I’m fairly good at spotting cars that will vanish in 24 hours or less and never be seen again. Mercedes CL600’s and CL63’s, BMW M5’s with V-10’s, 10 year old Mazda B2300 pickups with 2,000 miles…..they go quick. CarMax carries only one Alpina B7 at a time nationwide, usually, and today they have two. They are also usually way above my unicorn level of $35,000 and 60,000 miles maximum.
This 2012 Alpina B7 (F01) is the only one that meets my criteria. Auto Cruise Control, 500hp hand-built twin-turbo V-8, 0-60 in 4.5 seconds, night vision, driver drowsiness detection, air leveling suspension – executive comfort, exclusive production – only hundreds sold in the US annually – and it sold new just six years ago for over $120,000! Yes, there will be exorbitant repairs, and that’s why this car, like Guenther, my first CarMax unicorn (2004 S55 AMG) and Etta, my second CarMax unicorn (2008 911), this ONLY makes sense if you spend a couple of grand more on the MaxCare extended warranty and transfer all that financial risk to CarMax. With that, you can be out the door for less than $40,000 and NEVER have a major repair bill. Depreciation and MaxCare allow us to drive cars way beyond our means without going broke!
Find this two-owner car here in California – if the link is dead the car has either sold (and I predict by May 9th it will!), is on hold, or being transferred. And for those new to the blog, per my Bio and Disclaimer please remember this is a hobby – I’m not affiliated with CarMax, make no money on this, not even ads on the blog!
From the Rick Hendrick BMW review in 2012: “We drove an Alpina B7 and came away thinking the Alpina is the closest we should expect to come to an M7. We don’t expect to see BMW build an M7 because its size and weight would prevent it from achieving the sporty character BMW expects in an M model. Having the Alpina B7 means they don’t have to play that card. Continue reading “Will Sell in 24 Hours….Or I’m Buying and Flipping! – 2012 Alpina B7 Unicorn for Cheap.”
This 2008 Audi A4 3.2 Quattro 
I’m fascinated with CarMax’s ability to scarf up ridiculously low mileage cars, especially 
If you read this blog you know I prefer at least 8 cylinders
Mazda Miatas are beloved by real auto enthusiasts and car magazines as one of the great balanced roadsters of all time, and ridiculed by manly men as effeminate. Nothing I can do about that. This one is an automatic, though, for the ladies*. If I could fit in one I might own one. Here’s a 10 year old one with stupid low miles at a budget price. Throw in the 
Not often does CarMax add a brand. Last one was Genesis as a Hyundai spin-off. Before that Fiat. And no Alfa Romeos yet (waiting for a cut-rate Giulia Quadrifoglio!). But today I spotted a new one, the first Tesla, and now a second one on the CarMax website – both in Irvine, California and non-transferable. Did a Google search and the Tesla owner forum is a buzz – they misunderstood that CarMax has a partnership with Tesla to sell new ones. Not so. Just another used car. They’re not happy. Will be interesting to see what the 
CarMax doesn’t carry Cadillac XLR’s very often, and this is the only one I’ve seen in the fleet nationwide since I’ve been blogging. At 67,000 miles it’s higher mileage than I would normally include as a 
I started tracking this car last fall – I still have an affection for Jaguar XK’s and rue the XKR I rejected. This XK has been neglected so long it has dropped $3,000 since I found it. It’s a pretty basic 11 year old, three-owner, low mileage, California car. YEs, it only has the 4.2 liter 300hp V8, but it’s plenty perky. I I am starting to think about flipping a car – drive something for six months and enjoy it, put it on the market back east, and drive it until it sells? think it’s beautiful and with 
When a reader comments and asks for a specific vehicle, I am honored to join the hunt – whether it’s an enthusiast car or not. Jerry want’s a pickup truck to commute and handle odd jobs. One man’s unicorn is another man’s hunting dog. Or something like that. And Jerry is a friend. So with not a lot else I punched in what I might look for. Four-wheel drive, four door, 6-cylinder (would go for big V8 except he did say commuter!), five-years old or less, 40,000 miles or less. Some creature comforts – Bluetooth, rear-view camera and sensors (we urban cowboys tend to back into shit), seat heaters. Not more than 250 miles from home. The big pickups (F-150 and Chevy Silverados) ruled themselves out. Good trucks but they suck for commuting. So as of now (late-March 2018) it came down to one – a 2016 Nissan Frontier. Normally my unicorn hunt is all about the warranty – high-end cars that break a lot and are expensive to maintain. For Jerry I’d say this car is neither -unlikely to break a lot, and cheap to maintain. Still under dealer warranty at 10,000 miles. Roll the dice. Spend the warranty money on lottery tickets. Go for the gold. Let me know when we’re heading north to pick it up.
Just drove 300 miles in a light rain from Northern Virginia to Fort Bragg in 
