This post is a little special. It marks the eighth anniversary of my little corner of the internet: The CarMax Unicorn Blog. Eight years of hunting down rare, fast, and sometimes impractical cars. While most people see CarMax as a place for gently used Civics and family-approved SUVs, I see it as a safari—where the occasional unicorn pops up between the beige herd. Today’s roundup? Eight unicorns worthy of the anniversary spotlight. Enjoy.
Opening with a sleeper, a 2014 Mercedes-Benz E550 sedan. Not an AMG, reasonably priced, low miles, well equipped. This car is for the more secure driver who doesn’t need to be flashy. That’s not me just yet. This car sold for maybe $65,000 new. Car and Driver said the “smooth twin-turbo V8” translates to “grandma’s luxury sedan that secretly eats Mustangs for breakfast.” (Sorry, Jerry.) This is also the last year for a V8 in a vanilla E-class that’s not an AMG version. I think that’s about the same time all 5-series V8’s for BMW became “M550’s”?
Above, we have a handsome interior where we can find adaptive cruise control, a heated steering wheel, heated and cooling seats, and a panoramic sunroof. Below is the 4.6-liter twin-turbo V8, which produces 402 horsepower. With AWD, the Mercedes hits 60 mph in only 4.5 seconds. The same as Guenther, my 2004 S55 AMG. And this is not an AMG!
I love that this 2014 Mercedes E550 is priced less than $30k and has a ridiculously low 16,000 miles on it. Hardly broken in. This sleeper is coming soon to Omaha, NE. Track it here.
Stock No. 27507414 VIN WDDHF9BB2EB028372
The Mercedes is a very nice, very fast sedan, but it’s not rare with over 67,000 E-classes of all trim levels sold in the US in 2014. Below we have a 2016 Jaguar XJ Supercharged, more rare with only 3,834 units imported.
The 2016 Jaguar XJ Supercharged was also more expensive than the Mercedes when new, at perhaps $90,000. Car and Driver noted the “aluminum chassis, charismatic V8… basically a British muscle car wearing a tux.” I like the black and white scheme, like a Panda or cop car? Or a tux, but Car and Driver beat me to it.
Inside, we have the standard Jaguar interior, aka luxurious. This one has heated, cooling, and massaging seats, a heated steering wheel, adjustable suspension, and Meridian audio. Alas, no adaptive cruise control. I think the angry red shrieking Jaguar on the shift knob is a bit much, though.
The big cat sprints to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds, a whisker below the Mercedes, thanks to the 5.0-liter supercharged V8 rated at 470 horsepower. Only rear wheel drive, though.
This more exclusive 2016 Jaguar XJ Supercharged is available here in Phoenix, AZ. At $34,998 and only 28,000 miles, it’s a solid, limited-run unicorn that will make you feel like you’re driving rich.
Stock No. 27206652 VIN SAJWA1CE7GMV94093
The Jaguar is nice for gentlemen (and ladies) wanting refined performance, and yet for something more visceral, more German, more raw, and more rare, I’d offer up the 2015 Audi RS7 below. Somewhere on the auto forums, it is said fewer than 2,000 of these hit our shores annually. In fact, of the “RS” Audis, only the RS5 broke 3,000 units sold! Audi only sold 8,000 or so “7” models combined (A7/S7/RS7) in 2015!
The 2015 Audi RS7 sold for maybe $110,000 when new a decade ago. This one is not as nicely appointed as the Jaguar, but it does feature adaptive cruise control, a heads-up display, and Bang & Olufsen audio.
Car and Driver buds liked its “supercar pace, hatchback practicality.” Translation: it’s a rocket ship with a Costco trunk. I have always loved the A7 shape, especially the earlier models, and the gigantic trunk.
The Audi RS7 is most badass under the hood, though, with a “tiny” 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 good for 560 horsepower, and with AWD and an 8-speed tiptronic transmission, it stomps to 60 mph in only 3.4 seconds.
This is a lot of car for $43,000, and given its high-performance drivetrain, MaxCare is a must. That will push you close to $50,000 out the door, and you’ll be pleased with how quickly you will go once out that door, I think. At the moment, this RS7 is on reserve in Cool Springs, TN. Here’s the link.
Stock No. 27430045 VIN WUAW2AFC6FN900489
Perhaps you like an Audi four-door, and yet you want something smaller, newer, and yet with spunk and exclusivity? And maybe you’re not obsessed with big motors like me? How about a more diminutive 2018 Audi RS3? It’s a good 20 inches shorter than the RS7, almost the same price, and half as many miles. Stunningly, it is just as quick as the RS7!
