10 Best Special Edition Trucks for 2015

Special edition trucks have crowded showrooms since time immemorial.  Everything from high performance pickups to luxurious workhorses to stylish variations on a theme have been tried by brands looking to boost interest in what have traditionally been huge profit centers for automakers.  Things are no different in 2015, as a respectable number of special edition trucks combine equipment packages, unique designs, and an air of exclusivity in an effort to tempt buyers to spring for something out of the ordinary when they purchase their next pickup. 

Let's take a quick look at 10 of the best special editions trucks available for 2015.

1.  2015 Chevrolet Silverado Midnight Edition Z71

The 2015 Chevrolet Silverado Midnight Edition Z71 takes everything you already like about the company's full-size pickup and makes it blacker.  Well, that's not completely fair - you also get the off-road equipment that comes with the Z71 package as part of the Midnight Edition Z71 package, which includes a more rugged suspension system and four-wheel drive - but the truck is truly defined by its blacked-out grille and bumper, black 18-inch rims, black bedliner, and even black Chevy logos.  There will be 5,000 examples of the Chevrolet Silverado Midnight Edition Z71 sold, if demand soars that high.

Photo by GM Media

2. 2015 Black Ram 1500 Express

The 2015 Black RAM 1500 Express continues the trend of monochromatic, Darth Vader-esque full-size pickups, but with a distinctly Chrysler feel.  Absolutely everything about the Black Ram 1500 Express has been blacked out, from the bumpers, to the 20-inch wheels, to the grille, to the chrome, but it also gains unique projector headlights and a black Ram's head on the tailgate.  In fact, all of the truck's badging is black, and the Ram comes standard with a 395 horsepower, 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 engine that we're pretty sure has a heart of darkness all of its own.

Photo by FCA Media

3.  2015 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro

The 2015 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro is a special edition pickup that goes beyond aesthetics and provides buyers with gear that they can actually sink their teeth into.  The TRD name is already well-established in the Toyota family of trucks thanks to its off-road credibility, but the Toyota Tundra TRD Pro adds goodies such as a two-inch front suspension lift, aggressive all-terrain tires, external reservoir Bilstein shock absorbers, and a dual exhaust system for the truck's 381 horsepower, 5.7-liter V-8 engine.  Of course, you still get great big TRD Pro badges on the truck's flank, along with a unique grille that spells out TOYOTA in block letters that is only available with the TRD Pro line-up of vehicles.

Photo by Toyota

4.  2015 GMC Sierra Denali

The 2015 GMC Sierra Denali represents one of the longest-running special edition trucks on the market.  The GMC Sierra Denali is intended to add a dose of exclusive styling and substantial luxury to an already-comfortable full-size pickup, what with its standard heated and ventilated leather seats, parking assistance front and rear, upscale audio system, heated steering wheel, and adaptive suspension system.  On the outside, the Sierra Denali comes with it's own chrome grille, 20-inch rims, and a number of subtle styling cues that further separate it from the standard version of the Sierra 1500.

5.  2015 Jeep Wrangler JK-8

The 2015 Jeep Wrangler JK-8 is one of the rarest vehicles on our list of the best special edition trucks, and that's because you can't quite drive one off of the showroom floor at your local Jeep dealer.  In actual fact, the Jeep Wrangler JK-8 is a pickup truck based on the popular Jeep Wrangler SUV by way of Mopar, which is the company's in-house tuning and performance group.  The Mopar pickup truck conversion kit comes with a full warranty from Jeep, and you can ask your dealer transform your Wrangler into a truck with a useful open pickup bed and substantial off-road performance.  Only a handful of JK-8's are built in a given year, which makes the Jeep one of the rarest special edition trucks money can buy.

Photo by Jeep

6.  2015 Chevrolet Colorado GearOn Edition

The 2015 Chevrolet Colorado GearOn Edition takes the all-new mid-size pickup and enhances its already practical nature through the use of GearOn accessories.  What exactly does that mean?  Picture a Chevrolet Colorado loaded up with tie-downs, in-bed crossbars, a bed divider, and a bedliner, all of which are intended to improve the truck's ability to haul a diverse range of lifestyle accessories.  Think kayaks, bikes, and ATVs, and you get the idea.  The Colorado GearOn Edition also comes with body-color trim up front (including the grille), black badges front and rear, and black 18-inch rims to go with its black running boards.

Photo by GM Media

7.  2015 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro

The 2015 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro follows its larger Tundra TRD Pro sibling down the off-road path with a similar set of trail-ready upgrades.  You get the same styling details, including the TRD Pro badging and a grille that is shared with the Tundra, but there's also the full contents of the TRD Off-Road package plus almost two inches of front suspension lift, remote-reservoir rear shocks (with Bilsteins up front), Eibach springs, and 16-inch beadlock rims.  Yes, the four-wheel drive Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro features a dual exhaust system from TRD just like the Tundra, and there's an electronically-locking rear differential in place to help improve traction in all driving situations.

Photo by Toyota

8.  2015 Chevrolet Silverado Rally Edition 2

The second Silverado on our list of limited edition trucks has a bit more going for it than blacked-out trim.  The 2105 Chevrolet Silverado Rally Edition 2 (there's also a less-equipped Rally Edition 1 available) comes with a body-color grille, black door handles and side mirrors, special black Bowtie-logo badges, tubular steps to help you get in and out of the pickup, power driver's seat, dual automatic climate control, the MyLink infotainment system, a towing package, and a remote starter.  You can even get rally stripes with the Rally Edition 2 truck if you want them, as long as you order the Silverado in Double or Crew Cab LT trim.

Photo by GM Media

9.  2015 GMC Canyon Nightfall Edition

Are you ready for another blacked-out truck?  The 2015 GMC Canyon Nightfall Edition proves that the American love affair with black chrome, black rims, and black grilles is a strong one, (although the Nightfall Edition only gets black inserts for its alloy rims).  There's black side steps, automatic climate control, and a bedliner attached to every GMC Canyon Nightfall Edition truck, and the monochromatic attitude of the truck is broken up by polished exhaust tips out back.  A locking differential comes standard if you order four-wheel drive with the mid-size pickup, and you can choose between either four or six-cylinder engines under the hood of the GMC.

Photo by GM Media

10.  2017 Ford F-150 Raptor

We're going to cheat a little here and talk about a truck that you can't actually buy in 2015, but which was shown to the world at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show.  The 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor continues the brand's tradition of building a higher performance desert-racer truck on the same platform as its F-150 full-size pickup.  Given that the F-150 was completely redesigned for the 2015 model year, bringing us an aluminum body, the Raptor itself benefits from a much lighter curb weight.  It also swaps out the previous-generation Raptor's V-8 power for a twin-turbo EcoBoost V-6 engine that will push out between 400 and 450 horsepower when it goes into production.  A 10-speed automatic transmission and four-wheel drive will additionally come standard with the Ford F-150 Raptor.