A Springtime Solar Eclipse Means Time For 10 Convertible Unicorns!

After playing three hours of country music in a Virginia brewery Sunday April 7th, I immediately drove deep into the night to Cleveland to be in the path of totality for the April 8th solar eclipse. It was spectacular. (The Eclipse above? Unremarkable, I guess. For more fun, check out this old blog of mine on eclipses!) I had hoped to cruise there in the BMW M3 with the top down, enjoying all things sunny, but I still had all my music gear and so it was the Merc SUV again. Got me thinking, though, about how special convertibles are in spring and fall. I’ve owned three and think everyone should own one at least once in life. So I picked out 10 CarMax unicorn convertibles – cars with less than 60,000 miles, priced below $45,000, and with either some driving enthusiast credentials or at least not something you see on the road every day.

At the moment CarMax has over 63,000 cars on the lots, and only 533 convertibles. Mazda takes top honors with 100 (all Miata MX-5’s, although one CX-30 is listed as a drop top!). Chevy is second with 76 (Camaros and Corvettes), followed by Mercedes at 70 (SLC’s, E400’s, and C300’s), and BMW at 68 units. The most expensive convertible at CarMax is a 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 3LT at $95,000 – only 204 miles on it – the cheapest is a cute 2013 Fiat 500 Pop at $13,000. Lots in between. I’m leaving out some good and salutary cars like Miatas and Mustangs and Beetles only because of abundance. Too many to feel unique.

A case could be made for the Polish-built Buick Cascada as a now extinct attempt by GM to introduce the Opel convertible to the US from 2016 to 2019, as well as the Volkswagen EOS, an even smaller hardtop convertible with Golf innards. The Buick wasn’t interesting enough and there aren’t any EOS’s at CarMax right now. And no Nissan Murano Crosscabriolet’s. Or Range Rover Evoque convertibles.

Let’s jump in.

The Porsche Boxster S is an easy choice. Mid-engined, manual transmission, and a sweet flat-6 engine at a fraction of the cost of a 911. And right up front I have to say CarMax, it should be mandatory that ALL convertibles advertised include a picture of the car with the top down!

Not a lot of features on this car, other than air conditioned seats. The 315 hp 3.4 liter motor makes it special. And because it’s hidden, no motor picture on this one. Originally selling for maybe $50,000, it hasn’t depreciated a whole lot. And probably won’t. It’s a two owner, accident free car found here in Tucson, Arizona.

Stock No: 25278196 VIN: WP0CB2A88DS132828

I don’t know much about Mini Coopers, but what I’ve learned has been from my friend Hans. And he usually pings me when a John Cooper Works Mini is on the market and so I thought I’d try to get ahead of him on this one.

The newest car on today’s list as a 2023. Also in its favor – it’s yellow (like the sun!) and another photo with the top down. It’s not a cheap car, selling for maybe $40,000+ new and after 13,000 miles, selling for about the same amount now.

This little Mini (redundant?) is loaded, though. Automatic cruise control, Apple CarPlay, and a heads up display are all modern features. If the trunk wasn’t the same size as the glove box it could be a fun road car. It’s powered by a 235 hp, 2.0 liter turbo four and I’m surprised to see 0-60 mph is only 6.3 seconds. Is that right?

No need for Maxcare I guess since this is still under manufacturer warranty. Find this German built Mini here coming soon in Plano, Texas.

StockNo: 25483370 VIN: WMW63DL07P3P34869

How about some American muscle. The only Corvette convertible that meets my unicorn specs comes next.

Pretty basic Corvette Stingray here. Pretty blue, black wheels, yellow calipers, and a drop top. Not a lot of features – it has Apple CarPlay because it has an aftermarket stereo. It’s fast and sleek and the only way to get a cheaper Chevy V-8 convertible would be in a Camaro, and the Camaro doesn’t have the panache of a Corvette.

What makes the Corvette special is the 6.2 liter naturally aspirated V-8, rated at 455 hp. It’s a light car at 3,300 lbs, and fast. The combination of a good motor and a convertible makes drop top driving audibly fun. Mostly that comes in V-8’s and flat-6’s. Anyone have a four cylinder with a satisfying sound? Guess my Italian Fiat had that. By the way, the Corvette engine bay photo below is the only one I’ve ever seen with a side view. Is that because of the way the hood opens?

This 2016 Corvette Stingray sold new for maybe $52,000. It’s a single owner car and is currently being shipped to West Sahara, Nevada. Here’s the link.

