Time to get back to blogging after being totally consumed by the successful auction of my 1971 Fiat 124 Spider on Bring a Trailer – and yet another search for my next unicorn. Will post about both later, but it’s mid-January and I’ve hardly shared the cars piling up in my profile faster than a snowy stretch of I-95 in Virginia. Speaking of which, with another snow storm headed our way this weekend I thought I’d post seven sedans worthy of loading up and heading south to sunnier places. I can picture all of these with a clothes hanger bar spread from coat hook to coat hook over the back seat, with nicely pressed shirts and slacks at the ready for beach bars and buffets. Let’s start with one I didn’t think I’d see at CarMax again, a 2011 Lucerne Super.
I last blogged about a Lucerne Super here, another 2011 with 77,000 miles priced at $11,998. This one has 90,000 miles and lists at $19,000 – just another reflection of how crazy used car prices have gotten. If a front wheel drive 292 hp Northstar V-8 is what you’ve been waiting for (Mick?) this car is for you. I do find the lines and wheels to be quite handsome, actually, and while CarMax describes it as “fully loaded” (for 2011) it only has a heated steering wheel and heated seats – a bit austere for me.
Front wheel drive and a full size sedan means a GIGANTIC trunk.
You can find this 12 year old Buick here in Winston-Salem, North Carolina (where my Fiat is headed!).
This stunning 2014 Mercedes CL65 AMG is a rare and elusive unicorn, with only maybe 20 imported that year. It was available at CarMax some time back and a blog reader snatched it up. He’s ready to move it on and you can bid on it (or just lure) at the MB Market auction site. Here’s the link: https://thembmarket.com/41k-mile-2014-cl65-amg-w-comprehensive-5-year-100k-warranty. The car is spectacular in its own right, and is offered with the transferrable MaxCare warranty – same one you get at CarMax.
THE ORIGINAL CARMAX OFFERINGATTRACTIVE FROM ANY ANGLETHE CABIN IS LUXURIOUS. THE SEATS WILL KEEP YOU PLANTED AT RIDICULOUS SPEEDS.BUT THIS IS WHY YOU WANT THIS CAR. V-12. 604HP. 738 lb-ft OF TORQUE.
The seller knows these CarMax V-12’s inside and out. (I own my S600 because of his recommendation.) We’ve corresponded about his CarMax purchases over the years and the diligence it takes to have CarMax keep the cars running well with MaxCare. I highly recommend reading his thorough write up on the MB Market and bid if interested. Who knows when another Mercedes V-12 will surface at CarMax?
Yesterday I sat down for a long-delayed blogging session only to sadly see all of the unicorns saved to my profile were “Currently Unavailable”. Not a single interesting car to write about. This morning I woke up to this special coupe – a 2015 Mercedes C63 AMG “Edition 507”. What’s special about it? Well, 2015 was the last year for the naturally aspirated M156 V-8 motor, and this bad boy makes 507 hp (hence the Edition 507), more than the 451 hp of a “regular” C63. The specs listed by CarMax are incorrect. This was the era when “63” in the model meant 6.3 liters (okay, 6.2 here). Now the 63’s sport a 4.0 liter twin turbo.
How do you know this is an “Edition 507” C63? Two ways. The easy way was to ask blog reader Hans Mertens, who brought this car to my attention. He said the hood vents are the tell tale signs of a 507 – and told me the car makes 507 hp. The other way to know, if you’re not fortunate enough to know Hans, is to pull the data card from the internet. The code is P61 SPECIAL MODEL “GRAND EDITION”.
The M156 motor and seven-speed automatic transmission will take this sub-4,000 pound coupe to 60 mph in sub-4 seconds. The $9,750 upgrade also removes the top speed limiter and allows this speedster to hit 176 mph. Damned fast coupe. And I’m told it sounds bawdy getting there. Here’s the Car and Driver review of the 2014 model if you want a professional opinion.
This 2015 Mercedes C63 AMG also has the standard seat heaters, blind spot monitor, and rear view camera. It is a three-owner, one-accident car if that matters to you. CarMax will offer MaxCare for 60 months and up to 125,000 miles – another 90,000 miles of driving or 18,000 miles annually of high-speed driving. Buy the MaxCare. The car sold new for probably over $87,000 six years ago. Find it here in Phoenix for half that. May not be a bargain, but it is the last of its kind.
