What we have here is a basic retro Pony car that takes me back to my childhood. Introduced in 1964 per Wiki “the Mustang the most successful vehicle launch since the 1927 Model A” – selling 400,000 units in the first year. The 1968 fastback is my favorite of all time. The 2012 Ford Mustang GT Premium unicorn offered here is a fifth generation model and a pretty basic muscle car with a V-8 motor and a six-speed manual transmission. Clean lines, pretty color, and a racing stripe.
With only 3,171 miles on it, this two owner, 12 year old Mustang has hardly been driven. Two owners, no accidents, and ready for the next owner to finish breaking in this car. Not sure it’s MaxCare worthy, but fascinating that you could get a warranty for another 146,829 miles and drive it until 2029 with no financial risk on repairs. How many burnouts would that be?
Front seat heaters, rear view camera, Bluetooth, and a Shaker sound system. Period. I really didn’t figure out what the GT Premium gets you over the regular GT.
But you do get three pedals and a six-speed manual transmission. You can squeeze out 26 mpg on the highway! Less doing burnouts.
The 5.0 liter V-8 is rated as 412 hp and pulls (?) 390 ft-lbs of torque. Car Throttle described the Mustang GT as “…..superlative performance for the money and a slice of pure Americana, but no longer do you have to suffer a broken-chicken-leg shifter, Taurus steering wheel, and a Tupperware interior to get it.” They were able to pull off a 4.5 second 0-60 mph run.
The car is selling for about the same as the first owner paid for it way back when. It has held its value, and not just because of the low mileage I guess. I looked for comps on Autotrader and could not find one with this low mileage. The closed I came was the white one below with 11,000 miles, for the same price, and a pretty cool Roush with 5,000 miles, for $10,000 more! Both pictured at the bottom. My friend Jerry is a Mustang fan and looking to drive cross country this summer with his son. I’m thinking he needs to buy this as a graduation present for the young man. Find it here in Kansas City.
Happy Independence Day! Let’s just say that had the Continental Army picked up this massive pickup from CarMax, they probably could have driven the whole battalion across the Delaware River instead of rowing Washington the hard way. Years ago I was having beers with some buddies awaiting the race in the Le Mans campground and asked “what American vehicle would be the most iconic for tooling around France?” (yes, the France that went all in on helping us with independence in the first place) My friend Todd immediately nominated a dualie and it was pretty much case closed. Only Ford, Dodge, and GM make dualies – one ton, six-wheel pickups.
So for Independence Day let me share this incredibly huge Ford F350 Super Duty Lariat FX4. If there’s a more muscular rump on a vehicle (I think that’s the correct automotive term) I haven’t seen it. The F350 is 22 feet long, eight feet wide, and weighs a few muskets less than 7,400 lbs. Empty. And it will tow a mighty 35,000 pounds – or roughly 17 trailered horses like Washington’s “Old Nelson” or Blueskin” all at once. How does the F350 tow so much? The answer must be horsepower, right? Au contraire!
The answer is torque – a staggering 1,050 lb-ft generated at 1,600 rpm. Damned near at idle. That power comes from a 6.7 liter turbodiesel “Powerstroke” V-8 that pumps out “only” 475 hp. And once again I’m confronted with my knuckleheaded understanding of torque vs horsepower. Stealing an oversimplification from a lengthy Car and Driver essay on the topic, “torque is the capacity to do work, while power is how quickly some strenuous task can be accomplished”. And that explains my fascination with horsepower over torque – I’d rather get hard work over with and crack open a beer than ponder my (limited) capacity to do work. It’s that simple. While we’re at it, with the 10 speed automatic the F350 will hit 60 mph in about seven seconds, but that’s not why anyone buys it.
