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Five for Five – Five 2017 Cars for Five Year Blog Anniversary!

Just hit the five year anniversary of the CarMax Unicorn Blog and thought I’d take a minute to say thanks to the folks who are still reading this from time to time as I still enjoy writing this from time to time. The numbers say I’ve only blogged 31 times so far this year and I normally do 60-80 posts annually so I have some catching up to do. Admittedly, when I’m obsessively searching for my own unicorns I don’t get around to blogging about yours as much as I’d like. And this year not only did I buy two of them (the M3 and the CT6), I sold my 1971 Fiat with a little coverage here and I’m still working on selling my 2010 Mercedes S600 (having conversations with several of you on that car now!). Still getting 2-3,000 visitors a month so will keep this going another year! And oddly, the 2011 Mercury Grand Marquis LS posting here retook the lead from a Cayenne as the blog with the most views ever. Sigh.

When I married my wife in 1996 I started commemorating anniversaries by doing a one of something gift for year one, a pair for year two, three of something for the third anniversary and on. Was easy to be imaginative up to year 12 (particularly enjoyed linking gifts to the nine planets for our ninth, before Pluto dropped out) but I was totally out of ideas as we celebrated our 26th this summer. Maybe I didn’t think we’d make it this long when I started the tradition?

Anyway, for the fifth year of the blog thought I’d go with five unicorns that were actually brand new cars back when I started the blog and are now interesting used cars. Thanks for hanging in there with me and hope you like them.

I like this 2017 Audi S8 a lot, given that it checks (almost) all my boxes for an S600 successor. Fully loaded with Apple CarPlay, adaptive cruise control, seat massagers, and over 600 hp from a twin turbo 4.0 liter V-8 powerplant. And since I started this blog post a few days ago, it dropped $1,000 in price! But I’m hanging in there for the most autonomous driving capability I can get (the Cadillac CT6 spoiled me) and my amateur take is for the German car makers 2019 was a generational improvement. I cannot tell how much auto-driving is available on this Audi.

This car sold new in 2017 for almost $120,000. It sprints to 60 mph in 3.3 seconds. Yup – 3.3 – supercar speed in a 4,700 lb sedan. Oh so tempting. Find this 2017 Audi S8 here in Irvine, California.

Stock # 23108469  VIN # WUAJ5AFD4HN901220

I also like this 2017 Corvette Stingray with less than 2,000 miles. It packs a big 6.2 liter, 455 hp naturally aspirated V-8. Why don’t people drive their cars?! This one looks as clean as when it was new. A bit old school with the motor in the front!

Someone paid about $60,000 for this Stingray in 2017. It hasn’t depreciated at all. This stupid low mileage Corvette moving here to Hillside, Illinois but you can still track it.

Stock # 23187843  VIN # 1G1YB2D7XH5100050

Continue reading “Five for Five – Five 2017 Cars for Five Year Blog Anniversary!”
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The End Is Near…….for Some 2010 and 2011 Unicorns!

CarMax inventory is returning to pre-pandemic levels – about 60,000 as I write – and things are changing. Not easy to see, but perhaps you can tell what the cars above have in common? If not, they’re 2023 cars – used cars – at CarMax lots. Only a handful, and yet it means CarMax is moving into a new inventory year and will be jettisoning some from long ago. Traditionally, CarMax says they offer European cars up to 10 years old, and all others up to 12 years old. In the five years I’ve been blogging, that really hasn’t been the case. There are (technically) 12 year old European cars still in the fleet, although not many. Of the 519 2011 model year cars nationwide there are only 41 European cars left. At some point there will be none. Some of the more interesting ones I’ve included below. For non-European cars, there are a whopping 156 cars from 2010 – two offered below. As you know, I love that CarMax will sell nearly bumper to bumper MaxCare warranties for cars that are now up to 13 model years old! And as part of this nostalgic post, here’s the link to last year’s post when 2009 models were sunsetting.

