My Latest Ride
![](https://i0.wp.com/thecarmaxunicornblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/My-Ride.png?resize=413%2C582&ssl=1)
Just before Christmas, I had a major upgrade to my 64-year-old vintage body – a brand-new high-tech knee. For the first three weeks, I relied on this 2025 Walker, lightweight aluminum frame with a carbon fiber cross member, two-wheel drive up front, and rubber stopper braking in the rear. A whopping 350 pound capacity. The original MSRP was $30. No warranty. Same with the new knee, I presume. Last week, I transitioned to a cane and snuck out to drive my SUV. Gas-to-pedal movement excruciatingly tweaked the knee, so I have canceled my plans to drive to Florida for the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona this year. Sad and disappointed, and to distract myself I sifted through my “saved” CarMax unicorns and sharing a few below. Let’s get started.
![](https://i0.wp.com/thecarmaxunicornblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/GSF-side.png?resize=525%2C225&ssl=1)
Opening with a 2016 Lexus GS F, a relatively high-performance sedan that sold in limited numbers from 2016 until discontinued in 2020. Less than 2,500 were sold in the US, and most of those (1,418) were sold in that inaugural year. Car and Driver dug the torque vectoring differential and thought the car handled exceptionally well, yet dinged it for not being on par with the Audi RS7, the BMW M5, and the Mercedes-AMG E63. I never really thought it was meant to compete with those.
![](https://i0.wp.com/thecarmaxunicornblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/gsf-int.png?resize=525%2C349&ssl=1)
The GS F has heated and cooling seats, Mark Levinson sound, auto cruise control, and a heads-up display. It is a nice-looking four-door sedan with a tidy and luxurious interior. What makes it fun is the 5.0-liter naturally aspirated V-8 motor that makes 467 horsepower. With an eight-speed automatic transmission, it hits 60 in 4.4 seconds.
![](https://i0.wp.com/thecarmaxunicornblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/gsf-motor.png?resize=525%2C338&ssl=1)
Car and Driver shared some disappointment with the performance given the $87,000 price tag when new. Eight years later, it’s half that at $43,998. Is it a bargain? Don’t know, but it is a decent, fast family car, and you won’t see many of them on the road. You can also get Maxcare for another five years and 100,000 miles. Is it necessary for a Lexus? This one is on reserve here in Laurel, Maryland.
Stock No: 26838218 VIN: JTHBP1BL8GA001594
![](https://i0.wp.com/thecarmaxunicornblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2016-Lexus-FSF-43998.png?resize=525%2C442&ssl=1)
And below, we have a trip down memory lane, with the lowest-priced Porsche 911 I’ve seen at CarMax in years. It is not the bargain I found with Etta, my 2008 911, that I loved despite its shortcomings, but given used car prices, maybe track it and see if it drops below $50,000?
![](https://i0.wp.com/thecarmaxunicornblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/911-34.png?resize=525%2C254&ssl=1)
This is a 2014 Porsche 911 Carrera, a base model that I’d view the same as my 2008 – an entry-level 911 to test the waters and see if a rear-engined iconic sports car is for you. Enjoy it, thrash it, then sell it and bide your time to get the 911 you really want. Or just be content with this one. The CarMax description says it’s burgundy over black. I can’t see the burgundy in the photos. If it is, it would be nice to have around my town, where we are enjoying the Washington Commanders NFL team making a playoff run (for now) we haven’t seen in decades. (For you non-football fans, the Commanders’ colors are burgundy and gold.)
![](https://i0.wp.com/thecarmaxunicornblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/911-int.png?resize=525%2C345&ssl=1)
The 911 is pretty bare inside. No rearview camera. No steering wheel controls. Heated seats, Bose stereo, and navigation. Just a 3.4-liter flat-six-cylinder engine that produces 350 horsepower and 287 pound-feet of torque, 0-60 in 4.4 seconds, and a top speed of 179 mph. Subjectively, it is a wonderful one-of-a-kind engine note from behind and inexplicably great handling. My 2008 911 was a “997” model that I loved, although it really beat the hell out of me on even mildly bumpy roads. Hated that. From mid-2012 to 2016 Porsche produced these 991.1 models, with a wheelbase a good five inches more than the 997 predecessor. I test-drove one, and it was light years more civilized in town and over uneven pavement. I want one. (Starting in 2017, all 911’s are turbos, and I’m not sure I want to give up the thrashing sound of a naturally aspirated motor.) When the time comes to replace my M3, I must find a 991.1 for “cheap,” with more options.