The payload in this behemoth bed is also just under four tons, or about 17 Revolutionary War cannons. (Hmmm…tow 17 horses or haul 17 cannons? What is this, some sort of automotive Fibonacci or Pythagorean thing?!) The price for all of this oomph is an estimated 15 mpg. Fortunately, the F350 has a 48 gallon gas tank pushing this truck to a 720 mile range. Washington could have easily driven on a single tank of diesel from Trenton, New Jersey to Yorktown, Virginia for the final battle of the war and back! Would only hit Wawa’s for hazelnut coffee, a carton of smokes, and bathroom breaks for the men. And at today’s price of diesel a tank would be about $185.
Yeah it’s a work truck, and while this F350 has the FX4 off-roading package, it’s not even close to austere. Heated and cooling seats. Bang & Olufsen audio, Apple CarPlay, panoramic sunroof, automatic high beams, blind spot and cross traffic alert (all to spot the British?), and much more. Luxury. The truck sold new for maybe $90,000 and is here in Gainesville, Florida. Happy Independence Day and God Bless America!
Just hit the five year anniversary of the CarMax Unicorn Blog and thought I’d take a minute to say thanks to the folks who are still reading this from time to time as I still enjoy writing this from time to time. The numbers say I’ve only blogged 31 times so far this year and I normally do 60-80 posts annually so I have some catching up to do. Admittedly, when I’m obsessively searching for my own unicorns I don’t get around to blogging about yours as much as I’d like. And this year not only did I buy two of them (the M3 and the CT6), I sold my 1971 Fiat with a little coverage here and I’m still working on selling my 2010 Mercedes S600 (having conversations with several of you on that car now!). Still getting 2-3,000 visitors a month so will keep this going another year! And oddly, the 2011 Mercury Grand Marquis LS posting here retook the lead from a Cayenne as the blog with the most views ever. Sigh.
When I married my wife in 1996 I started commemorating anniversaries by doing a one of something gift for year one, a pair for year two, three of something for the third anniversary and on. Was easy to be imaginative up to year 12 (particularly enjoyed linking gifts to the nine planets for our ninth, before Pluto dropped out) but I was totally out of ideas as we celebrated our 26th this summer. Maybe I didn’t think we’d make it this long when I started the tradition?
Anyway, for the fifth year of the blog thought I’d go with five unicorns that were actually brand new cars back when I started the blog and are now interesting used cars. Thanks for hanging in there with me and hope you like them.
I like this 2017 Audi S8 a lot, given that it checks (almost) all my boxes for an S600 successor. Fully loaded with Apple CarPlay, adaptive cruise control, seat massagers, and over 600 hp from a twin turbo 4.0 liter V-8 powerplant. And since I started this blog post a few days ago, it dropped $1,000 in price! But I’m hanging in there for the most autonomous driving capability I can get (the Cadillac CT6 spoiled me) and my amateur take is for the German car makers 2019 was a generational improvement. I cannot tell how much auto-driving is available on this Audi.
This car sold new in 2017 for almost $120,000. It sprints to 60 mph in 3.3 seconds. Yup – 3.3 – supercar speed in a 4,700 lb sedan. Oh so tempting. Find this 2017 Audi S8 here in Irvine, California.
Stock # 23108469 VIN # WUAJ5AFD4HN901220
I also like this 2017 Corvette Stingray with less than 2,000 miles. It packs a big 6.2 liter, 455 hp naturally aspirated V-8. Why don’t people drive their cars?! This one looks as clean as when it was new. A bit old school with the motor in the front!
Someone paid about $60,000 for this Stingray in 2017. It hasn’t depreciated at all. This stupid low mileage Corvette moving here to Hillside, Illinois but you can still track it.
The world is going to hell in a handbasket. Because of the tragic Russian invasion of Ukraine, gas prices in the USA averaged $4.25 a gallon for regular and over $5.00 for diesel as I write. Fortunately my V-12 Mercedes S600 is in the shop for last minute repairs before I sell it. But we still gotta drive, right? Thought I’d put together a short list of cars I might be tempted to drive if I had to endure these prices long term. (Of course I say that as I prepare to pickup a 24 test drive of a BMW M3 V-8 this afternoon!) Unicorns? Only during these times.
