Top Limited-Edition Cars
Special editions of well-known auto brands have been around for years, and today a consumer with enough buying power can drive in a car that expresses such specific interests as breast cancer awareness (Fiat made 250 Pink Ribbon edition Fiat 500s) or simply an interest in status (Nieman Marcus offers a bespoke 2012 Ferarri FF for sale in this year’s Christmas Book catalog).
Editors from the automotive information resource Edmunds.com joined with the Edmunds online spinoff Inside Line, an auto enthusiast destination, to compile this list of the top 10 limited-edition cars. Click ahead to see them all, and to get the take of Edmunds.com Senior Editor Erin Riches on why each car made the list.
By Colleen Kane
Posted 15 November 2011
2011-2012 Aston Martin One-77
Price: $1.87 million
Top Speed: 220.007 mph
0-to-60: around 3.5 seconds
Number Produced: 77
Oh, oh — 77. That’s the number of cars produced for the hand-built limited edition One-77. It’s the fastest street-legal Aston Martin of all time, topping out at 220.007 miles per hour. The One-77 vanquished the former champion Vanquish, which could only reach a pitiful 200 mph.
2012 Audi TT RS
Price: $56,850
Top Speed: 174 mph
0-to-60: 4.1 seconds
Number Produced: 1,000
“The TT has always been a pretty car, but never a very sporty one,” says Edmunds.com Senior Editor Erin Riches. That all changed with the introduction of the 360-horsepower TT RS, which hits 60 mph in a claimed 4.1 seconds. And it’s here by popular demand: Riches notes that more than 11,000 Audi lovers signed a petition to persuade the automaker to bring this limited run to the U.S.
2011 BMW 1 Series M
Price: $47,010
Top Speed: 155 mph
0-to-60: 4.6 seconds
Number Produced: 1,000
In the BMW 1 Series line, this is the most elite car and — this is kind of the deal with all limited editions — there’s not enough to go around: BMW only exported 1,000 cars to the U.S. for the 2011 model year. Riches says, “Not only is it quick, it's incredibly entertaining to drive on a twisty back road.”
2011-2012 BMW Alpina B7
Price: $122,000
Top Speed: 175mph
0-to-60: 4.5 seconds
Number Produced: around 1,000
For decades, Alpina has been admired among auto cognoscenti as BMW’s specialty motorsports branch. These limited edition BMWs are built mainly for the European market, but about 1,000 examples of the B7 were made available at U.S. BMW dealerships from 2010 to 2011. “If a normal BMW 7 Series bores you, this 500-hp executive sedan should be just the ticket,” says Riches.
2011 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Carbon
Price: $75,525 (for 2012)
Top Speed: 198 mph
0-to-60: 3.75 seconds
Number Produced: 500
Chevrolet’s 500 Corvette Z06 Carbon models were painted either Inferno Orange or Supersonic Blue, featured black-spoked wheels, and will be some of the most collectible 'Vettes of the C6 generation. While the cars are sold out, there is some good news, says Riches: “You can still buy a Corvette Z06 with all of the Carbon's performance hardware, including the carbon-ceramic brakes and Magnetic Selective Ride Control suspension.”
2011 Dodge Challenger SRT8 392
Price: $44,680
Top Speed: 180 mph manual, 173 mph automatic
0-to-60: 4.5 seconds
Number Produced: 1,492
The 2011 Challenger 392 came with blue paint and white stripes, or white paint with blue stripes, and both had (rather questionable, if we may opine) white seats. While this edition is not a radical departure from previous Challengers, Riches points out that this was the first batch to get the new 6.4-liter, V8 engine, which along with an improved suspension helped celebrate Chrysler's return from the brink. Of the 1,492 examples of the 2011 Dodge Challenger SRT8 392 Inaugural Edition, 1,100 of them were sold in the U.S. and the rest went on the Canadian market.
2012 Fiat 500 Abarth
Anticipated Price: between $17,500 (cost of 500 Sport) and $23,800 (Mini Cooper MSRP)
Top Speed: N/A
0-to-60: 7.4 seconds
Number Produced: N/A
The Fiat 500 is a cute little car, but it's not known for speed. The Italian racing car maker with the scorpion logo, Abarth, has had positive ties with the automaker since modifying many small Fiats for better performance in the 1960s and 1970s. Beginning in the first half of 2012, explains the Edumunds editor Riches, the Abarth badge will appear on the modern Cinquecento and, she says, “with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine, the little car should finally deliver memorable acceleration.”
2010-2012 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor
Price: $41,550 (2011)
Top Speed: 100 mph
0-to-60: 6.6 seconds
Number Produced: N/A
Riches calls the Raptor “the most interesting vehicle to come out Ford's performance vehicle division in a long time.” This specialized F-150 is built to off-road. Not only does it look the part, it has all the right hardware to handle extremes without breaking down.
2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca
Price: $40,995
Top Speed: 155 mph
0-to-60: N/A
Number Produced: 750
Who’s the Boss? The Boss 302 dates to the 1960s, and the modern version is easily the best-handling Mustang you can buy, according to Riches. Of the 4,000 planned Boss 302 Mustangs being built for 2012, 750 of those will have the limited-edition Laguna Seca Package. Cars with this package have black or ingot silver paint, a red C stripe and a red roof, plus upgraded running gear for high performance.
2012 Volvo S60 T6 R-Design
Price: $43,375
Top Speed: 134 mph
0-to-60: 5.5 seconds
Number Produced: N/A
Volvos have a bit of an unsexy reputation for practicality — safe, but dull to drive. Riches makes the case that although the new S60 is loaded with safety equipment, it's anything but boring. “The T6 R-Design is the S60 to get if you like driving, as it gives you a bit more power (325 hp) while running on 87 octane, and features sharper steering response and sportier handling,” she says.