I (almost! Update below.) missed the opportunity to write about a 2011 Mercedes CLS550 available last month. It’s significant because 2011 was the last year for the C219 “shooting brake” model before it was redesigned in 2012. Maybe CarMax will get one last one. For now, here’s a 2011 Mercedes SL550 with an unbelievably low 17,000 miles on it. It’s being transferred at this time. MaxCare available for another 108,000 miles. With a 5.5 liter V-8 making 382 horsepower, heated and cooling seats (with massagers), Bluetooth, air scarf – it’s a fairly nice old convertible.

I believe the car is headed to Irvine, California. Here’s the link if you want to track it.

Stock # 22955064  VIN # WDBSK7BA1BF161828

UPDATE. Here’s the 2011 Mercedes CLS550 I thought had been sold. It’s back for $23,998 at 53,000 miles. Nice four door coupe. It’s back in Phoenix. Stock number 22953003.

What we have below is a truly obsolete car – a Saturn. Thought I had seen the last of these at CarMax some time back, but here’s an Outlook from 2010 – the final year of manufacture. It’s not the greatest SUV every made and only 3,600 were sold in the final year. It has a modest 281 hp 3.6 liter six cylinder and not much technology. It’s definitely cheap by CarMax standards at $10,998. Surprisingly, there are only about a half-dozen cars less expensive than this one out of 60,000 in the inventory. Used to spot unicorns for half this price.

Interestingly, CarMax is going to 150,000 miles for MaxCare but only 36 months. This 2010 Saturn Outlook is priced at $10,998 and in being transferred to Houston, Texas. Here’s the link.

Stock # 21947867  VIN # 5GZLRUED3AJ197696

The year 2010 also saw the last Cadillac DTS roll off the line, and this one’s a beauty – if you can get over the fake convertible vinyl top that takes us back to the 1920’s and 1930’s when automobiles hoped to replicate the style of horse and carriage coach builders. While you probably think I have a deep knowledge of these automotive topics, I stole this vinyl top background too from an eBay Motors blog. Odd it has a sunroof in the fake convertible roof. No shame.

This 2010 Cadillac DTS is less than $20,000, really low miles, and for an old GMC has some surprising features; seat massagers, lane departure and blind spot warnings, heated and cooled seats, Bluetooth, Bose sound – but no rear view camera. It does have the anemic 275 hp Northstar V-8, and it also has about 122,000 miles and 60 months of MaxCare available! It’s a platinum edition here in Southlake, Georgia.

Stock # 22551884  VIN # 1G6KP5E9XAU133371

Not obsolete, but this 2011 Mercedes E550 is just one handsome, 14,000 mile German family car. The 382 hp V-8 ain’t even broken in. It’s nicely appointed, with a Harman Kardon sound system.

This 2011 Mercedes E550 Sport is a one owner, accident free car available here in Doral, Florida.

Stock # 22844553  VIN # WDDHF7CB1BA420943

While on the subject of beautiful, low mileage German cars, how about this 2011 BMW 328 with less than 9,000 miles! Not even driven a thousand mils a year. Looks almost new inside. The 328 has a 230hp inline six cylinder not unlike the one in the 2002 BMW 330, and the 1992 525i I once owned. In all of them I could not understand the strong acceleration from such little horsepower. The car is selling for $26,000 a dozen years old.

This 2011 BMW 328 don’t have much in the way of modern technology – seat heaters and parking sensors and Bluetooth – but it has a ton of personality. Find this one owner, California car here in Burbank.

Stock # 22905123  VIN # WBAKE5C59BE755035

If you’re aware of specific models that are about to sunset (European 2011’s and non-European 2010’s) please let me know. Will do my best to track them. Thanks for reading.

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1 of 300 – 2020 Lexus LS500 Inspiration Series 

*** Before we get started on this car, I just want to let everyone know my 2010 Mercedes S600 luxo-rocket is still available, although I have begun the process to auction it on MB Market next week. Dropped the price to $25,900 OBO! Still has 28,000 miles / 19 months of MaxCare warranty! Here’s the link once again.

