Automakers tend to build special edition models to turn a quick buck. A model is coming towards the end of its lifecycle and a special edition is rolled out to shift a few more units. Or a new model is built and a special edition arrives to garner some interest and start off sales with a bang. Every now and then, however, we come across a special edition model with an unusual dedication that takes us completely by surprise. Here are some of the best of them.
Koenigsegg Regera - Prince (TAFKAP)
Christian von Koenigsegg must be a fan of Prince, the genius singer-songwriter responsible for some of the greatest pieces of modern music. Sadly, Prince died on April 21, 2016 of an accidental drug overdose. To honor the late superstar, Koenigsegg quickly took to the social media airwaves and posted this rendered image of its hybrid hypercar, the Regera, in purple. "Purple Rain" is the name of the iconic Prince song but there's also a double meaning here, in Swedish. You see, "Regera" is also Swedish for "reign". And there you have it. "Purple Reign". We think Prince would have really dug this.
Mazda MX-5 Levanto
Mazda commissioned Garage Italia Customs for this unique project involving an MX-5 Miata, dubbed "Levanto". The inspiration? Bruce Brown's 1966 "Endless Summer", a classic documentary about surfing. Garage Italia Customs began with a stock 2016 Miata and gave it a unique livery that mimics the "long summer sunsets" with a bright orange paint that fades to indigo above the waistline for a cool two-tone look. The tuner picked a set of 17-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels from Mazda's own accessories list to complete the exterior look. Inside, that two-tone theme continues with a denim finish with orange accents. Even the seats combine washable denim with Alcantara trim in nautical blue.
Toyota GT86 ‘Initial D’
Not familiar with Initial D? No problem, here's a briefing: it's a famed comic series in Japan that was later turned into an anime. The main character, Takumi Fujiwara, drove a modified Toyota AE86, the iconic ancestor to today's 86. Fujiwara was actually a delivery driver for his father's tofu shop. Welcome to Japan.
Toyota figured it'd be cool to commission manga artist Sonia Leong to give the 2016 GT86 that same exterior styling. Upon completion, Toyota created a bunch of cool concept artworks showcasing the car, which also included custom-made RS Watanabe alloy wheels, TRD suspension, a Fujtsubo exhaust, and a carbon hood. And no, there is no extra power from its 2.0-liter boxer four.
Chevrolet Cruze Tron: Legacy
Why did Chevrolet decide to create this custom Cruze with livery inspired by the movie Tron: Legacy? Because it had a partnership with The Walt Disney Company China. In other words, it's a promotional tool for the 2011 film. Chevy says the futuristic blue lines across the body were created using a special metallic paint. The interior also receives blue lines across the seats, instrument panel, steering wheel and center console. They even added ice blue ambient lighting simply because it looked cool.
Kia Sportage: X-Men Edition
Back in 2015, Kia figured it'd be appropriate for all audiences to honor a certain naked X-Men character named Mystic with a Sportage crossover. The result was this one-off Sportage with "tone-on-tone" matte and gloss blue finish, complete with some yellow accents on the body. There's even racing wheels and tires. Aside from these embellishments, this is nothing more than a current generation Sportage underneath. Can't say we're the biggest fans of the finished product, but the big X glued to the grille under the Kia emblem is kind of cool.
Rolls-Royce Ghost Eternal Love
Rolls-Royce launched yet another special edition of its Ghost ultra-luxury sedan called Ghost Eternal Love. And yes, it was made for China. It debuted at the Minsheng Art Museum in Beijing, China. Developed by the company's highly regarded bespoke division, the Ghost Eternal Love is all about "the theme of love." It features a two-tone exterior with all body panels but the hood finished in English white. The hood and grille frame are painted in Silver Satin. Other exterior elements include 20-inch, fully polished wheels, a dark gray stripe on the beltline featuring and an image of two swans forming a heart on the front fenders. Unlike most others on this list, the Rolls-Royce Ghost Eternal Love not only made production, but a total of 16 examples were built, all for China.
Caterham Seven Harrods Edition
If you're a driving purist then you're familiar with the Caterham Seven. Perhaps you even own one. This bare bones, no-nonsense super lightweight track toy has been in production since 1973. Prior to that, it was made by Lotus (called the Lotus Seven) from 1957 until 1972. Lotus founder Colin Chapman's philosophy of "Simplify, then add lightness" lives on. But back in October 2016, the UK-based car company released a special edition Seven dubbed the Harrods Edition.
As its name suggests, it was inspired by the UK's legendary department store. The Caterham Seven Harrods Edition also marked the debut of Caterham Signature, the brand's first personalization program. The hand-built Harrods Edition was available only at Harrods, and came with special features like the unique paint job, dashboard and interior styling, embroidery, and even the color of the chassis.