10 Limited Edition Cars

Some special edition cars are just sticker packages, pin-stripes, and badges, but then there are those unique versions of both popular and rare automobiles that truly deserve the 'special edition' label.  These are models that add something unique to the mix, be it in terms of performance, style, or exclusivity, for a variety of reasons: some commemorate an important event in an automaker's history, while others highlight the involvement of a celebrity or two in their design.  And then, of course, there are those special editions that celebrate the sporting heritage of the model in question.

Let's take a look at 10 special edition cars and see what they have to offer you on both the new and used market.

The 2011 BMW 1 Series M Coupe was a bit of an experiment, a one-year-only model that saw just 1,000 examples imported to the United States.  The idea was to reach back into the German automaker's past and reconnect with the original spirit of the E30 M3, an icon amongst compact lightweight sports coupes.  To this end, the BMW 1 Series M Coupe featured the smallest rear-wheel drive chassis on offer from the brand, coupled with a 335 horsepower, 3.0-liter twin-turbo six-cylinder engine.  The M Coupe also came with a six-speed manual transmission, a suspension package lifted in part from the then-current BMW M3, as well as larger brakes and quicker steering compared to the standard 1 Series.  Performance was spectacular, and the 1 Series M Coupe is one of the few modern automobiles to have actually appreciated in value since it first went on sale.

The 2015 Mazda MX-5 Miata 25th Anniversary celebrates both the quarter century milestone for the world's most popular convertible sports car as well as the final year of production for the current generation of the roadster.  The Mazda MX-5 Miata 25th Anniversary is limited to just 100 versions, and it offers special equipment such as a unique red color, special interior trim, aluminum pedals, numbered 25th Anniversary edition badges on the front fenders, and a standard retractable hardtop.  Power remains the same for the unique MX-5 Miata, as the 2.0-liter, 167 horsepower four-cylinder engine is maintained, but the unit comes with 'hand-selected' pistons, connection rods, and flywheel in order to offer quicker revving.  Buyers can choose between either as six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission.

In celebration of its return to North American shores, Alfa Romeo is leading with the 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C Launch Edition.  Priced abut $14k higher than the base version of the 4C sports coupe, the Alfa Romeo 4C Launch Edition will be limited to just 1,000 examples worldwide, and it will offer a Track package suspension system, HID headlights, LED running lights, carbon fiber trim throughout the interior, 18-inch rims up front, 19-inch rims in the back, red brake calipers, a special front bumper, and a carbon fiber spoiler to match its carbon fiber side mirrors.  Power is still delivered by a turbocharged, 1.75-liter four-cylinder engine (237 horses in total), which is managed by a six-speed dual-clutch automated manual transmission.

If you want your all-new Subaru WRX STI to sit in the same gold BBS wheels that were available with older generations of the sport sedan, then you are going to have to make sure you snag one of the 1,000 2015 Subaru WRX STI Launch Edition models.  In addition to its BBS spinners - the only gold wheels available from the factory - you get keyless entry, push-button start, and unique trim throughout the cabin, as well as a short throw shifter.  It's not the best-equipped edition of the WRX STI out there, but it does feature the same 305 horsepower, 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine as other flavors of the STI, as well as standard all-wheel drive, a driver-controlled center differential, and a six-speed manual transmission.

If one thing can be said for certain about the Nissan GT-R sports coupe, it's that it doesn't need more power - the 545 horses from its 3.8-liter twin-turbo V-6, combined with its trick all-wheel drive system and six-speed automated manual transmission are enough to launch the car to 60-mph in roughly 3 seconds.  In recognition of this fact, when the 2014 Nissan GT-R Track Edition was put together the Japanese automaker focused mostly on improving the vehicle's suspension, as well as reducing weight by removing the rear seats.  There's also a different front spoiler, carbon fiber ducting to cool the vehicle's brakes and engine, and a carbon fiber spoiler for the Nissan GT-R Track Edition, of which only 150 editions were sold in the United States.

Now that it's back under the Dodge banner, the Viper SRT super coupe gains a new special edition to celebrate.  The 2015 Dodge Viper SRT TA 2.0 is the latest version of the famed Viper Time Attack car that set the production lap time record at Laguna Seca raceway in Monterey, California.  In addition to its 645 horsepower, 8.4-liter ten-cylinder engine and six-speed manual transmission, the Dodge Viper SRT TA 2.0 provides an enormous rear wing, corner splitters, and 'dive planes,' all in a bid to improve aerodynamics.  Stiffer springs, upgraded Brembo brakes, and a race-ready alignment round out the highlights of the TA 2.0 package.

The 2011 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Carbon Limited Edition served to underscore just what a scary platform for performance the Z06 'Vette had become at that stage in its evolution.  Only 500 examples of the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Carbon Limited Edition were ever produced, and it featured the same 15-inch carbon ceramic brakes found in the much pricier Corvette ZR-1. It also borrowed the ZR-1's wheels, Michelin Pilot PS2 tires, and most important of all, its magnetically-adaptive suspension system.  The 'Carbon' in the Corvette Z06's name referred to a number of carbon fiber pieces that were affixed to the coupe, including a front splitter, side mirror surrounds, rocker panel extensions, and a full carbon fiber roof panel and hood.  505 horsepower from a 7.0-liter V-8 engine was standard with the special edition Corvette, as was a six-speed manual transmission.

The 2012 Infiniti FX Vettel Edition was an unusual special edition automobile, if only because it linked Red Bull F1 driver Sebastian Vettel not with a sedan or a coupe but a crossover SUV.  The Infiniti FX Vettel Edition was built to the tune of just 150 models, further compounding its exclusivity, and it took the already fun-to-drive FX and raised its output of the north of 400 horses by way of grafting a revised exhaust system to its 5.0-liter V-8 engine.  The crossover also sits lower than stock, offers a seven-speed automatic transmission, rides on firmer adaptive shock absorbers, and comes with a number of carbon fiber bits to further visually distance itself from the base Infiniti FX.

The 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat goes the extra muscle car mile by stuffing a 707 horsepower engine under the hood of what was already a potent performance coupe.  The most powerful production V-8 on the planet teams up with a massaged chassis and an army of electronic nannies to offer blazing 0-60 times and a quarter mile score that dips into the 11 second range on street tires.  The SRT Hellcat also features a launch control system, which is an absolute must if you don't have an unlimited tire budget.  Transmission choices with the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat include a six-speed manual and an eight-speed automatic.

Unless you live in China, you probably aren't familiar with the 2014 Rolls-Royce Ghost Majestic Horse Edition.  That's because 2014 was the Year of the Horse in China, and to celebrate Rolls-Royce produced a special edition of the Ghost sedan to celebrate.  What do you get with the Majestic Horse Edition Roller?  How about a horse motif that is etched into the seats, painted onto the fenders, and hand-crafted into the wood on the dashboard.  The unique Ghost also gets to keep its 6.6-liter V-12 engine that's good for 563 horsepower, matched to an eight-speed automatic transmission.