“The fourth Inspiration Series vehicle from Lexus, the LS 500 is the first sedan to get this exclusive treatment. It starts with a unique new exterior color, Deep Garnet. Garnet, a deep, metallic shade of red that shimmers in direct sun yet has a deep, lustrous tone in the shade. The vibrant color is complimented by standard 20-inch wheels finished in Black Vapor Chrome. Like the Deep Garnet paint, these wheels glimmer in the sun yet retain a polished, subdued look in the shade that accentuates the LS 500’s elegant proportions.”

That was the Lexus press release from 2019 introducing the limited run 2020 Lexus LS500 Inspiration Series. Always intrigued when CarMax offers an exclusive run unicorn even if it’s mostly a trick paint job and some exotic interior trim. I’m going to have to take their word for the changing hue Deep Garnet red – it looks kind of brown in the pictures. The release says it’s the fourth Inspiration Series vehicle and I can only find the earlier 2019 LC500 Inspiration Series and the later 2021 LX570 Inspiration Series. Shouldn’t be this hard!

CarBuzz described the interior as “white semi-aniline leather …. offset by Kiriko glass trim and ornamentation, black instrumentation and carpeting, and a blue LED Kiriko-design display panel on the passenger side. It’s not all style and no substance, as the Inspiration Series equips a 2,400-watt Mark Levinson surround sound system with 23 speakers, strong enough to inspire even Beethoven.” Hmmm – what’s this Kiriko glass, you ask?

If I remember right, Kiriko, a unique Japanese tradition of hand-cutting delicate patterns into glass, produces stunning reflections of light, depending on the angle of both the light and the viewer’s gaze. Examples can be appreciated in vases, sake glasses and traditional glass ornaments. Totally bluffing. I plagiarized that from the Lexus Enthusiast website, and they actually have a great description of how Kiriko glass came to be in the Lexus LS500 – here’s the link if you’re interested.

I’m fascinated and flummoxed by the Lexus engine bay panel. If you don’t want us in here, why not secure the hood in such a way that only a Lexus mechanic can open it?

While the Inspiration Series is a limited edition run of 300 cars with some high end trim enhancements, like all LS500’s it’s still a very strong car. It’s powered by a 3.5 liter twin turbo, 416 hp six cylinder connected to a ten-speed transmission, and will hit 60 mph in the mid-four second range. Damned quick for a 4,700 lb car. It’s fully loaded, and even has seat massagers. The car sold new for about $100,000 just two years ago, and has depreciated almost a quarter in value. I like depreciation. I doubt that I would even spring for MaxCare – although CarMax indicates this car’s manufacturer warranty has expired I’m skeptical – my understanding is Lexus provides a 4 yr/50,000 mi basic, and 6 yr/70,000 mi powertrain warranty. This car is two years old and has 9,000 miles. If you want an exclusive run car and dig the Lexus LS500, you can find this single owner, accident free one in Duarte, California here.

Stock # 23154987  VIN # JTHG5LFF5L5010946

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End of the Month Quota Post – 2014 Jaguar XFR for $35,000, and Random Thoughts

Three random thoughts before getting to the Jaguar below.

1) Remember when dealerships neared the end of the month and salesmen pleaded with us, that to meet their monthly quota they were going to offer us ridiculous discounts? Monthly stats seemed to drive everything. Well, here we are near the end of July and I realize I’ve only blogged a pitiful two times. My excuse is that preparing to sell my 2010 Mercedes S600 and replace it with another unicorn has made me weary. Believe it or not, this last week a 2015 Mercedes S65 sedan surfaced that a blog reader snagged and bought before I could (I had a BMW M5 being transferred and couldn’t move the S65), and a 2011 BMW Alpina B7 at a ridiculously low price of $32,998 was located and bought by another blog reader who saw the car before me. Great cars that I should have written about, but snoozed and lost. In August I may experiment with very, very brief pieces on unusual cars to just get them out there to you with little to no witty commentary.