Let’s start with an electric vehicle (EV), the controversial 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E SELECT. I’ve seen them on the road and the design doesn’t offend me, I just wish Ford hadn’t contaminated the Mustang brand on this EV. But since I drove a pitiful (borrowed) 1978 Mustang II with the 84 hp four-cylinder to my high school prom I guess I have little credibility here. Is is an SUV? A crossover? A car? Who cares. It’s electric! (Boogie, woogie, woogie)
The Mustang Mach-E Select has 266 hp and will do 0-60 mph in less than five seconds – not bad – and go maybe 270 miles on a charge. Middle of the pack EV performance. It’s fairly well equipped with auto cruise control and Apple Carplay. Car and Driver liked it so much they gave it an “Editors’ Choice” award. The car sold for maybe $50,000 new, and is now selling at a disappointing premium of $53,998 here in Potomac Mills, Virginia.
Stock # 22328427 VIN # 3FMTK1RM6MMA10386
Next we have what I thought was the gold standard for EV’s, but don’t hold me to that – a 2018 Model 3 Long Range. CarMax today has 253 Teslas on the lots, ranging from $41,998 for a Standard Range model to $156,998 for a Model S Plaid rocket ship. I chose the 2018 below for no other reason than it was “reasonably” priced and a long range model. It’s similar in performance to the Mustang, albeit with a little less range (200 miles?!). Same with features.
The 2018 Tesla Model S Long Range rolled out to mixed reviews. Car and Driver noted the highs as “satisfying handling, impressive tech integration, looks and feels like the future.” The lows were “Not the price we were promised, not the range we were hoping for, the questionable build quality we’ve learned to expect.” This was probably a $56,000 car new, and is now $43,998 here in Kearny Mesa, California.
After writing my Fiat story and the low mileage SUV piece I though I should get back to covering some fundamental cars that (mostly) met my original parameters for unicorns – less than $35,000, not more than 60,000 miles, and if possible be an enthusiast car. Unfortunately, the crazy used car market has boosted prices significantly, and I may have to up the cap to perhaps $45,000? Well, I picked the following naturally aspirated V-8’s for no other reason than I found them interesting, and I’m writing from Daytona after watching the Rolex 24 Hour race, where I had hoped the V-8 Corvettes would be more competitive. Let’s jump in.
First, how about a bright orange 2014 Dodge Challenger SRT-8 Core? A stripped down version of the SRT-8 392, it pumps 470 hp from a 6.4 liter motor linked to a six-speed manual transmission. (For all the muscle cars in this post I picked manual transmissions only – seems right and salutary.) The car is good for mid-four second 0-60 mph sprints and burnout after burnout fun. Brakes strong, surprisingly comfortable on the highway, but not terribly well equipped. But because it’s an American car, MaxCare is available for another full five years and up to 150,000 miles.
You can find this 2014 Dodge Challenger SRT-8 here in Indianapolis, Indiana.
These are not them. The cars above are in fact the fleet of cars available at CarMax 18 months ago I covered here that reflected the 600+ horsepower club. A BMW 760, Audi S8, and a couple of GM products. (Since then there’s even been this monster 760hp Mustang GT500!). Anyway, when I covered the high-horsepower cars I wanted to write a piece on impressive high-output four cylinder unicorns – the 300+ horsepower club. And fate has dealt me a cruel Christmas, in that I’m down with Covid and need things to do while in solitary confinement (doing fine, thank you!). So why not take a moment to write about the seven CarMax unicorn models that top 300 horsepower from little four cylinder motors. Some may surprise you.
2018 Subaru WRX STI.
The granddaddy of these cars is the Subaru WRX STI. Not the fastest or best handling, but almost 20 years ago Subaru rolled out the Impreza WRX and a road ready rally car. The Impreza and WRX split in 2014, and the STI is the most potent Subaru you can buy at CarMax. Rumor has it the 2021/2022 WRX will pack a more powerful 400hp motor!