StockNo: 25706858 VIN: 1G1YB3D74G5125126

I’ve had two soft top convertibles, and at the moment a hard top convertible (2013 BMW M3). For daily driver, year round use I prefer a hard top convertible. And that brings us back to an original “driving rich” unicorn – the Mercedes SL550.

CarMax always seems to have a half dozen low mileage, well equipped Mercedes SL550’s on hand. This one is less than $31,000 and fits the bill. It’s not terribly well equipped, but has heated and cooling seats and the wonderful air scarf neck warmers, should spring not be sprung in your area any time soon.

The Mercedes has a 4.6 liter twin turbo V-8 making 429 hp, and 516 ft-lbs of torque. It weighs a good 700 pounds more than the Corvette, trading weight for a retractable hard top. Still does 0-60 mph in the mid-fours.

The 2013 Mercedes SL550 has been shared by five owners over the past 11 years, although with no accidents. Right now it’s in Los Angeles – here’s the link.

StockNo: 24920605 VIN: WDDJK7DA1DF010782

Below we have a 2015 Audi S5 Premium Plus that’s just good enough to make the list and yet not terribly exciting (to me). The 2013 S5’s were the first with the 333 hp supercharged, 3.0 liter V-6, after Audi’s long run with the venerable 4.2-liter naturally aspirated V8 engine with 354 hp. The V-6 is just as fast, just doesn’t sound the same. And since CarMax doesn’t carry 2012 (or older) European cars now, no more V-8 S5’s. However, from time to time CarMax will have an Audi RS5 that sported a V-8 until 2017. The RS5 has almost a hundred more horses.

This is a low mileage, low dollar Audi soft top with the Technology Package, a Bang & Olufsen audio system, and not a lot else. Again kudos for the photo with the top down.

I take that back. The Audi S5 has AWD, unusual for a convertible. For the record, at CarMax only Audi, BMW, Jaguar, and Mercedes have AWD convertibles. (Jaguar has this badass 2018 Jaguar F-Type R with 550 hp and AWD but it’s $52,000!) Below are examples of CarMax’s new “Cosmetic photos available” section for some cars – this Audi has a paint blemish on the bumper and on the fender.

Car and Driver dashed to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds in the V-6 S5, which is brisk by any standard. They also rated the coupe as tops over the Cadillac ATS 3.6 and the Lexus RC350, for what it’s worth. If you’re more youthful and technologically progressive than me (and most people are) you can get over the V-8 vs V-6 thing and enjoy this motor just fine.

This was a $55,000 car when new and is half that now. The single owner Audi S5 is currently reserved in Clackamas, Oregon, and you can find it here if you want to track or read more.

Stock No: 25452153 VIN: WAUCGAFH3FN009585

Next we have a practical, if you will, Volvo C70 T5, convertible. I like the hardtop convertible, although the weight makes a slow car slower, and yet few buy Volvo’s to push the performance envelope (Polestar notwithstanding). The C70 is a safe car that Autoblog says is “a handsome luxury hardtop convertible with elegant coupe lines that seats four.” I think the car is lovely with the top up or down.

The C70 has the Climate Package, adding heated seats and rain sensors and headlight washers. It’s Swedish tidy inside, and with only 15,000 miles over 11 years it’s fresh.

The downside is a 227hp inline 5 cylinder, a 2.5 liter powerplant that pulls the front wheel drive convertible to 60 mph in the mid-seven second range. Again, Volvo’s not known for performance cars, and this would try my patience. My standard today, though, was a convertible that has some style to it and one you don’t see at every stop light. The C70 T5 fits the bill.

The car is just $23,998 – about $20,000 less than when it was new – and is on reserve here in Norcross, Georgia.

StockNo: 25467726 VIN: YV1672MCXDJ143182

Here’s another very pretty, very affordable, and not very common hardtop convertible that’s also not very athletic. The 2015 Q60 was once the G37 and still is a fancier Nissan 370. Not necessarily a bad thing. This is a beautiful car and the upside of a car that was dated in 2015 and despite a 2016 refresh, didn’t sell well and was put down in 2023, is that like the Volvo, they’re not spotted on every street corner.

Nothing at all wrong with the interior, and it looks well maintained after eight years and 54,000 miles. Heated and air conditioned seats, navigation, and a Bose sound system. Always wondered why Nissan didn’t buy Infinity audio and rename them Infiniti? Room for four. Sort of.