2) CarMax’s 24 hour test drive now has limitations. I transferred a loaded BMW M5 from a Maryland dealership to my Dulles, Virginia location and went in for a 24 hour test drive, only to be told there’s a new policy. Cars over $60,000, and a whole bunch of muscle cars, are no longer eligible for 24 hour test drives. That’s what my sales rep told me when I showed up to take the M5 home. I noted that’s not what’s on the web and the rep apologized, but I couldn’t take the car home. So I said forget it – not buying a $90,000 car after a drive around the block, and left in a huff. Looked up the latest web policy, and it says “Please note, not all cars qualify for a 24-hour test drive, and customers may only take two 24-hour test drives within a 30-day period.” I guess they can make the rules. That said, I have learned so much more about a car with a 24 hour test drive rather than the loop around the dealership, that this will give me pause. Also, one reader tells me his dealer still lets him take care home for a 24 hour ride. Guess it’s negotiable.

3) CarMax inventory levels are ballooning to the 60,000 car level, up significantly over the last few months. Starting to see a more interesting mix of unicorns – high end cars, older European sports cars, low mileage muscle cars – than I’ve seen in a while (even if I didn’t get around to blogging about them!). I’m going to be more vigilant in August and post twice a week come hell or high water! Hang in there with me, please.

My unicorn to close out the month is a 2014 Jaguar XFR. It’s a handsome sedan with the same drive train and interior as the svelte XKR, but you get four doors and a decent trunk. If you’re a regular reader you know I’ve toyed with more than one XKR purchase as the supercharged motor is just barrels of British fun.

The interior is neat and tidy, with heated and cooled seats, Bluetooth, Meridian audio, navigation and a sunroof (you cannot get a sunroof in an XKR).

Decent sized trunk – I think that’s a ski/passthrough access point in the back?

The heart and soul of the Jaguar XFR is the supercharged 5.0 liter aluminum V-8 powerplant. The last Jaguar XFR I covered I said, “the 5.0 liter supercharged V-8 runs through a six-speed automatic transmission. Depending on the review, the car sprints from 0-60 mph in the low to high four second range. Wish I could be more precise, but web info says the sedan tops out at 155 (limited), 174, and 186 mph. If you own one and hit top speed let me know. We’ll keep it between us.” No need to reinvent the heated steering wheel – all still applies to this car!

This 2014 Jaguar XFR is available here in Laurel, Maryland – not far from me! (And not far from you, Scott. This will fit in your garage?) It’s a one owner, accident free Virginia car with MaxCare good until 125,000 miles and five years.

Stock # 23093302  VIN # SAJWA0JH4EMU18378

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Quick Hit – 908 Mile 2016 Nissan 370Z – 6MT

*** Before we get started on this car, I just want to let everyone know my 2010 Mercedes S600 luxo-rocket is still available, and I even dropped the price to $25,900 OBO! Still has 28,000 miles / 19 months of MaxCare warranty! Here’s the link once again.

Now about this 2016 Nissan 370Z Sport unicorn for sale, with only 908 miles on it. Like the 378 mile 2013 Dodge Charger R/T Max I covered earlier this month, this sports car is really only mostly of interest because of the peculiarly and unusual low mileage. Check out the trip odometer below – if I’m reading the left one correctly the car has been driven almost 84 hours covering only 908 miles! Average speed 10 mph? Where has this car been going and why?

The interior is as pristine as the day it came off the dealership lot five years ago. But it’s a 2016, you say, isn’t it six years old? Oddly the car was shipped to the Illinois dealership in March of 2016, but didn’t sell until June of 2017. (There’s an entry in the vehicle history of 8,000 miles during emissions testing in 2022 – clearly a typo.) Why didn’t it sell?

The 2016 Nissan 370Z Sport sold for maybe $45,000 new. It’s an okay sports car. The best reviewers can say is it’s “balanced” – decent handling and acceleration, but offset by a harsh ride, limited space (although leg room up front is fantastic), and a high price tag. Per Motor Trend, “the Sport trim adds a limited-slip differential, 19-inch Rays forged alloy wheels, the SynchroRev Match feature on the manual gearbox, sport brakes, and a Bose audio system.” This car had the rear view camera option added, but not much else.