With a 2.5 liter 305hp engine and a six-speed manual transmission the car is good for a low-five second 0-60mph run. It’s AWD and yet Car and Driver was only able to eek out a 0.93 g lateral grip, far less than some of the hot hatches to follow. The car sold for maybe a hair under $40,000 new, and is offered here in Parker, Colorado – fittingly just an hour north of Pike’s Peak!
The upstart 2017 Honda Civic Type R
With a wacky but innovative three-pipe exhaust, a monster wing, and lots of scoops and wedges the Honda Civic Type R is hard to miss. The first Type R to make it to the US, the 2017 model debuted at $35,000 and seemed like a bargain for such high performance.
Red motor and red interior to remind you this is not your commuter Civic. With 306hp from a 2.0 liter turbo and a six-speed manual, the powertrain pulls this 3100 lb “sedan” to 60 mph in about five seconds flat. Some reviewers have gotten less. Here’s the Car and Driver review from 2017 where they gushed over the Type R entry into the US, and in a later test they were able to pull 1.02 lateral g’s on the skid pad. Impressive in that it’s only 2WD. It also comes with Apple CarPlay and automatic cruise control, if you just want a commuter. The car was $35,000 new and is now here in Richmond, Virginia almost at MSRP!
2017 Ford Focus RS
Sticking with hot hatches, but pivoting from Asia to Germany – here’s a badass Ford Focus RS, with a whopping 350 hp from a 2.3 liter turbo. Imported only from 2016-2018, the RS beast hit 60 mph in 4.6 seconds and ran all the way to a 165 mph top end.
The engine bay is pretty damned dull for such a hot car. The Ford was more expensive than the Subaru and the Honda, starting at $41,000. Car and Driver described the Focus RS as having “explosive takeoffs, all-wheel-drive grip, drift mode can unlock your inner Ken Block.” (I had to Google Ken Block. Rally driver. Now I know.) The Focus RS is also AWD. It also pulls more than 1 g in lateral grip. Unfortunately, CarMax doesn’t have any of the 2018 models available. With only 1,000 imported, and as the final year of production, would think there’s some collection value to them. Find this pretty Nitrous Blue model here in Birmingham, Alabama.
2017 Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG
My favorite I think, because it is the fastest and almost the most understated. The fins on the front fascia I could do without, and maybe the rear spoilers could go, and then it would just be an unassuming small sedan, right? A baby Benz that costs anywhere from $50-70,000 depending on options. But only $38,998 as the lease and factory warranty nears the end. Why is it so alluring?
The motor. This hand-built and autographed AMG 2.0 liter puts out a whopping 375 hp. With AWD and a seven speed dual clutch automatic it’ll do 0-60 in less than four seconds. Preposterous. It’ll also pull 1 g per Car and Driver, who loved everything about this Mercedes here except for its price tag – more than a C63 AMG with a beefy V-8. But it’s depreciated to match the price of the other four bangers. The CLA45 will run to a governed 155 mph, unless it has the AMG Dynamic Plus package, then it’ll top out at 167 mph. Enjoy this ruby red racer here in Norcross, Georgia.
2015 Ford Mustang Ecoboost
I really, really don’t want to like this Mustang but I do. And yet it confuses me. A real Mustang has a snarling V-8 and the 2015’s and up have the independent rear suspension that makes them handle nicely and this one is yellow, which I really dig, and it’s a six-speed manual. But it’s an itty bitty turbo four cylinder, the first in a Mustang since the SVO’s of the 80’s. A 2.3 liter turbo four pumping 310 hp, 10 more than the Mustang V-6. Sigh. (Okay full disclosure, I had a Merkur XR4ti once – also with a 2.3 liter 175 hp turbo Pinto motor like the SVO. Loved it.) Here’s the Car and Driver review of the automatic version of this Mustang.