I transferred in this 2010 Mercedes S65 AMG last fall and ultimately declined to buy. My whole saga is here. Because of our car connection when I declined to buy I arranged for blog reader Hans to immediately take control and transfer to Wilmington, NC. Hans bought the car, but it was not what he expected (it was too tame, and Hans has enough AMG experience to know the AMG growl) and he returned it. Here the plot thickens. Hans and I cooked a deal to have CarMax transfer the car to another blog reader Collin. Oddly, CarMax told Collin the car was “accidentally” sold. Then the plot took an odd turn – blog reader Mustafa, a truly gifted CarMax sniper, alerted me this S65 was posted on cars.com and the seller, a dude named “John” from Connecticut, had contacted him about his Mercedes CL65 and mentioned the S65. More bizarre, the cars.com ad had the picture of the S65 in MY driveway from MY blog post! I contacted John but never heard back and forgot about it. This week Mustafa alerted me to the very same 2010 Mercedes S65 offered on the Bring a Trailer auction site by a company called Exclusive Impex in Miami. Of course I jumped in to share what I know about the car, both to bring prospective buyers’ attention to the car’s mysterious past, and to shamelessly flog my blog. The reaction? Absolutely no one gave a shit about what I (we) knew about this car’s path. Turns out someone else bought this car from CarMax and returned it after CarMax and Mercedes Benz of Manhattan could not solve an electrical gremlin. (Exclusive Impex says they solved it.) Oddly, the car’s history reflects neither my friend in Wilmington’s ownership nor the Connecticut buyer’s purchase. Exclusive Impex claims they bought the car at a CarMax auction (I’ve never heard of CarMax auctions), repaired and prepped it, and made it available on Bring a Trailer. My take after watching this car bid and sell for $11,000 MORE than we all could have had the car for from CarMax? I belong to a half dozen car groups on Facebook and all agree prices are inflated on Bring a Trailer. When I track cars on Bring a Trailer I’m impressed and discouraged by the depth of knowledge and deep criticisms in the comments section. That said, on this 2010 Mercedes S65, the commenters were intoxicated by the car and gleefully overlooked anything suspect. Why did two buyers return the car? Don’t care. What about the one accident on the Carfax? Don’t care. We all could have had this car for $36,000 and bought a five year MaxCare plan to protect us for another five years and 100,000 miles. Instead, a Bring a Trailer buyer got it for $47,500 with no warranty. Time will tell who came out on top!
First, it’s important to get it out up front that I don’t test drive CarMax unicorns just for the hell of it and to get pix and video of me driving cool cars. It’s an abuse of the generous CarMax solo test drive opportunity and especially of the sales rep’s time. Those folks are just trying to make a living. And my favorite rep Si Sultan (now a manager) tells me people are taking these cars for 24 hours to record YouTube burnouts and even for prom dates. That ain’t right and hope they don’t ruin it for the rest of us. I will admit to driving cars that I have no intention of buying – that specific car – but I am trying to find out if that model is for me. If so, then I start looking for the specific car to purchase. I’ve done that with all four small SUV’s in the running and have settled on a Mercedes GLC43 AMG as the one for my wife and I, once we can find a properly equipped one. Anyway, I have always been intrigued by CarMax offering the Mercedes AMG GT S – as close as you’re going to get to a supercar from them. Was thinking it could be the successor to Etta, my 911, and although I just could not own a red-interior car, I needed to know if the AMG GT S was for me. So off we go.
So off we go. Nokes Blvd onto Route 28 North near Dulles, Virginia. Believe this was in “Sport” mode. Another disclaimer. When I drive and shoot videos with phone in hand they almost never turn out. I look at the road, not the phone, and hope I’m capturing something usable. These three are all that remain – the rest are all over the digital cutting room floor. I tried one in race mode, and quickly found out the car wasn’t going to shift gears without me and dropped the phone before I red lined the car and my ticker. Race mode is terrifying. Sport mode was fun, with rev-matching downshifts and burbling, gurgling noises at stop lights. But even Hyundai Velosters do that now. For the record I eased up considerably entering the main road – the end of this ramp is where the Virginia State Police hang out all the time.
Turned around and did the wonderful sweeper from Leesburg Pike onto Route 28 South. Yes I saw the CRV with the unending blinker and again backed off the throttle on the main drag. No videos here of me breaking the law…by much. Pretty sure this was in “Sport+” mode and yes it was more aggressive upshifts and cornering. But really I hardly pushed the envelope in this car. I’ve watched these race at the 24 Hours of Daytona for years now and they are really capable cars – beyond my talent level by far. Power comes from a twin-turbo 4.0 liter V-8 pumping 503 hp and if you’re good, a 3.5 second 0-60 mph run. The AMG GT S has been test driven at 195 mph – just not by me. My short bursts and twisties were still exhilarating.