Infiniti carried the same 3.7 liter V-6 power plant with 325 hp from the much cheaper Nissan 370z until 2017, when an upgraded 3.0 liter V-6 twin turbo made its debut. With the 3.7 0-60 was in the mid-fives, and the newer engine cut a full second off of that. (FWIW – Infiniti unleashed a Q60 Red Sport 400 with, you guessed it, 400 hp in hardtop only!)

This 2015 Infiniti Q60 is a two owner, accident free car currently reserved here in Gastonia, North Carolina. It was once a $50,000+ auto and is selling for the same price as the low mileage Volvo C70 above. Which one would you buy?

StockNo: 25294928 VIN: JN1CV6FE3FM810232 LINK

Let’s get back to legitimate performance cars. When I started writing this piece in Cleveland, after the eclipse a week ago, this hot BMW M3 was not yet on the market. I had included in this draft an identical black M3 that was $2,000 more with 6,000 more miles. That’s what freaks me out every time I prepare to buy a car – next week something better will come along. FOMO.

Yeah, it’s red and somebody is gonna say “ticket magnet” the way you can’t mention Pintos without reflexively smirking “self-immolation” – both references are highly exaggerated. Research has shown that white cars get more tickets than red (Let’s ignore there are more white cars on the road than red – doesn’t help my case.)

If you’ve been here before you know I own a silver version of this car and have a bias. Two years ago I bought a 2013 M3 hardtop convertible, the last year for V-8 M3’s, and love it. Well, I did – drove it to meet an old friend for breakfast this morning, and he showed up in a silver 2007 Porsche 911 Turbo. Sigh.

The heart and soul of the M3 is the 4.0 liter, naturally aspirated V-8. It’ll growl it’s way to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds in “M” mode. BMW ran V-8’s in M3’s from 2007 to 2013, with six cylinders before and after. Keeping in mind CarMax only offers 11 year old or newer European cars, the days are numbered for getting one from CarMax and protecting it with a MaxCare warranty up to 125,000 miles and until 2029. That said, I paid about $5,000 for my MaxCare and haven’t gotten my money’s worth (yet). I’ve put 15,000 miles on it in two years and it hardly breaks.

Don’t wait! This M3 has the back seat wind deflector. It’ll go missing soon. Had to pay $300 to get one.

The 2013 BMW M3 is a real auto enthusiast car, and a red one will get some attention at cars and coffee. I paid $41,000 for mine with 34,000 miles I think, and this one is $10,000 cheaper – but with almost the same mileage. (Make me an offer? Was planning to keep mine two more years but that 911 Turbo looked sweet this morning.) This one is available in Golden, Colorado here.

StockNo: 24832537 VIN: WBSDX9C55DE785352

Going to stick with red cars here on out, since I liked the white/red ticket research from above. This one is a real nice 2019 Fiat 124 Spider Abarth. And a “Fix It Again Tony” comment will get you banned, for being inaccurate and unimaginative! (My 1971 Fiat 124 Spider was one of the most reliable cars I ever had!) This one comes with a no kidding manual transmission. And it’s red. Gotta be fun.

This generation of Fiat 124 Spiders is, of course, a Mazda Miata in vestiário. From 2016 to 2019 Mazda manufactured the 124’s using the Miata MX-5 platform, although the motors were legit Italian Fiat powerplants (the transmission was still Mazda’s.) The 124 is five inches longer than the Miata. And almost 200 pounds heavier, with more sound deadening material. Disturbing fact – CarMax will offer MaxCare for European cars up to 125,000 miles, and for Japanese cars to 150,000 miles. Both cars are built in Japan, but the MaxCare warranty is still reduced for the Italian-badged one. That ain’t right.

The Fiat 124 Spider Abarth has modern stuff like cross-traffic alert and heated mirrors and a rear view camera, and yet a traditional sports car interior. I tried one on once, or at least I tried to, and found it was tighter inside than my 1971. Found Miatas to be too small for me also (I’m 6’4″ and 225 lbs – atm.) The power plant below is a 1.4 liter turbo four, and unfortunately makes the same 160 hp that’s in the non-Abarth 124’s. Only does 0-60 mph in the low six second range. Disappointing, but my old one took 10 seconds to get there. This one has an upgraded suspension over the base 124, though. And a manual transmission!

Here’s a Car and Driver comparison between the Fiat 124 Abarth and the Mazda Miata. Unlike the Miata, the 124 is (again) extinct and no longer being imported. It sold maybe 5,000 units a year, so a bit rare. Not a bad car, and not a total Miata clone. Retained some historical Pininfarina styling. Here’s the link to the 2019 Fiat 124 Abarth, currently on reserve in Spokane, Washington.