But the Mustang only weighs 3,600 lbs (looks so much bigger and heavier!) and will still rip off a low five second 0-60 mph run. Maybe a half second off it’s V-8 kin, and yet it will sip 30 mpg on the highway. I have never heard one of these on the road and think I would be confused by a Mustang with a turbo whirr and hum. If you can get over that, it’s got a fine cockpit and a lotta style, and it’s the cheapest of the seven 300 hp four cylinder cars! This five year old Mustang is available here in East Haven, Connecticut.
2018 Volvo S90 Plug-In Hybrid T8 Inscription
This may be cheating. Technically a 2.0 liter four cylinder like the rest, but this big sedan is augmented by a 10.4-kWh Lithium-Ion electric motor. Together they make a massive 400 hp, the most in this group. That hybrid puts it in a sub-5 second 0-60 mph category, very fast for a frugal but luxurious car. Here’s the review from Motor1, where they described the Volvo as “efficiency done with style.”
This Volvo has the most handsome interior and by far the richest list of features. Apple CarPlay, auto cruise control, seat massagers, Bowers & Wilkins audio, it has it all. Surprisingly it sold for $82,000 new and just two years later it’s less than half that. A real bargain. I suspect this is the one car I could own and enjoy almost like my S600 for long distance cruising. But there is one deal breaker for me – it’s made in China. I’m not ready for that. If you are, it’s available here in Las Vegas, Nevada.
2018 Porsche 718 Cayman GTS
Last but not least, a real 365 hp four cylinder mid-engined sports car. A fourth generation Porsche Cayman flat four, going 2.5 liters. Oddly, it’s not as fast as the Mercedes CLA45 AMG at 4.1 seconds to 60 mph, but it will out handle and out class the Benz.
The interior is identical to the Boxster and the 911, as they have been since inception, and smartly appointed. The driving position is even better than my 997 911. I got a kick out of the engine bay photo – nothing to see here! Move along! Here’s the Car and Driver review from 2018. They were a little underwhelmed by the GTS compared to the S models but not unhappy with the car at all. Just unclear on the value. It was an $80,000 car when new just two years ago, and honestly has not depreciated hardly at all. At this price it really doesn’t make my unicorn cut, but it is a 300+ hp CarMax offering. Find it here in Houston, Texas.
So that wraps up all the 300+ hp four cylinder cars you can get at CarMax at this time. There are some oh so close bridesmaids that would be fun, such as the 292 hp Audi S3/VW Golf R, the 291 hp Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution GSR, and even the 263 hp Mazda3 Mazdaspeed. I do enjoy big motors, and yet some of the most fun cars I’ve had, including my 1971 Fiat 124 Spider and my old Ford Fiestas, have been four cylinders. None of them matched the 300 hp of these cars and yet still a pleasure to rev. Having 300 hp in these would be quite the hootenanny!
If you guessed 662 horsepower you’d be right! The 2014 Mustang Shelby GT500 with a supercharged 5.8 liter V-8 tops the General Motors’ 6.2 liter motors in the Corvette Z06’s, the Camaro ZL1’s, and the Cadillac CTS-V by 12 horsepower. And while I search everyday, CarMax has yet to carry a 700+ horsepower Hellcat from Dodge. Even the sixth generation Mustang Shelby GT350’s available at CarMax only ponied up 526 horsepower. So this is as good as it gets for car peeps who want a unicorn with straight line wheel spin bragging rights!
Ford produced 5,730 Shelby GT500’s in 2014, 4,816 as coupes and the rest as convertibles. Haggerty lists them as collectibles. Maybe so – they sold new in the mid-$50,000 range and CarMax is offering this one for $50,998 – not sure I’ve ever seen that little depreciation in a six year old car.
This Car and Driver review of the 2013 car (largely unchanged for 2014) notes a 3.5 second 0-60 mph run, and surprising to me, a 1.0g on the lateral skidpad. I was under the impression live axle Mustangs handled horribly until the 2015 models went independent. But what do I know?