I have to say in bright red this little sports coupe is not unattractive. I wouldn’t be embarrassed to be seem in it. Wheels are funky, styling muted – spoiler doesn’t exaggerate or suggest it’s faster than it is.

The 370Z has a hatchback, but that big ol’ bar across the shock towers doesn’t leave much room back there for stashing stuff. So no back seat and no storage space. Disappointing.

The 3.7 liter V-6 is actually a solid engine with 332 hp, and mated to the six speed manual it’ll run a 4.7 second 0-60 mph – pretty darned good for a naturally aspirated six cylinder. My hunch is it’s got all the kinks worked out and is pretty darn reliable. The 370Z has been around since 2006 and was terminated in 2020. It had a good run. You buy one and you know what you’re getting.

Bonus points if you read this far and know this obscure country music performer I dig. His name is Jimmie Dale Gilmore, from Texas. Spent some time in a Colorado ashram studying metaphysics before launching a mediocre career. I once saw him play in Atlanta, where he introduced a song by suggesting we not really focus on the lyrics too much, that wouldn’t be fair. Then he said actually don’t focus on the music much either, just sort of take in the experience.

That’s how I feel about this 2016 Nissan 370Z – ignore the pedestrian parts and the unremarkable attributes and just enjoy a decent enough sports car that really nobody has driven. Hell, you could buy this and have 149,000 miles of MaxCare coverage over five years if you wanted. What’s hard to ignore, though, is the price – it’s pushing $37,000 – not much discount from new. In fact, to show how used car prices have skyrocketed, check out this post of mine from 2019 (scroll way down) – a nearly identical 2014 Nissan 370Z 6MT with less than 2,000 miles was offered by CarMax for $10,000 less! But if you like Z-cars, this single owner, accident free one is available in Omaha here at the moment.

Stock # 22893281 VIN # JN1AZ4EH1GM937543

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Quick Hit – 378 Mile 2013 Dodge Charger R/T Max

Won’t take up too much of your time on this nine year old Dodge Charger R/T Max, but since no takers yet on my 2010 Mercedes S600 for sale, I thought I’d share this ridiculously low mileage sedan with a beefy V-8 as an alternative. Reduced the price on my 96,000+ mile S600 to $25,900. This Dodge is selling for $33,998 and only has 378 miles. It’s about as new old car as I’ve seen at CarMax and a bit of a unicorn.

Here’s your proof. Not even ready for an oil change (although I suspect one has been done, or should be done, by CarMax before sale). I know, I know….ultra low mileage cars are prone to have gaskets and seals and rubbery things rotted from lack of use – believe the CarMax 90 day / 4,000 mile warranty would be the window to get a post-purchase inspection by an outside garage and anything addressed. MaxCare is available for five years and up to 150,000 miles – you could drive this car 30,000 miles a year and still not be out of warranty!

The interior looks brand spanking new, as it should. Not a crease in the seats. The R/T Max comes with adaptive cruise control, AWD, heated steering wheel, heating and cooling seats, and even heating and cooling cupholders! If it had Apple CarPlay and seat massagers it would be complete.

Gigantic trunk with a Beats subwoofer in the sidewall.

The 5.7 liter V-8 is good for 370hp, not the beast in the SRT models but a reliable motor common to Dodges and Chryslers and even the Jeep I had for a bit. Interestingly, the powertrain includes a Mercedes-sourced five speed automatic transmission. The Dodge gets about the same mileage as my S600, although it’s a little slower. The car was in Tinley Park, Illinois this morning but now shows as being transferred somewhere. The car sold new for probably a shade over $40,000 new and hasn’t depreciated much. It’s a really nicely equipped car, though, and a real time capsule. Track it here if you like and see if it sells.

Stock # 22850704  VIN # 2C3CDXCT2DH613727

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2010 Mercedes S600 V-12 For Sale – Mine!