The 2018 Audi RS3 was a $60,000 car new. Car and Driver raved about the 5-cylinder noise “half rally car, half angry chainsaw.” The criticism at the time was that this was a lot of money for a small car with a cramped back seat. Now that it’s depreciated to $44k, it’s more reasonable. I’ve tracked CarMax RS3’s for a year or two, and they were all in the $50-60k range. This is the cheapest one I’ve seen to date.
Surprisingly, the RS3 features auto cruise control, which I did not expect. Also has Apple CarPlay, seat heaters, and a bunch of safety features, although not too much else in the way of appointments. It does have a 2.5-liter inline five-cylinder motor generating a whopping 400 horsepower. Coupled with the 7-speed dual-clutch automatic and AWD, it hits 60 in 3.5 seconds and has an Audi-claimed top speed of 174 mph.
This special little Audi RS3 is on its way to Puyallup, WA. Track it here.
Stock No. 27601964 VIN WUABWGFF9J1905332
Here in America, though, we love our SUV’s, especially ones with a third row. If this were a Zoom call, I’d ask how many of you have actually ridden in the third row as an adult. I have, in a Suburban, over bad roads, and I still need chiropractic work because of that (or so I think). When I bought my Mercedes GLE63 I deliberately avoided three-row SUV’s. I’ll never use the seats, and although minor, they do take up cargo space even when folded flat. A lot of folks want a third row, and some want high performance and unicorn exclusivity. The Mercedes GL63 AMG is all that and more.
The 2016 Mercedes-Benz GL63 AMG was the last year for GL’s before they were rebranded as “GLS” vehicles. Yes, you could enjoy a very nice GL550 (and here’s a nice Designo for about the same price), although the GL63 AMG adds the AMG Airmatic Sport Suspension, high-performance brakes, the AMG sport exhaust, and the AMG body styling – and 121 more horsepower! The GL63 easily sold for $120,000 new and is a quarter of that now. That’s some wonderful depreciation for us unicorn hunters.
This SUV has heated, cooling, and massaging seats, a heated steering wheel, a Harman Kardon audio system, a rear entertainment system, automated parking, adjustable suspension, and, while it doesn’t say it has adaptive cruise control, looking at the steering wheel stalks, I have a hunch it does. Loaded.
The GL63 is powered by a 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8 rated at 550 horsepower, and with a 7-speed dual clutch transmission and AWD, will hit 60 mph in 4.8 seconds. Car and Driver reviewed it and said, “Imagine a 5,800-pound family hauler that thinks it’s a drag racer. Terrifying and hilarious.”
In addition to being luxurious, fast, and rare, this once-$120,000 SUV is now $33,998 and has only 36,000 miles. This is a steal. Track this family hauling race car here. It’s reserved in Killeen, TX, where everything is big.
Stock No. 27637669 VIN 4JGDF7EE1GA679032
Maybe you haven’t started a family yet, or are an empty nester like me, and have no interest in an SUV at this time. Well, like the RS3, the car below has now dipped into unicorn pricing territory and is a bit special – the BMW M850i xDrive. I was fortunate enough to attend the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2019 when the car made its U.S. debut. As the successor to the 6-series, it seemed big and exotic as a grand touring coupe. Sometimes, though, I look at it from the side and see Mustang. Car and Driver thought Accord Coupe. BMW owners don’t pay $112,000 to be confused with a Ford or Honda. And it certainly doesn’t have the panache of the first-generation 8-series, with its hideaway headlights and V-12, a good 25 years ago.
The 2019 BMW M850 I xDrive may not be a stunner outside, but it’s a world-class performance car and damned nice inside. It’s a lovely cockpit, although not loaded. Apple CarPlay, heated steering wheel, Harman Kardon audio, heads up display, and heated and air-conditioned seats. But damn, those seats look comfortable.
As with all modern BMW V8’s, they get the “M” moniker even if not a full “M-series” car. It doesn’t matter. The M850 has the same 4.4 liter twin turbo, although amped up to 523 horsepower. With an eight-speed ZF transmission and AWD it hits 60 mph in 3.3 seconds, the quickest of the eight cars I’m including today. For what it’s worth, a true “M8” coupe can be had from CarMax for another $20,000, and that buys you another 94 horses, and only a tenth of a second or two faster. Worth it?