Find this old-school, low mileage hot rod here in Charlotte, North Carolina. You may want to spring for MaxCare, then head to the drag strip quick-fast!
These two cars are misnomered in the CarMax menus. Doesn’t appear to have affected their pricing as both are priced appropriately for CarMax cars, but it does mean they won’t show up in anybody’s search if they are specifically looking for these. There aren’t many of these older unicorns still offered, so if you want one jump on it! CarMax only carries US and Japanese/Korean cars for 11 years and European cars for 10, so there won’t be many more of these. I’d of course recommend MaxCare protection for the Mercedes…..maybe not for the more reliable and less expensive to fix Mustang? This Mustang Bullitt is listed simply as a Mustang GT. Only a few thousand 2008-2009 Mustang Bullitts were made, and the black one (while not authentic green as in the movie) is more rare with only 1,400 made.  They cost about $3,300 more new than a Mustang GT. The Bullitt had a tuned exhaust that sounded like the ’68 model in the movie, has 15 more horsepower than a GT, and is a good 1/4 second faster to sixty in a respectable 4.9 seconds – not bad for a 315hp car!
This price is decent, but check out this one I covered last year that was WAY under priced. There was also one this fall in Frederick, Maryland near me that was priced at $16,000 and had only 40,000 miles. See this one-owner Mustang Bullitt here in Fort Worth, Texas.Continue reading “Misnomered Mustang and Mercedes.”
Doing a bit of house cleaning. Have over 200 unicorns in my profile, some more intriguing than others, and thought I’d get 10 of them out here for you to pick through. In my years as an auto enthusiast I’ve learned there are car fans and car clubs for pretty much every car out there. These caught my eye – some I’d actually own – and others because they are an interesting combination of price, performance, mileage, and maybe extinction? Anyway will keep the writing short and get them to press. Here we go.
2011 Infiniti G37X
Only 6,000 miles on this modest beauty. Not yearly – total! A decent 328hp and AWD. Here’s an Autoblog review. This two-owner Maryland car sold for almost $40,000 when new eight years ago and is available here in Midlothian (near Richmond) Virginia for $20,998. Nice car and thought the depreciation would be more. The crazy low miles are to blame.
 2010 Audi S5 4.2 Prestige Â
Drove one of these before I bought my 911 and was really impressed with the all around poise and performance. Reminded me of my old Camaro with the long nose and two door look. Except that was a slow six cylinder. Anyway, this 2010 is both low-priced AND low miles AND pretty well equipped – seat heaters, blind spot monitors, rear view camera and AWD. Sold new for about $58,000. Has the 354hp 4.2l V-8 also found in the Continue reading “10 Low-Grade Low-Priced Unicorns Somebody Wants. Maybe You? (If not I have 10 more!)”
Posted the 2008 Ford Mustang Bullitt selling for $15,998 – way underpriced – with only 23,000 miles last month here. It was in Louisville, Kentucky. It’s on the left below. Today an almost identical 2009 Ford Mustang Bullitt showed up in Greensboro, North Carolina for $22,998 – 24,000 miles. I knew the first one was a bargain! It’s on the right below. I so need a reader to partner with me to flip unicorns when CarMax gets the prices wrong. Second time I’ve seen a Bullitt for thousands under market price, and there have been others.  Sigh. Find this Bullitt here – not as good a deal but still a nice retro Mustang.
This Mustang Bullitt is listed simply as a Mustang GT. Only a few thousand 2008-2009 Mustang Bullitts were made, and the black one (while not authentic green as in the movie) is more rare with only 1,400 made.  They cost about $3,300 more new than a Mustang GT. The Bullitt had a tuned exhaust that sounded like the ’68 model in the movie, has 15 more horsepower than a GT, and is a good 1/4 second faster to sixty in a respectable 4.9 seconds – not bad for a 315hp car!
Posted the 2008 Ford Mustang Bullitt selling for $15,998 – way underpriced – with only 23,000 miles last month 