StockNo: 25271376 VIN: JC1NFAEKXK0141887 LINK

Hear me out on the next, and last red unicorn to make the list. It’s a weak case, but not ridiculous. This is the cheapest, not seen everywhere, legitimately holds four adults, convertible you’re going to find at CarMax. Emphasis on cheap. It’s $18k and has only 30,000 miles. (Its identical twin just sold elsewhere on CarMax for the same price with 20,000 miles – you missed a bargain by a week!)

Take the time to read the timely election-themed Car and Driver review here from 2012. It’s wonderfully written. Spoiler – it opens with, “Like a single-issue candidate, the Chrysler 200 convertible has stumped on one appeal. In the car’s case, it’s that the top goes down.”

The review also says the “200’s handling is no longer spastic and clumsy” and that it’s actually well sorted out for a front drive, 4,000 pound car. (I think “No longer spastic and clumsy” was also on my ninth grade Phys Ed report card.) The 3.6 liter V-6 motor pumps 283 hp and does 0-60 mph in about the same time as the Fiat 124 above. Not sure if that’s good for the Chrysler or bad for the Fiat.

My M3 and the Corvette Stingray above are perfect for dropping the top and roaring into local breweries this spring, Chris Stapleton streaming from the Bose. But I would not be embarrassed to cruise (slowly) into our Virginia wineries in this Chrysler 200 with the top down, listening to Kenny G on the CD player. I’m that old. And with MaxCare available for another five years and 120,000 miles I could do that long enough to pay for the car with my social security checks. Now I’m sad. Heading to the bar. If this car’s for you it’s currently reserved here in Gastonia, North Carolina.

StockNo: 25491124 VIN: 1C3BCBFG0DN724042

A Finite List of Infiniti Manual Transmission Coupes

Car enthusiasts are pretty passionate about manual transmission cars, and can be pretty disparaging about those who can’t drive them. I guess we like them in our older cars but not really in new ones, because only about 13 percent of the new cars sold in America have three pedals. Car and Driver lists only 28 new cars and maybe a half dozen new crossovers and SUV’s you can still buy with a manual. Today CarMax has 44,616 cars for sale and only 1,326 with manuals – a whopping three percent. Not much call for manuals anymore. And to think when we go all EV it will be all automatics. I was intrigued to find three Infinities with six-speeds. Unicorns.

This 2014 Infiniti Q60S is a pretty sports coupe with ultra low miles. Looks damn near new inside. That said, the Q60 started life as the fourth generation G37 coupe way back in 2008. Infiniti revamped its naming convention in 2014 and so this is the “new” first year Q-series. It ain’t so new in design or technology, given it was six years old as a model in 2014 and is another eight years older now. That said, when I drive my V-8 M3 I feel like I sorta bought a near-vintage car from CarMax protected by MaxCare. Except unlike the Q60, I don’t have a manual. Guess I’m part of the problem.

The Q60S does have seat heaters, a Bose audio system, Bluetooth, a rear view camera, a smart key, and a CD- player. It’s clean and tidy inside. The Infiniti Q60S 6MT sold for over $50,000 new and hasn’t depreciated all that much in eight years. Suspect the low mileage has something to do with that.

The car is powered by the 3.7 liter V-6 motor good for 330 hp and a low-to-mid five second 0-60 mph time. The same motor has been driving Nissans and Infinities for a long, long time. I gotta believe it’s refined and reliable and wondering if MaxCare would even be needed?

Poking around the Infiniti forum I learned that Nissan doesn’t release sales figures by model by year. So searching Cars.Com and Autotrader I found 13 comparable 2014-2015 Q60 6MT’s for sale nationwide. There aren’t many out there, and the search confirmed this one is the nicest in the nation for sale, I think. If it’s for you, find it here in Houston.

Stock # 22041905  VIN # JN1CV6EK5EM113442

But if it were my money and I was in the market for an Infiniti 6MT, and wanted to save $5,000, and didn’t have my hard top convertible M3, I could be tempted by a slightly older G37 – with a drop top. Summer is here!

The shifter is not nearly as fine as the Q60 red one.

Same motor – less 5 hp, almost the same interior, and even has heated AND air conditioned seats! It is a one accident car if that matters to you. MaxCare good until 150,000 miles – can’t get that on M3’s. Relatively low mileage. This car is also in Texas, here in Austin.

