Limited edition cars

Limited edition cars are a good way for car companies to charge a premium for a car because it has a couple of features on it that makes it 'unique', but I think that what they do is right, to an extent. When it's a limited run of 500 cars, then there's nothing wrong, but when a car company keeps making the same car over and over again re-branding it as different special editions, then it's wrong. Also, if a company makes a limited edition car because of an occasion in the company, it's fine. If they just make the cars for money, then it's not.

For example, my mum's partner has a Ford Ranger as his personal car, which is one of 500  (I think) made to celebrate Colin McRae's WRC win in 2001/2 with Martini.

Ford Ranger Martini

The car has a special white and blue paint with the Martini rally stickers, upgraded wheels and tyres, upgraded suspension, a limited edition registration plate and chrome roll bars at the back of the cab. It looks a lot like a support truck, and with a set of orange flashing lights on top and in the bumpers, it turns heads. As this was a small run of cars to celebrate a victory in the company, I agree with Ford's motives in making the car

Supercar manufacturers, however, don't have the same rational thought process when thinking about special edition cars. Like Bugatti. Famous for the Veyron, they also make the Veyron GrandSport (Convertible) The SuperSport (that goes 270MPH) and a whole host of special edition cars, just to prolong the life of the Veyron.  They are also known to make one-off cars for their wealthiest customers (Like a lot of high-end car manufacturers do. Ferrari SP12 EC anyone?)

Ferrari SP12EC

What annoys me is that these special editions only look different to the original, all the Veyron Special editions have the same 16.4 W16, and no mechanical tweaks. At the moment, they make 5 special editions: The 'Pur Sang' has a carbon-fibre bit in the middle, with the rest of the car in Aluminium, the 'Hermes' has a brown bit in the middle, with "H"s in the wheels, and a Hermes-Designed interior. The 'sang-noir' which is just painted black. There is also two centenary versions, one in blue and one in any of the 4 original bugatti colours. As I said earlier, these cars have no mechanical tweaks compared to the original, and are just a way of making Bugatti more money.

The Veyron L'edition Centenaire family

To conclude, I think that limited edition models are good things, as long as the car companies have a legit reason for making them, and don't just make them to make more money.