And finally, just because, the AMG GT S in “Comfort” mode. A perfectly reasonable highway cruiser. Wish I had remembered to turn the radio on at some point but the howling motor was too intoxicating. Returned the car right on time.
The verdict? Yeah the car rocks and scratches almost every itch as a successor (for me) to my Porsche 911 Etta. The garish (to me) red leather is unpleasant but surprisingly, might not be a deal breaker. The deal breaker was the cramped (but awesome) interior. The leg room was acceptable for my 6’4″ 230 lb frame, and yet as with all two-seaters with not even a fake/unusable rear seat (think Boxster/Cayman and C7 Corvettes!), the seat back cannot be reclined at all, and the seat bottom can’t tilt back enough to give me a reasonably comfortable driving position. I sat ram-rod straight up and was uncomfortable after my short ride. I had been warned by an equally tall Mercedes AMG GT S owner that the car is not comfortable as a daily, and he was right. I’m out. The car sold new for maybe $150,000 five years ago and was selling for $77,998 and really with only 38,000 miles seemed “reasonable” to me given the level of performance. It’s currently unavailable but has been on and off the market, so track it here if you’re interested.
Saw this car on the web but I would have missed the significance had it not been for a text from one of my favorite readers, my CarMax coach, and a true CarMax unicorn collector – Mustafa. Otherwise, I would not have known this was a (W212) Mercedes E63 AMG S RENNtech! I’ve heard of RENNtech but hadn’t paid much attention to them. I get BMW and Alpina, but not RENNtech. Turns out RENNtech is the one and only Stuart, Florida based tuner created and owned by former AMG master Hartmut Feyhl. So…this is not a factory tuned E63 AMG? What it IS is a 679 hp and 749 ft. lb of torque race car posing as a family hauler. A “stock” E63 AMG S pumps 577 hp, for comparison.
Handcrafted by Stephan Durr – in my top ten AMG builder list! (I made that up)
Looks like any other E63 inside – although this allegedly has a Designo interior.
As far as I can tell this car was sold by Driving Emotions in Lake Park, Florida, less than an hour south of Feyhl’s RENNtech shop, with 43,500 miles on it, and sold again by SSC Sales in Pleasanton, California with 52,000 miles. The CarMax description of the car is drawn from their templates and doesn’t do it justice. Here’s what Driving Emotions posted when they sold the car:
2014 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG-S RENNtech!Black with Black Nappa Leather and Contrasting Silver Stitching Interior! Only 43,500 Miles! SHOWROOM CONDITION!! (The dealer must buy exclamation marks in bulk?) Loaded! Parktronic! Keyless Go! Silver Stitching! Silver Seat Belts! Panorama Sunroof! Rear View Camera! Carbon Fiber Trim! A/C & Heated Seats! Electronic Trunk Closer! AMG Red Brake Calipers! 679HP! & 749 ft. lb of Tq! Upgraded RENNtech Package! RENNtech Stainless Sport Mufflers! RENNtech Carbon Fiber Front Splitter! RENNtech Carbon Fiber Rear Diffuser! RENNtech Carbon Fiber Rear Deck Lid Spoiler! RENNtech Carbon Fiber Engine Air Box! AMG 19 10 Spoke Titanium Wheels! AMG Performance Steering Wheel! Illuminated Star in Front Grille! Black Ash Wood Interior Trim! Astonishing $102,595 MSRP! That MSRP is before the RENNtech upgrades, by the way! SSC claims the upgrade is valued at $20,000.
I’m curious why CarMax chose to include a trunk photo like this. Any ideas? Any of this stuff unusual? Nitro?
In all fairness, the only real visual cues that this is a RENNtech are the discrete badges on the front fenders and rear deck (not unlike my S600). And Mustafa is a third my age so of course he can spot stuff I can’t. That’s my story. Hard to tell how rare this car is or whether this price is good. RENNtech has a similar car offered on their website for $68,000. That said, this one is in fact a one accident car, something neither Driving Emotions or SSC acknowledged. CarMax shares the history. Also no idea what MaxCare would cost, but it’s a must. Find this four owner car here in Modesto, California.
