CarMax Invites Customers to 'Do Donuts'

Jason R. Sakurai
by Jason R. Sakurai

CarMax has invited customers to ‘do donuts’ during their test drives, a promotion with Dunkin’ Donuts. For shoppers who take part in CarMax’s 24-hour test drives today through May 16th, they’ll receive a $10 Dunkin’ Donuts gift card.

What encouragement does the general public need to do donuts in CarMax vehicles? The vision of drivers fueled on sugar and caffeine hot lapping used cars is laughable but entirely possible.

“At CarMax, we believe the car-buying experience should be as enjoyable as possible,” said Sarah Lane, vice president, marketing at CarMax. “We want customers to experience a day in their life with their new ride. Since America Runs on Dunkin’, we know that includes a trip through the Dunkin’ drive-thru for their favorite order. Collaborating with Dunkin’ on “Doin’ Donuts” makes CarMax’s 24-Hour Test Drive experience that much sweeter.”

CarMax customers also receive a checklist of ideas of what to do with the vehicle for 24 hours. This includes taking your dog for a drive, packing the trunk to ensure things fit, and going through a drive-through to see if you have enough cupholders. No word on whether they ding you for pet hair, grass, or sprinkles found in the car upon its return from the test drive. Apparently, this was Dunkin’ Donuts’ thinking, too.

“You never know if a car is right for you until you’ve taken it through a Dunkin’ drive-thru,” said Dunkin’s Melanie Rabino. “Making sure your vehicle’s cup holders perform perfectly is the perfect test.”

The other type of donuts, the unsanctioned kind, were not mentioned by either CarMax nor Dunkin’. This promotion marks the second time in recent weeks where CarMax has amped up its media presence.

[Images: CarMax]

Jason R. Sakurai
Jason R. Sakurai

With a father who owned a dealership, I literally grew up in the business. After college, I worked for GM, Nissan and Mazda, writing articles for automotive enthusiast magazines as a side gig. I discovered you could make a living selling ad space at Four Wheeler magazine, before I moved on to selling TV for the National Hot Rod Association. After that, I started Roadhouse, a marketing, advertising and PR firm dedicated to the automotive, outdoor/apparel, and entertainment industries. Through the years, I continued writing, shooting, and editing. It keep things interesting.

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  • NotMyCircusNotMyMonkeys so many people here fellating musks fat sack, or hodling the baggies for TSLA. which are you?
  • Kwik_Shift_Pro4X Canadians are able to win?
  • Doc423 More over-priced, unreliable garbage from Mini Cooper/BMW.
  • Tsarcasm Chevron Techron and Lubri-Moly Jectron are the only ones that have a lot of Polyether Amine (PEA) in them.
  • Tassos OK Corey. I went and saw the photos again. Besides the fins, one thing I did not like on one of the models (I bet it was the 59) was the windshield, which looked bent (although I would bet its designer thought it was so cool at the time). Besides the too loud fins. The 58 was better.
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