If you want to get car people talking, special editions are a great place to start. Some are great — many homologation specials, for instance — and others are blatantly lazy attempts to use stickers to increase profit margins, a tactic which naturally provokes enthusiasts to outrage.
A few weeks ago, we took a data-informed look at special editions, to see which editions add value. This week, we’re approaching the subject purely, er, subjectively. We polled our staff for their favorite special editions, and the resulting list focuses on times when special edition really did add something to the base car, whether that was increased power and track-tuned suspension, a new level of luxury, unique style, or a meaningful tribute to an important person.
When you’re done reading, take a minute to tell us your favorite special edition in the comments below!
1986 Buick LeSabre Grand National
For its sheer strangeness…. the 1986 Buick LeSabre Grand National. Given the genuine performance pedigree of the rear-drive, G-body Regal Grand National, the front-drive LeSabre is more of a novelty. Or a let-down. In any case, Buick made only 117 of them as a way to homologate the H-body Buick for NASCAR competition. The target was to compete with the Ford Thunderbird, which Buick attempted by adding aerodynamic improvements such as a Regal-esque quarter window and a front air dam. Other than a transmission calibration and modified final drive ratio, the GN was, mechanically speaking, a plain-Jane LeSabre. Deeply weird stuff. — Eric Weiner
2001 Ford Mustang Bullitt
The 2001 Bullitt is my favorite version of my least favorite Mustang. The cosmetic upgrades (special paint, no rear spoiler, special trim, Torq Thrust–style wheels) left it looking better than any of the other “New Edge” Mustangs without going over the top. Though the performance upgrades (upgraded shocks, Cobra brakes, 5 more hp) were nothing crazy, they were noticeable. The 2001 Bullitt may have been just another play on Steve McQueen nostalgia, but the car itself was a tasteful take on that platform. — Andrew Newton
1978 Lincoln Continental Mark V Diamond Jubilee Edition
The Diamond Jubilee Continental Mark V was the real deal. Leather dash, leather console, unique seats, even a diamond (fake) in the windows. I’ve only scratched the surface, as even the door chime was unique. It wasn’t the traditional buzzer of the era; instead it was an actual bell and hammer making a legitimate chime.
Of course, it retailed for something like 60 percent more than a base model, so maybe the real special editions can be spotted by their window stickers. Some anniversaries are truly worth celebrating, perhaps? — Sajeev Mehta
1996 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport
Not sure why, but after all these years, I still have a soft spot for the Admiral Blue 1996 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport, sort of a fond farewell to the 12-year run of the C4 model, right before the C5 took over. It was a step down from the ZR-1, but got that model’s massive wheels and tires, those 315/35ZR-17 Goodyear Eagles on the rear covered by small eyebrow-style fender flares borrowed from the Japanese-market Corvettes. My Grand Sport would have the removable roof panel, the six-speed manual transmission, and the 330-horsepower LT4 V-8. It would have the ultra-stiff Z51 handling package. And, of course, it would have that big white stripe up the middle, and those two little red stripes over the left front fender. I spent a week in this car, and the fact that I remember it fondly after 29 years says a lot. — Steven Cole Smith
2026 Toyota GR86 Yuzu Edition
This is partially because I drove one and partially because I just happen to adore the car that it’s based on, but I think the Toyota GR86 Yuzu Edition is a legitimately awesome car. Aside from the wild yellow paint (I normally despise yellow, but love it here), the Yuzu gets a neat body kit and a quad-tip exhaust that makes it sound superb. What’s more, this is a car that you can buy and daily drive without much hassle, having an absolute hoot pretty much everywhere along the way.
I’m dreading the day the 86 and its Subaru BRZ counterpart reach the end of their road, because I’m not sure that a successor could make sense. I’ll hope like hell it does, though. — Nate Petroelje
1996 Volkswagen Golf Harlequin
I always liked the 1996 Volkswagen Golf Harlequin, although the American market sure didn’t. Based on the successful Polo sold in Europe that was given the same treatment, only 264 Harlequin Golfs were sold here. But for anyone who loved a pop of color or four (the body panels came in Ginster Yellow, Tornado Red, Chagall Blue, and Pistachio Green), these were happy little cars. — Stefan Lombard
2006 Chevrolet Silverado Intimidator SS
When you make a special edition, it’s gotta be for a good reason. While a Silverado has very little to do with his Nascar career, branding a very stylish Silverado SS with Intimidator badging and touches was a pretty awesome tribute to Dale Earnhardt. The Silverado Intimidator SS was limited to just 1333 trucks in 2006 and while there were no mechanical upgrades compared to the standard Silverado SS, the presence and style of the Intimidator is undeniable. Just like the legend it was named after. — Kyle Smith
1982 Chevrolet Corvette Collector’s Edition
The C3 Corvette had some cool Collector’s Edition models with two-tone paint schemes, but the 1982 Corvette Collector’s Edition added a functional hatchback for the first time, previewing the C4 that would soon debut. The 1982 Collector’s Edition Corvette also had wider rubber mounted on turbine wheels and distinctive fade graphics on the doors and hood. The silver-and-beige interior matched the exterior nicely. Unfortunately, the 1982 Corvette also came with Crossfire Injection, which looked cool but couldn’t hold a candle to the crossram 302 that inspired it. — Brandan Gillogly
1999 Paul Smith Mini
The 1999 Paul Smith Mini wore 82 stripes in 26 different colors and was a vibrant celebration of the Mini’s 40th anniversary. It would go nicely with my favorite multi-colored Paul Smith scarf. It wasn’t the first coming together of Mini world and fashion world, with Mary Quant designing a special edition a decade earlier, but I don’t think I can quite carry off a Quant mini skirt to match one. — Nik Berg
2008–09 Koenigsegg CCXR Trevita
The Koenigsegg CCXR Trevita is a special, white-carbon-fiber edition of the brand’s second model, the CCX. It follows the same recipe as the first Koenigsegg, the CC: a V-8 placed in the middle of a carbon-fiber tub, with a removable roof. If you’re not familiar with Koenigsegg, it’s a Swedish supercar firm founded in ’94 by Christian von Koenigsegg, a 22-year-old who wanted to pick up where the McLaren F1 left off. (He wasn’t ambitious or anything …)
Not only was the CCXR the brand’s first model built for global homologation—a big step for a young, boutique supercar company—but it fulfilled Christian’s dream by dethroning the F1 as the world’s fastest car in 2005. Koenigsegg is always experimenting with weird and wonderful in-house projects, including a combination manual and automatic transmission, and the Trevita was its foray into white carbon-fiber. Because why the heck not, when you’ve successfully built the company of your dreams? — Grace Jarvis
Bonus Round: GMC Syclone Marlboro Edition
If the GMC Syclone wasn’t already wild enough, there was also a “Marlboro Edition” version of the Ferrari-beating pickup with “Hot Licks” red paint, a removable roof, special wheels, Recaro seats, Simpson 5-point harnesses, a Momo steering wheel, Borla exhaust and, of course, Marlboro graphics. Ten of them were built and given away via a prize drawing put on by the cigarette company. Talk about things that wouldn’t happen today. — Andrew Newton