The time has come to sell my beloved 2010 Mercedes S600 (W221) while there’s plenty of MaxCare extended warranty left for the next owner, and so I can pursue my next unicorn. The short version is this; the car has less than 96,500 miles and the free (to the buyer) transferable MaxCare warranty is good until 125,000 odometer miles, or February 2024, whichever comes first. If you’ve read this blog at all, you know it’s all about driving deeply depreciated cars I can’t afford to repair, but the financial risk is transferred to MaxCare – “driving rich”. The car sold new for over $150,000 and is offered at $25,900 OBO on Autotrader (Link Here) and however many other Mercedes Facebook groups I can find. Shoot me a message if you are interested or have questions. I’m happy to share the service history, MaxCare details, and more photos. The Mercedes data card is at the bottom of this blog as well.

There are W221 S600’s on Autotrader for more and less money, with more and less mileage. Twenty total I think. This is the only one with an extended warranty. When I sold my 2004 Mercedes S55 it was also still covered by MaxCare, and the buyer and I met a local Mercedes dealership. I offered that anything he found that I had not noticed, we’d turn the car in and get it fixed. And we did. He gained confidence the car was solid, and he got to see the MaxCare coverage work. More than willing to do that again with this S600. That’s why the price is a little above Autotrader’s market average.

The full text of what I would have put on Autotrader (had they not limited me to 2,000 characters!) is at the bottom. What I hope to share here are some of the nuances of owning a Mercedes S600. I’ve driven it from Virginia to Oregon and back twice on pandemic runs to see my youngest adult son living in Portland, and during one of these the description of “driving from a comfortable recliner, in your living room, in a bank vault, on a bullet train” came to me. I covered Crawfordsville, Indiana to Cheyenne, Wyoming alone in a single day – 1,050 miles in just under 13 hours including gas and McDonald’s. Felt like a short drive to Grandma’s. If I can figure out how to post my dash cam video you can watch it all! I also took the car on another thousand mile loop through the Virginia countryside in the early days of the pandemic. It was my cocoon. Did an 1,800 mile run to the 24 Hours of Daytona and back last January. Previous owners put 45,000 miles on the car in nine years. I added 50,000 in three. I love driving this car.

I became a CarMax/Maxcare addict after enjoying over $35,000 in “free” (to me) repairs to my 2004 Mercedes S55 AMG – a car I paid $21,000 for plus maybe $3,500 for MaxCare. CarMax never flinched on the repairs. So far I’m over $15,000 in MaxCare repairs for the S600. The most expensive fixes have been the seats – twice. I don’t know the exact amount because a number of repairs in the early days were listed as “No Charge” on the service documents. Later they had the dollar amounts. I paid $7,500 for MaxCare when I bought the car and I’ve clearly gotten my money’s worth.

Continue reading “2010 Mercedes S600 V-12 For Sale – Mine!”
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1 of 25 2015 Subaru WRX STI “Red Dragon”!

I wouldn’t normally stoop to pix of models with cars so bear with me. The 1 of 25 2015 Ali Afshar “Signature Series” ESX STI Special 10TH Anniversary “Red Dragon” Edition WRX STI unicorn being offered by CarMax (#46) was one of two used by ESX for the photo shoot when the car was rolled out in 2015 – #52 being the other. Brings some authenticity to it. Right up front I’ll say for the life of me I can’t solve why if only 25 cars were made the numbers on the intakes and the fenders are higher than 25. Perhaps there were 25 street and 25 off roaders? The car is not as fast as the 1 of 209 models of the 2019 Subaru STI S209 I covered back in August 2021, but it is more exclusive and the S209 sold for almost $70,000 used.

I don’t know much about Subarus and thanks to a kind reader for bringing this to my attention. What I’ve learned is Ali Afshar is an experienced Californian Subaru racing guy who founded Easy Street Motorsports (also known as ESX Motorsports) and an accomplished actor. In 2005 Subaru authorized Mr. Afshar to develop and sell the original limited edition 425 hp WRX STI, with 40 made in the initial run.

