Photo: Daimler AG
I'm aware that I probably sound like a grumpy old man that wants all these new special edition cars off his lawn, but there are two problems with that line of thought.
Firstly, I don't actually hate special edition cars, or at least not all of them. Secondly, I don't have a lawn, mainly because I live in a flat.
Getting back to how special and limited edition cars are destroying the polar ice caps, stealing from poor people and ruining Christmas, I have come to the conclusion that a lot of them are simply useless.
Well, pretty much all cars are useless in the sense that they're not worth the money after reaching a certain level, but limited edition models usually reach that level a hell of a lot sooner.
No, I get it, special/limited edition vehicles are created simply as a marketing incentive to sell the rest of the boring cars upon which they are based, right. I know I'm not wrong in saying this and not even carmakers would disagree with this statement.
To make things clear, I'm not talking about all special edition cars, but mostly about inept ones. For example, there's nothing wrong with a Bugatti Veyron LaFinale, mainly because it's one of a kind and it actually stands for something. There is also nothing wrong in my view with highly limited cars such as the Aston Martin One-77, the Mercedes-Benz SLR Stirling Moss or the cheaper BMW 1M Coupe. Coincidentally, all these models appreciate their market value as time passes.
Then there are models like the Bugatti Veyron SuperSport Blue Carbon Edition, any Edition 1 Mercedes-Benz or various “Black Edition” Hondas, Nissans, Fords, you name it.
Buyers of such exquisite art pieces on wheels have their senses tickled, and their noses sit up high in the air knowing that their GLA45 AMG's Edition 1s are entirely different and, most of all, better, than their puny neighbors' Mercedes-AMG GLA45s.
Except that they're wrong because a 2016 or a 2017 GLA45 is a lot better than the 2015 GLA45 Edition 1 for no less than five main reasons. Firstly, you don't look like a boy racer while driving one. Secondly, the 2016 model has the same engine and transmission mods as the facelift A45, meaning it's a lot faster. Thirdly, it actually costs a lot less than what the Edition 1 did.
Adding more race fuel to the fire, the upcoming mid-cycle facelift will make the GLA even better than the more expensive Edition 1. Last, but not least, post facelift models aren't generally prone to so-called “childhood illnesses,” so they should be a tad bit more reliable and get recalled less in the long run.
You can probably count meaningful special edition cars by using an abacus since most of them are as disposable in the grand scheme of things as a modern pop song. Nobody's going to pay extra money for your jalopy only because it says “Beaver Edition” on the door sills. Those unique doors sills bring no extra value to the car unless of course the vehicle was built by paws by a family of highly trained beavers.
Some special editions have extra options packaged together that would otherwise cost a pretty penny if specced on a regular model, I agree. But most of the premium you pay for such a model goes into its specialness, and I think some of you can agree that's it's actually not that special to own a special edition car.
Back in the days, and by that I mean mostly the automotive era that ended when the last thoroughbred coachbuilders exited stage left, a special edition car truly meant something and you actually got a lot of kit for your the extra money you paid for one.
Most carmakers nowadays are probably trying to emulate that era by being cheapskates. Blacking out the plastic chrome bits and adding a set of go-faster stickers aren't going to cut it, guys. If anything, most of them actually cheapen both the brand and the car that they are based on, in my opinion.
I realize that the era of buying the naked chassis from a carmaker and then going to your preferred coachbuilder to make a body for it to your specifications is long gone, but they can at least try a couple of things. Either go a little further with the customization of such “special editions,” or at least make them all actually mean something other than giving the regular car a darker or a more race-ready tone.
Getting back to how special and limited edition cars are destroying the polar ice caps, stealing from poor people and ruining Christmas, I have come to the conclusion that a lot of them are simply useless.
Well, pretty much all cars are useless in the sense that they're not worth the money after reaching a certain level, but limited edition models usually reach that level a hell of a lot sooner.
No, I get it, special/limited edition vehicles are created simply as a marketing incentive to sell the rest of the boring cars upon which they are based, right. I know I'm not wrong in saying this and not even carmakers would disagree with this statement.
To make things clear, I'm not talking about all special edition cars, but mostly about inept ones. For example, there's nothing wrong with a Bugatti Veyron LaFinale, mainly because it's one of a kind and it actually stands for something. There is also nothing wrong in my view with highly limited cars such as the Aston Martin One-77, the Mercedes-Benz SLR Stirling Moss or the cheaper BMW 1M Coupe. Coincidentally, all these models appreciate their market value as time passes.
Then there are models like the Bugatti Veyron SuperSport Blue Carbon Edition, any Edition 1 Mercedes-Benz or various “Black Edition” Hondas, Nissans, Fords, you name it.
Buyers of such exquisite art pieces on wheels have their senses tickled, and their noses sit up high in the air knowing that their GLA45 AMG's Edition 1s are entirely different and, most of all, better, than their puny neighbors' Mercedes-AMG GLA45s.
Except that they're wrong because a 2016 or a 2017 GLA45 is a lot better than the 2015 GLA45 Edition 1 for no less than five main reasons. Firstly, you don't look like a boy racer while driving one. Secondly, the 2016 model has the same engine and transmission mods as the facelift A45, meaning it's a lot faster. Thirdly, it actually costs a lot less than what the Edition 1 did.
Adding more race fuel to the fire, the upcoming mid-cycle facelift will make the GLA even better than the more expensive Edition 1. Last, but not least, post facelift models aren't generally prone to so-called “childhood illnesses,” so they should be a tad bit more reliable and get recalled less in the long run.
You can probably count meaningful special edition cars by using an abacus since most of them are as disposable in the grand scheme of things as a modern pop song. Nobody's going to pay extra money for your jalopy only because it says “Beaver Edition” on the door sills. Those unique doors sills bring no extra value to the car unless of course the vehicle was built by paws by a family of highly trained beavers.
Some special editions have extra options packaged together that would otherwise cost a pretty penny if specced on a regular model, I agree. But most of the premium you pay for such a model goes into its specialness, and I think some of you can agree that's it's actually not that special to own a special edition car.
Back in the days, and by that I mean mostly the automotive era that ended when the last thoroughbred coachbuilders exited stage left, a special edition car truly meant something and you actually got a lot of kit for your the extra money you paid for one.
Most carmakers nowadays are probably trying to emulate that era by being cheapskates. Blacking out the plastic chrome bits and adding a set of go-faster stickers aren't going to cut it, guys. If anything, most of them actually cheapen both the brand and the car that they are based on, in my opinion.
I realize that the era of buying the naked chassis from a carmaker and then going to your preferred coachbuilder to make a body for it to your specifications is long gone, but they can at least try a couple of things. Either go a little further with the customization of such “special editions,” or at least make them all actually mean something other than giving the regular car a darker or a more race-ready tone.
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