![](https://i0.wp.com/thecarmaxunicornblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/911-motor.png?resize=525%2C318&ssl=1)
The 2014 Porsche 911 base model sold for maybe $85,000 new, and ten years later, this one is “only” $53,998. That is not a huge amount of depreciation; it is the cheapest 911 we’ve seen in years. My 2008 was also ten years old, but I paid $36,998, and it had only 34,000 miles. I would also offer that I paid another $3,000 for MaxCare, and it was barely worth it. Here’s the lengthy analysis, but the short version is that MaxCare paid for $4,100 in repairs, and because I did not transfer the warranty to the buyer (a dealer) when I sold the car, MaxCare refunded me just over $1,100. The Porsche 911, like my BMW M3, didn’t have expensive mechanical warranty fixes like my Mercedes S55 and S600. I’m too chicken to roll the dice and buy a Porsche 911 without MaxCare, though. If you’re in the market for an entry-level Porsche 911, this car is available in Irvine, California here.
Stock No: 26922560 VIN: WP0AA2A90ES107023
![](https://i0.wp.com/thecarmaxunicornblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2014-911-53998-49k.png?resize=525%2C536&ssl=1)
The 2015 Volkswagen CC VR6-4 Motion-Executive below caught my eye somewhat because of the lengthy and interesting name. Really, the VR6 motor got my attention, as I remembered the transverse-mounted six-cylinder from the VW Golf R32, back when the VR6 was a 3.2 liter. By 2015, it was up to 3.6 liters. More on that later.
![](https://i0.wp.com/thecarmaxunicornblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/vw-vr6-34.png?resize=525%2C261&ssl=1)
The Volkswagen CC is to the Passat what the Mercedes CLS-class is to the E-class, a swoopier version of the basic sedan. Loses some rear-end room but comes with more style. The CC VR6-4 Motion-Executive comes with heated and air-conditioned seats, navigation, and, check this out, seat massagers! That’s for the executive butt, I think.
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Here’s what I’ve learned from Wikipedia about the VR6 motor that makes this a bit of a unicorn. Wiki says, “The name VR6 comes from the combination of German words “V-Motor” and “Reihenmotor” meaning “inline engine” referring to the VR-engine having characteristics of both a V-layout and an inline layout.” Not sure what to make of that. The engine has only 10 degrees between the cylinder banks, which makes it perfect for stuffing a V6 into a small engine bay. One cylinder head for two banks of cylinders.
More fascinating, the same engine in this VW CC was used to power the six-cylinder Porsche Cayennes from 2010 to 2018. Even more mind-blowing, VW-Porsche-Audi jammed together two VR6 motors to make the over-engineered W12, the 12-cylinder engine that powered select Audi A8s (check out this one I considered from CarMax at a ridiculous s$35,000!) the Bentley Continental Flying Spur, the Volkswagen Phaeton, and even some VW Touregs.
![](https://i0.wp.com/thecarmaxunicornblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/vw-vr6-motor.png?resize=525%2C307&ssl=1)
Back to this VW. The VR6 makes 280 horsepower, not a lot, and pulls the AWD (4-Motion) sedan to 60 in an unremarkable 6.4 seconds. This one-owner, accident-free car sold new for perhaps $45,000, and with only 24,000 miles, is now $20,998. It’s on reserve at the moment here in Lexington, Kentuky.