In 2015 Subaru again authorized a very limited run of 25 Ali Afshar 10th anniversary WRX Red Dragons. Two versions were made, a 355 hp street legal car and a 425 hp off road model. The cars are serialized with plates in the engine bay and a logo under the left front headlight. Are the cars any good? I can’t tell. Haven’t found any motor car magazines testing the Red Dragon versions. I have found WRX STI enthusiasts throwing shade saying it wasn’t worth the additional cost and not all that much better than a regular (as if there was a regular!) WRX STI.

The above two shots of the plate in the engine bay are from ESX Motorsports web site. The plate below is from the CarMax photo shoot. Really not as big a deal as I’m making it but still a little cool?

The interior is a bit loud but I think that’s consistent with the car. Interesting that the seat belt is some sort of racing four point harness. Not sure the point of the bar below. A brace? Grab bar for panicking passengers? Hang your sport coat when commuting?

Wondering about the shift knob. On the lot in Florida car #46 has a conventional manual transmission shift knob, while the Red Dragons originally came with the special “ESX Red Anodized Aluminum Shift Knob”. Wondering if one of the two previous owners swapped it out and kept as a souvenir before selling it to CarMax?

CarMax still lists this car as a 305 hp WRX, but it’s not. It’s the 355 hp Red Dragon. What’s also good is that MaxCare is available up to 150,000 miles and until 2027. With only 27,000 miles on it now you can drive it real hard worry free.

The shot above of #46 from the ESX website includes the window sticker. Any readers from the imagery community able to blow that up for me? Some of the criticism was the price tag – some said as much as $76,000, but cars were available for as low as $56,000 from some of the few dealers who had them. Not sure how accurate any of that was. A “regular” WRX STI had 305 hp and sold new for under $40,000. This one is now available for $36,998 so maybe not so bad now? That’s about the same price as any used 2015 Subaru WRX STI.

The 25 Red Dragons were originally allocated to just 10 dealerships – one in Connecticut, one in Pennsylvania, one in Oregon, four in California (Ali Afshar’s home state), and three in Florida, including Jacksonville, where this car was sold. The car currently shows as not available because it’s being considered for auction. Track it here in Clermont, Florida just 25 miles west of Orlando. If you really want it you can sign up for notifications if and when it becomes available.

Stock # 22729573  VIN # JF1VA2U60F9809148

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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

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Quick Hit – 510 HP 2015 Jaguar XF R Unicorn in Vegas

The 2015 Jaguar XF was the last of the X250 line, with the X260 running from 2016 until now. As far as I can tell, Jaguar stopped making the supercharged V-8 XF R in 2015 as well, making this 510 hp British saloon a bit of a unicorn. For sure, it’s a sleeper. It’s a five owner car that’s made its way around California, Arizona and on to Vegas – there’s a joke there somewhere about it sleeping around but I refuse to make it.

The 5.0 liter supercharged V-8 runs through a six-speed automatic transmission. Depending on the review, the car sprints from 0-60 mph in the low to high four second range. Wish I could be more precise, but web info says the sedan tops out at 155 (limited), 174, and 186 mph. If you own one and hit top speed let me know. We’ll keep it between us.

The Jaguar XF R has heated and air conditioned seats, heated mirrors, Bluetooth and a rearview camera but isn’t all that luxurious otherwise. It’s listed as having the “special edition” package, and I’ve spent too much time trying to figure out what that is. Car will be gone before I do! If you know (Scott?) let me know.

The 2015 Jaguar XF R sold new for perhaps $80,000. There are a dozen available on Autotrader and even Carvana has a pair. Not many at this mileage point – either far more miles and a handful with less, but comparables suggest this price of $35,998 is not that bad. It’s not as good as the way lower mileage XFR I saw last fall, but all prices are up. Also, I tried to explore Carvana’s warranty plans and while they show lots of things covered, couldn’t find anything on a mileage cap or the term of the warranty. Sometimes I get tempted by CPO’s and wonder if there are other aftermarket warranties that are good, and yet I can’t find them as extensive as MaxCare. If this car is for you, it’s still available in Las Vegas here!

Stock # 22667351  VIN # SAJWA0JH1FMU78460

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