Five Final Editions That Went Out on Top

Saturn Sky Redline
Only eight examples were built in 2010, a sad ending to a turbocharged American two-seater. Along with the Pontiac Solstice, Daewoo G2X and the Opel GT, they offered 290 horsepower and 340 lb-ft (462 Nm) from a 2-liter engine. Riding on the Kappa chassis, their Torsen differentials are borrowed from the CTS-V to offer incredible drifts in almost every gear.

While six-speed transmissions were offered by the competition, the 5-speed Aisin manual kept the turbo boosting if you didn’t opt for the 5-speed automatic. Although the seeds of bankruptcy were planted decades earlier, two special editions were released. Ruby Red and Hydro Blue included vinyl graphics and body-colored stitching throughout the leather interior. With a curb weight under 3,000 pounds (1,360 kg) and a price under $30,000, the Sky will never be surpassed.

2002 Firebird Trans Am Collector's Edition

The fourth-generation Camaro/Firebird (F-Body) arrived in 1993 powered by the LT1 5.7 V8. With help from SLP, they gained power and performance that outshined the Corvettes of the era. The arrival of the LS1 in 1998 bumped power to 325 with over 350 lb-ft (475 Nm) of torque. As the last 4-passenger RWD cars in their lineup, GM blamed upcoming safety standards as the reason for the Collector’s Edition Trans Am.

While the 35th Anniversary Camaro SS was given 3,369 examples, Pontiac was capped at 2,000. Each one would be an homage to the 1976 Anniversary Editions by contrasting black leather and vinyl graphics against Collector Yellow. Coupes and convertibles could be ordered with a 4-speed automatic or six-speed manual, but all other optional content was standard.

1987 Buick Regal GNX

In order to push the last RWD Regal into uncharted territory, Buick asked ASC/McLaren to go wild. The GNX (Grand National Experimental) started life as a Grand National, a beefy version of the Regal that used a 3.8-liter turbo V6. Being GM’s oldest brand, Buick didn’t take kindly to losing RWD at the end of ‘87.

Therefore, 547 bodies were given to American Sunroof Corporation with a blank check. They asked McLaren for more power, so their hand-built engines were ported and polished to make an underrated 300 horsepower and 420 lb-ft (571 Nm). A loose torque converter and re-mapped shift points make the GNX faster than many modded LS cars, a fitting conclusion to Buick’s golden age.

1998 Toyota Supra

A year after its 20th anniversary, the Supra left the U.S. Their reliable 2JZ family wouldn’t meet new emissions standards, and the market for sports cars nearly died because of insurance agencies. Although production continued in Japan, the North American cars went out on top. That means 2-tone leather, sport steering wheel, and a targa top. Only 680 Supras were imported for ‘98, so finding a survivor is a worthy cause.

2017 Dodge Viper

The 5th Generation Viper was a clean-sheet design, outperforming every other RWD chassis when it arrived in 2012. But it was so dang expensive amidst a recovering economy. The merger of Fiat-Chrysler in 2014 sealed the fate of the ten-cylinder snake. To celebrate its 25th and final birthday, the GTS-R Commemorative edition ACR was limited to 100 cars. Each one has race-ready aero and suspension with 645 horsepower and 600 lb-ft (816 Nm) & 1.2G in the corners. Dodge’s talented team at Conner Avenue Assembly built 485 cars, in 2017, by hand before the factory closed forever.

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