Currently Browsing: CarMax Cameras

2007 BMW 750i: CarMax Cameras

2007 BMW 750i: CarMax Cameras

The “E65” BMW 7-Series was, by all accounts, a wonderful car. That is, unless you consider its styling, which came about when BMW’s design team inexplicably ceded control to a man from Ohio with a beard, possibly at gunpoint.

These cars also suffered from issues with iDrive, which was an electronic control system that everyone bitterly complained about. The complaints were so bad, in fact, that nearly every other manufacturer implemented similar systems within ten years.

Fortunately, iDrive improved. And BMW facelifted the E65 7-Series in 2006, which largely ended any complaints about its styling. Except, apparently, for this CarMax employee in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

In this photo, he appears to be dismayed at the 7-Series, with this blurry camerawork likely a ruse to get people not to buy it. He won’t have to work too hard, especially with CarMax’s pricing.

2002 Saturn SL: CarMax Cameras

2002 Saturn SL: CarMax Cameras

I have fond memories of snow. That’s because I grew up in the Mountain West, where I’d spend hours each winter watching my dad shovel snow from the warm privacy of our house. As a result, I can very much sympathize with the CarMax staffer who snapped this picture in Hillside, Illinois.

Apparently keen on taking photos but not particularly intent on shooting good ones, the Hilldale CarMax employee drove this Saturn SL about four feet out of its row and brushed the side windows clear of snow, which may have involved rolling them down and back up again.

But no attempt was made to clear the rest of the car. The result is a snow-covered Saturn which screams “buy me!” about as loudly as it did back when it was new. In other words, with the voice of a domesticated cat.

Teasing aside, this car has already sold, proving that you don’t need good photos to sell a vehicle online. One can only hope they cleaned off the rest of the car before they allowed the new owner to drive away.

2007 Porsche 911: CarMax Cameras

2007 Porsche 911: CarMax Cameras

The Porsche 911 boasts iconic styling and tremendous performance.  Really, it’s a modern marvel: an almost stunning car to drive, especially considering its unusual rear-engine layout.

None of that is clear from this overexposed CarMax photo, which appears to show the place where the convertible top latches to the windshield.  Or, at least, part of it.

I’m not sure exactly what buyers are intended to learn from this photo, which was taken by the clearly qualified CarMax Irvine in Southern California.  But one thing is for sure: the picture doesn’t exactly make me say “Oooh, I want a 911.”  Instead, it’s more like: “Oooh, CarMax Irvine needs better camerawork.”

So, dear readers, all nine of you, if you’re in Irvine and you have a Nikon, or possibly an iPhone, please go directly to CarMax and volunteer your services.  And if you’re in Irvine and you’re shopping for a 911, consider CarMax – and tell them this photo inspired you.

2007 Jaguar XK: CarMax Cameras

2007 Jaguar XK: CarMax Cameras

Yes, you’re reading that right: a sticky note reminder not to go through the car wash with the radio on.  It’s something that every single owner of a 2007 Jaguar XK has sitting in his gauge cluster; or perhaps, after a four-figure repair bill, wishes he had in his gauge cluster.

You see, the 2007 Jaguar XK had an embarrassingly large antenna that shot up from the rear quarter panel every time the radio turned on.  And when I say “shot up,” I mean it: it was a metal rod about four feet long.  Cue “that’s what she said” jokes.

With the radio on in a car wash, the brushes and high-pressure water would destroy the antenna.  Most longtime Jaguar owners never even reported the issue, since they were used to electrical problems when it rained.  But a problem it was, and by 2008 Jaguar fitted the aerial to the windshield like everyone else.

Why CarMax Norcross felt it was worthy of noting in an advertisement, however, is beyond me.