There are a lot of big birthdays in the car industry this year, and the Citroen 2CV joins GM and Land Rover in the candle-blowing crowd. To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the deux-say-vay, Hermes created a special version of a 1989 Citroen 2CV6 Special for the Paris Auto Show. If you saw the Bugatti Veryon by Hermes you know what to expect, with hand-stitched swathes of Hermes trademark gray-beige leather contrasted with white on the front and rear benches. Of course the Hermes treatment is worth as much as the car itself, but anything the 2CV lacks in luxury is more than made up for by character.
If the song is true that "to everything, turn turn turn, there is a season, turn turn turn," then we're going to need a lot more seasons for the Fiat 500. In addition to versions by StudioTorino, Diesel and Abarth, not to mention a convertible and an F1-themed run of 12, Fiat is making a special edition 500 to celebrate the car's appearance in the movie Lupin III: Green vs Red. The Japanese anime film itself celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Lupin III series of movies, which began in 1979 when gentleman thief Lupin III used a yellow Fiat 500. While the film is out now on DVD, the special edition Fiat 500 in yellow livery and graced with Lupin's image won't come around until the latter half of 2009, and probably only in Japan. If Fiat keeps this up, it might just challenge the Ford Mustang for the title of Most Gratuitous Special Editions Differentiated by Inconsequential Details.
Yes, this is a Mirage, but no, you're not seeing things. Following hot on the heels of the Peony edition Phantom, Rolls-Royce is introducing yet another special edition of the uber-luxury saloon exclusively for Middle Eastern customers.
Official details aren't available yet, however the Mirage edition Phantom is reportedly named after a famous Arabian horse. It can be had in either black or white, and features 21" wheels, special tailpipes, a carbon fiber interior (yeah, we're serious) and a special emblem stitched into the headrests and assuredly emblazoned elsewhere around the luxury land-yacht. Of course, like the name Phantom Mirage might suggest, the performance image is all smoke and mirrors, with no actual mechanical changes made over the standard model. But like the likewise sporting-pretentious Maybach 57 Landaulet, you can bet buyers will be paying a considerable premium for this special edition.
Remember when the Volkswagen Golf was meant to be an economy car? Well those days may be long gone, if they weren't already, as customers in Europe have demonstrated a willingness to shell out extra for luxury options even on less-than-premium automobiles. To cash in on that demand, European automakers have been scrambling to launch luxury option packages, complete with leather and all the trimmings, like Volkswagen has done with the first special edition of the new sixth-generation Golf. Called, quite simply, the Collectors Edition, the exclusive new Golf tops the range of trim levels. The exterior is sprayed in an especially dark shade of blue which Volkswagen calls "Moonlight blue pearl effect" with matching grille. The 18-inch "Vancouver" wheels have been given a special high-gloss finish. But it's the interior that has been given the really special treatment, swathed in "Iowa" natural leather with piano-lacquer dash inserts and aluminum kick-plates. The special edition, supervised specifically by design chief Walter de Silva – whose initials adorn the vehicle – is being launched in its German market specification; we wouldn't expect it to make it to the US market any time soon.
For the thirteenth year running, Mazda has created a number of vehicles for those with special needs to be showcased at the International Home Care & Rehabilitation Exhibition in Japan. The AZ-Wagon gets a lift-gate out back so that folks limited to wheelchairs can enter and exit through the converted rear hatch while still in their wheelchairs. The MPV Second Row Lift-up Seat (pictured) is also for those in wheelchairs, but those who have the mobility to sit in a conventional seat. And the Biante Autostep has, like an RV, a step that extends whenever the rear door is opened. All of the vehicles are JDM-only, but now that we know Mazda has this kind of expertise, we'd like to speak to them about getting a Kazamai with an ejector seat.
Ford sponsored the Toronto Raptors back in 2006, and one of the promotional ties in the deal was a special Ford Fusion Raptors Edition (here is the promo video). The car is replete with a magical selection of colors and images on the outside, and basketball-themed colors and textures inside. Check out that b-ball steering wheel, and those seats, and the TV in the trunk that would allow you to both ruin your eyes and watch games at a truly awful angle. If nothing else, we're impressed that it took two and a half years to show up on the used car sales floor. Less surprising is the fact that it's only done 5,900 kilometers in that time. It can be all yours for $25,000 Canadian...
As if the Fiat 500 didn't look cartoonish enough as it was, a special edition of the retro supermini has been created. But truth be told, the Fiat 500 Diabolika looks far more badass than the original, sporting a matte black finish with red tail fins, Borrani wire wheels, Brembos and special Pirelli tires hand carved with the Diabolika eye motif. The interior is decked out in black leather interior with all manner of custom touches from the digitally-painted "serial art" frames to the special steering wheel, shifter and handbrake lever. Conceived in collaboration between StudioTorino, Mycrom and comic book publisher Astorina, only 50 examples of the special edition will be offered, at an as-yet undisclosed price.
If you're buying an Escalade, there's a good chance that even the Platinum Edition ESV won't be enough for you. That's why companies like Becker and STRUT exist, so that you can shine like one of the brightest stars in the multiverse. When these two companies get together on something... well, you'll probably need tinted goggles to behold it. So it's with a bang that they introduced a special edition Cadillac ESV limo.
How do you top platinum? With a floor-to-ceiling leather interior, where you'll enjoy a home -- or is that limo? -- theater system, broadband Internet, a wall-mounted computer screen... and the company of your statuesque personal assistant with the Eastern European accent.
At its unveiling at this past March's Geneva show, it was immediately apparent that Abarth had carried off a transformation of the Fiat 500 from a demure retro-hatch into a veritable pocket rocket. But for those for whom the 135 hp turbo four is just not enough, the performance division has unveiled a new limited edition "500 Abarth Opening Edition".
Although the name might suggest a convertible, the 500 Opening Edition is a fixed-roof hot-hatch distinguished by a 160hp engine, dropping a half-second off the conventional 500 Abarth's 0-60 time, now down to a sprightly 7.4 seconds. The Opening Edition also gets red brake calipers behind special 17" alloys in white or titanium finish, tinted glass and a revised interior with red leather and special badging with a serial number plate. Available in either pearl white or Campovolo gray (the latter available with a red-and-white checkered roof), only 100 examples of the 500 Abarth Opening Edition will be offered, complete with a special car cover to keep the exclusive vehicle protected from the elements.
In celebration of GM's 100th Anniversary, GM Asia-Pacific has unveiled the Corvette S-Limited, a 30-car special for the Japanese market. priced at ¥7,980,000. The allotment is split evenly by color -- 15 in Arctic White and 15 in Black. All the cars get the full leather-wrapped interior package; a rear spoiler, mesh grillework , and screened inserts for the side coves and the plate between the exhaust outlets. 'Vettes in Japan are probably scarce enough that they still draw plenty of attention. Hey, in the land where the best-selling car's engine displaces 660cc's, a thundering, 430-horsepower American pushrod that displaces 6.2 liters is always gonna make people look. Appropriately, the Corvette S-Limited officially goes on sale on the Fourth of July.