CarMax generally carries cars up to 10 years back, so they tell me, although at this moment there are 124 of their 30,000 cars on lots that go back to 2009 – 12 model years’ old. None of them are European cars. There are another 249 2010 models at dealerships, of which a whopping 22 are European (sneak peak – here’s the link to a 2010 Mercedes CLS550 for only $23k coming soon!). And finally, 2011 models – now 10 years old, account for another 350 cars of the 30,000 – and only 39 of those are European. And truly really finally, 2011 was the last year for the lovely first generation Mercedes CLS550 (W219) “shooting brake”. Last year manufactured by Mercedes, and 2021 should be the last year offered by CarMax. A unicorn.
The CLS550 four door coupe is pretty much a more shapely E550 platform, with seating for four, and less room. I’ve been in them and in the E550’s and yes, the sloped roof intrudes on headroom. Everything else is the same, including the 382hp 5.5 liter V-8 that will still get you to 60mph in under five seconds. Not bad. Here’s a link to one of the last CLS550’s I covered – has all the performance info you need!
This 2011 model is selling for $27,998 – pretty high if you ask me even thought it only has 42,000 miles. No auto cruise control but most other luxury features included. Most of the CLS550’s of this era were selling for significantly less at CarMax, including this nice one for only $19,998 just a month ago. MaxCare going to run another $3-5k. But this 2011 CLS550 is a two-owner accident free car from New England, and you can see it here. If it were a CLS63……?
Sample photo “borrowed” from the web. Photos aren’t yet available for this car.
Many thanks to Hans for bringing this car to my attention this morning. Would normally wait for photos (and will update when available) but this unicorn may not be around that long. And I don’t quite get it, but when I post about Ford-Lincoln-Mercury Panther line cars readers go batshit. My blog stats skyrocket, especially when linked to David Fesz’s Unique Cars 2.0 Facebook page (check it out). This post on the final year cars is unmatched. The Panther line hadn’t been updated in years and expired in 2011. The V-8 makes four cylinder power and six cylinder torque. But is has a bench seat and folks love it as a comfortable, reliable highway cruiser. Here’s why this one rocks:
Only 16,000 miles in eleven years! And it’s less than $16,000. The car sold new for almost $30,000. AND as you can see CarMax is offering the MaxCare warranty for another 134,000 miles until the car is sixteen years old. Not sure MaxCare is even needed given this car’s bullet proof history, but why not? Here’s the cost and coverage options for this car:
Again, a borrowed photo until the real ones are available but suspect it looks like this inside. Gold over tan car, with golf clubs in the trunk and blazers hanging from a rear seat coat hook bar would make me feel so retired. Here’s the link to this two owner, accident free family sedan currently in Knoxville, Tennessee. Enjoy.
There’s a lot to like about this 2011 Mercedes ML63 AMG unicorn. Of course I have to start with the hand built 503 hp, 6.2 liter V-8 motor. A certain unidentified reader (we’ll call him Hans) who has another Mercedes with this same powertrain said it sounds like God gargling. Love it. When new, it sold for almost $100,000. This 2011 ML63 is sorta nearly new with only 37,000 miles on it – not even broken in over 10 years. The last ML63 I covered in January here was a 2013 model with more miles and more price. Me thinks this 2011 is not a bad deal. Buy MaxCare with the savings.
God is also thirsty, and this motor will guzzle gas – 11 mpg city, 15 highway, and 12 combined. Takes a lot to move a nearly 5,100 pound SUV. Stick to the highway. Or some light offroading since the ML63 is also AWD. But with the seven speed automatic the vehicle will do sub-5 second 0-60 mph runs, gas be damned.
The SUV is fully loaded with auto cruise control, read DVD system, heated and air conditioned seats, and even a tow hitch. Love the gray over tan colors. My wife thinks tan interiors look cheap. I think they look rich. My S600 has a tan interior. I win. Find this three owner SUV here in Hillside, Illinois.
Interrupting my drive west (see below!) to bring you another “shooting brake” unicorn courtesy of CarMax! Nearly identical to the 2011 model found here in November – same price, almost same mileage. But this one’s a 2010, and still amazes me that bumper to bumper MaxCare coverage is still a bargain for an 11 year old Mercedes. It’ll be 16 years old before it runs out of warranty.
The interior of this four door “coupe” is stylish for its day and seats just four. Not for everyone. It has a Harman Kardon audio system, Bluetooth, adjustable suspension, sunroof….and not much else. Pretty basic as Mercedes go, and yet it’s got more charm than a basic family sedan. Plus it’s got a 382 hp 5.5 liter Mercedes V8 that’ll do sub-5 second 0-60 mph and run forever. Once a $70,000 car this single owner, low mileage, accident free Idaho car is still a bargain at $19,998. It’s here in Boise.
