged bumper that was immediately fixed.  Fortunately, he told me the delay spared his car from being on the lot when kids broke in overnight and tore up about 20 cars.  But the sale went flawlessly and he has a really low mileage, well-preserved HHR.   The buyer passed on MaxCare since he’s an accomplished mechanic.  Thanks for letting me know!

Quick Hit – 2008 Chevrolet HHR SS…Didn’t Know This Was A Thing!

HHR SS SideAlways a skeptc when it comes to adding “SS” to a car name (like “GT”).  Sometimes they are badass like the Camaro SS and of course, the Aussie-Chevrolet SS, and sometimes they are just badges – like the Cobalt SS.  Was doing a search for 10 year old unicorns with low miles and came across this 2008 Chevrolet HHR SS.  On a lark I opened this page and was intrigued by the the retro wagon look, burnt orange color, low price and low miles.  Wondered about the SS part, especially since CarMax has it listed as 0 hp and 0 torque, and searched for reviews.   Pleasantly surprised they are almost all positive.  Check these out; Car and Driver, Motor Trend, Road and Track, and even Popular Mechanics.   The HHR had a five year production run but the SS was only sold from 2008-2010.  Yes, there were hundreds of thousands of base HHR’s sold, but the SS only represented a small percentage of sales (5%?).  Me thinks it was Chevrolet’s answer to the PT Cruiser that sold for 10 years.

HHR 3-4The engine is the 2.0 liter turbo with 260hp, shared with the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky before they went belly up, and the suspension has been tuned to handle far better than a vanilla HHR.  Even has a boost gauge in the A-pillar like the kids have!  The mid-six second 0-60 mph time ain’t that impressive and yet the reviewers all seem to dig this box.  So do I.  I’m trying to resist calling my son in Portland and asking him to go get it for me.  If none of you do in the next 24 hours I just might.  Make a nice little commuter vehicle for me!

HHR SS InteriorThe car sold for about $24,000 in 2008.  There are 59 of these on Car Guru right now, almost all cheaper, and almost all have tons of miles.  Only one has less miles at this price.  Oddly, it’s an hour away from me.  But it wouldnt have the coveted MaxCare warranty to keep this 11 year old car in free repairs until it’s a 16 year old car.  That’s special.

 

BoostCheck this out – it’s a one-owner car and was originally sold in Florida, spent some time in California, and is now in Washington.  If I bring it to the East Coast it will have done its own One Lap of America.  Find it here in Tacoma, Washington.  If the link is dead the car is sold, on hold, or being transferred (to me!).

 

2008 Chevrolet HHR SS $13,998 41k Puyallup

1 of 71 – 2008 Corvette Indy 500 Pace Car Replica….signed by Emerson Fittipaldi

Indy CorvetteOkay, there were 500 2008 Corvette Indy 500 Pace Car replicas sold by Chevrolet, butaccording to the pace car registry only 148 had a manual transmission, and of those only 71 were convertibles.  Special enough for me.  The pace car came with the Z51 suspension, the “NPP” dual mode exhaust (and pretty much no one knows what the NPP stands for), chrome wheels, two-tone interior, and personally signed and numbered by Emerson Fittipaldi on the right rear fender.  And the cheesy graphics on the sides.  This two-owner car has fairly low miles and can be found here in Columbia, SC.  If the link is dead the car is sold, on hold, or being transferred.

 

2008 Corvette Indy $29,998 24k