You can find this 2019 BMW M850 here in Irvine, CA, where it’s currently on reserve.
Stock No. 27453214 VIN WBABC4C52KBU96194
The BMW is a big two-seater. If you’re in the market for something more nimble, and even a convertible, how about a Porsche Boxster with less miles for less money? The one below is the only one in the unicorn range (<$45,000 / <60,000 miles), and CarMax only has three at any price. They used to carry far more. Same with Caymans – only a handful anymore. What gives?
This is a 2015 Porsche Boxster, and a pretty basic one at that. Heated and air-conditioned seats, Bluetooth….and parking sensors. Not even a rear-view camera. But it is a terrific handling Porsche and quick enough. Car and Driver considers the Boxster “the gold standard for ‘fun with the top down‘.” Porsche sold just over 3,000 of these in 2015.
Inside the Boxster is the same as the Cayman and 911. This is a third-generation Boxster, the first originating in 1996, and it’s one newer than Etta, the 2008 Porsche 911 I enjoyed for a few years. I can tell you once I got the seat angled just right, I never had to adjust it again, even on long trips, and was always comfortable. And I’m 6’4 220 lbs. Unfortunately, the Boxster has no back seat, and the firewall prevents reclining much at all, so I cannot fit in one.
That’s the rear trunk above, and the front trunk below. Or is it the other way around? Unlike the rear-engined 911, the Boxster is mid-engined and thus the extra trunk in the back! If there was a picture of the motor, that’s where I would share that the base model is a 2.7-liter flat six rated at 265 horsepower, and only 206 ft-lbs of torque. It has a seven-speed dual clutch automatic and zips to 60 in about 5 seconds flat. The Boxster doesn’t accelerate as quickly as any other car in this group of eight, and yet the handling, the open-air cockpit, and the wail of the flat-six make for a spectacular motoring experience.
After the 2016 model year, Porsche switched to a turbo-four in the Boxster and Cayman (as 718 Boxsters and 718 Caymans), a different sound. Although the 2015 Boxster sold for around $50,000, and this one hasn’t depreciated much in 10 years, it’s the cheapest Porsche sports car CarMax has. This low-mileage 2015 Boxster is on reserve in Oxnard, CA. Here’s the link.
Stock No. 27426885 VIN WP0CA2A89FS120662
Sometimes my blog posts make it seem like I have a bias towards European cars, and it only seems that way because, well, I have a bias for European cars. I’ve been obsessed with cars since I was a boy, and when I moved to Germany in the Army at the age of 20 (still a boy), I was overwhelmed by the variety of enthusiast cars. But I’ve also owned Toyotas, Hondas, Acuras, and even a Mazda RX-7. So to wrap this up, I looked to the East for something unusual and found this.
This being a 2015 Hyundai Genesis Ultimate. Why? It’s a big coupe, based on the Hyundai Genesis sedan platform, featuring a V6 engine, a manual transmission, low mileage, and a low price. Sometimes I rue not having a stick shift anymore, now that my Fiat 124 is gone, and I run through the CarMax inventory looking for a cheap three-pedaler just to thrash through the back roads. This seemed to be a “good enough” coupe.
Inside, we have a decent cabin with seat heaters, Bluetooth, navigation, an Infinity sound system, and a six-speed shifter. What else would you need in a spare car?
Usually, I’d say a lot, but this is less than $24,000. Only 34,000 miles. And even though the venerable ten-year, 100,000-mile Hyundai drive train warranty has expired, I’d pass on MaxCare. This is not an unreliable car, nor an expensive one to fix. That said, it’s been suggested that the Hyundai Genesis coupe is a good candidate for drifting, and if that’s your plan, maybe MaxCare is in order?
The 2015 Hyundai Genesis Ultimate might be a tough sell as a unicorn, although there aren’t too many of these coupes. I recall the hoot I had driving a 6MT Nissan Altima coupe cross-country a couple of times for a friend, and this Hyundai reminds me of that car. Someone is having the 2015 Hyundai Genesis Ultimate shipped to Albany, NY. Track it here.
Stock No. 27131119 VIN KMHHU6KJ0FU130566
That’s a wrap for my eighth anniversary blog. I am grateful for the comments and the email exchanges we’ve had about your experiences with your own unicorn hunts. Still hovering at about 200 email subscribers for the last few years, so I think I’ll keep poking around the CarMax web page every day, hoping to find something unusual that would make someone say, “You bought that at CarMax?!” Thanks for hanging in there with me.