Stock No: 26182579 VIN: WVWGU7AN4FE801791
![](https://i0.wp.com/thecarmaxunicornblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2015-VW-CC-VR6-4-Motion-Executive-20998-24k.png?resize=525%2C403&ssl=1)
Back to Japanese cars. Remember the Acura RL? This is not that. The RL gave up the ghost in 2012, replaced by this, the Acura RLX. The RL was pinged for being too small, and reviews suggest Acura got the message. The RLX is a full-size sedan that’s bigger and more comfortable. Just under 18,000 RLX models were sold from 2012 until 2020, and I cannot remember the last time I saw one.
![](https://i0.wp.com/thecarmaxunicornblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/RLX-34.png?resize=525%2C252&ssl=1)
The 2014 Acura RLX was fairly high-tech for its day, with a camera and radar-driven auto cruise control that could bring the car to a halt if traffic ahead came to a stop. Even had lane-keeping assist. I was amused that the two screens in the dash confused the Car and Driver reviewers – nowadays, two or even three screens are considered contemporary. With such low mileage, this 10-year-old Acura looks almost brand new.
![](https://i0.wp.com/thecarmaxunicornblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/rlx-int.png?resize=525%2C342&ssl=1)
The Acura RLX is powered by a 3.5-liter six-cylinder powering the front wheels only and is good for a sub-six second 0-60 mph run. Not bad. Other than the VR6 ingenuity, it’s quite similar to the VW CC – but bigger and faster.
![](https://i0.wp.com/thecarmaxunicornblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/rlx-motor.png?resize=525%2C282&ssl=1)
The 2014 Acura RLX sold for $50-60,000 when new and is only $22,998 at the moment. It’s listed here as “Coming Soon to the Laurel, Maryland CarMax, the same place as the Lexus GS F at the top of this piece! I really don’t think MaxCare would be warranted for this car. Last thing – what’s the deal with the headlights? Cool high tech, or bizarre?
Stock No: 26446060 VIN: JH4KC1F55EC000802
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One last car. It’s not an enthusiast car by any means. More of a novelty I was unaware of and wanted to share. The 2019 Infiniti QX30 Essential. The Nissan/Infiniti clothed Mercedes GLA250 was sold from 2017-2019 in the US. Engines from Germany. Assembled in the UK. Kind of cool, except the GLA250 ain’t exactly the finest Mercedes ever made. It’s good enough, I guess.
![](https://i0.wp.com/thecarmaxunicornblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/qx30-34.png?resize=525%2C293&ssl=1)
Check out the QX30 above and the GLA250 below. I believe the QX30 has more style.
![](https://i0.wp.com/thecarmaxunicornblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/gla-250.png?resize=525%2C288&ssl=1)
The QX30 has leather seats, Bose audio, and AWD, and with only 6,400 miles, it looks very fresh inside.
![](https://i0.wp.com/thecarmaxunicornblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/qx30-int.png?resize=525%2C345&ssl=1)
The QX30 is above, and the GLA250 is below. While I love tan interiors, I think I prefer the Infiniti layout. Infotainment display embedded in the dashboard, and not one but TWO cupholders! The Mercedes vents are more impressive to me.
![](https://i0.wp.com/thecarmaxunicornblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/gla-int.png?resize=525%2C347&ssl=1)
Both cars are powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder, good for 208 horsepower and AWD, and a 0-60 in the low six-second range. Not bad.
![](https://i0.wp.com/thecarmaxunicornblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/qx30-motor.png?resize=525%2C299&ssl=1)
This 2019 Infiniti QX30 Essential is available here in Orlando, Florida. It was once a $40,000 car. The price is high because of the ultra-low miles. If you really want one, CarMax has 42 QX30s at the moment! I must admit I have been tempted by the 375 horsepower GLA45 AMG as a local runabout, but never the base GLA250 – and didn’t know the QX30 even existed!
Stock No: 26795637 VIN: SJKCH5CR3KA011100
![](https://i0.wp.com/thecarmaxunicornblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2019-Inf-QX30-25998.png?resize=525%2C519&ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/thecarmaxunicornblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2019-MB-250-22998-.png?resize=525%2C387&ssl=1)