Stock # 21640362  VIN # JN1CV6FE2CM200219

Only throwing this one in to complete the Infiniti inventory of manual transmission cars. Another G37. This one a 2013, in between the two above. Same motor at 330 hp. Same equipment. Higher mileage at 68,000. No accidents. No bargain, really. No convertible. No real reason to read on?

But if you did, this 2013 Infiniti G37 Sport is here in Edison, New Jersey – a new dealership that opened in May just south of Newark. Enjoy.

Stock # 22007112  VIN # JN1CV6EK2DM923593

Cleaning House – 7 Eclectic Unicorns Piled Up in My CarMax Profile

Got a number of unusual or interesting CarMax unicorns piling up in my saved list and thought I should share a quick post to get them on the blog.  Most, but not all, are enthusiast cars.  Some are just…different.  Your call.  Here we go.jag xf side

Start with a car I’d actually own – a 2014 Jaguar XF Supercharged.  Decent price, 470hp supercharged V-8, two-owner car found here in Irvine California.  Only five-years old and a good candidate for MaxCare. 2014 Jaguar XF Super $23,998 49k Irvine 3-20 Continue reading “Cleaning House – 7 Eclectic Unicorns Piled Up in My CarMax Profile”

10 Low-Grade Low-Priced Unicorns Somebody Wants. Maybe You? (If not I have 10 more!)

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.

G37 side

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.

2011 Infiniti G37X $20,998 6k Midlothian

S5 side

 2010 Audi S5 4.2 Prestige  

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!)”

Quick Hit – 2013 Infiniti G37 IPL (Infiniti Performance Line – What’s That?!)

g37Taking a break from my addiction to European V8/10/12 unicorns to introduce you to this 2013 Infiniti G37 IPL.  Had to look it up myself in CarBuzz here, as I had no idea Infiniti launched a modest “enthusiast” (?) line similar to, but not meant to compete with, Mercedes AMG or BMW M cars.  Maybe more like the Audi “S” line, tuned a bit but almost always 100hp less than their German brethren.  Regardless, few noticed and the line was limited to this model only for 2011-2013 before being abandoned.  Makes the G37 IPL a little unique.

The 3.7 liter six-cylinder is boosted to 348hp, mated to a six-speed manual transmission, giving it an ever so slight jump on a normal Infiniti G37 or Nissan 370z.  Suspension is stiffened, and the body is clad in side skirts and a chin spoiler.  Every little bit helps.  The red interior doesn’t do a lot for me – the rear seat below looks like a place for midget lap dances.  The Motor Trend review of a 2011 model is here.  (The 2013 reviews were all about the introduction of a G37 IPL convertible.)

The G37 IPL sold new for almost $50,000 six years ago, and perhaps is a little steep at $22,998 for a two-owner, 69,000 mile coupe.  Would probably skip MaxCare – this car ain’t going to break much.  Find it here in Raleigh, North Carolina. 2013 Infiniti G37 IPL $22,998 69k Raleigh

Time Capsule Unicorn – 2007 Infiniti G35 Hardly Driven – $17,599 – By Chuck Banks and Ahmed Gardezi

Have always been intrigued with stupid low mileage unicorns that wind up on CarMax lots, so thought I would start tracking a few of these almost vintage vehicles for fun.  Guess I get a kick out of the notion that because CarMax will offer their five year, up to 150,000 mile bumper to bumper MaxCare warranty on everything on their lot, you could own a 15 year old car with zero worries about unexpected repairs.

I’ll try to stick with cars I might own, or recommend for friends and family, and opening with this 11 year old 2007 Infiniti G35 driven LESS THAN 900 MILE PER YEAR!.  It got great long term reviews in Motor Trend as a BMW 3-series competitor, especially for its 293hp 6 cylinder, balanced handling, and big trunk.  It was also most reliable and needed no unscheduled maintenance – an argument against buying the MaxCare warranty but you roll the dice as you see fit.  This one really looks like it has an unblemished interior.  Was looking at its history and found its a two owner car – and until this year, what the hell – spent its time in Leesburg, Virginia where I now live!  Maybe I should bring it home?  The only disappointment….the car is selling for just under half its list price back in 2007! While I like low miles, I really like depreciation better.  Regardless, my hunch is you could drive this another 11 years and do quite well.  Find it here in Cleveland, Ohio – if the link is dead it’s sold, on hold, or being transferred (maybe back to Leesburg!). 2007 Infiniti G35 $17,998 9k Cleveland

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””