Autoblog

We still have to wait a few more weeks for the official unveiling of the Infiniti G37 Convertible at the Los Angeles Auto Show. But in the meantime, Infiniti has announced a Premier Bloomingdale's-only version which will be limited to just 200 copies. Sharing the same mechanicals as the regular production version (3.7-liter V6 rated at 328 hp), the Bloomingdale's model will be differentiated by its dark Platinum Graphite paint over Monaco Red leather upholstery. Special 19-inch wheels and a new grille complete the exterior package, while inside a touchscreen nav and Bose Open Air sound system will come standard on the LE. The Bloomingdale's Premiere model goes on sale November 10th, but pricing has yet to be disclosed.

Click above for a hi-res gallery of the H2 "Black Chrome" Edition

HUMMER is having a bad year. Year-to-date sales are down 43% versus '07, and last month saw the iconic off-road nameplate take a 61% drop compared to July '07. High fuel prices have massacred truck and SUV sales in general, and HUMMER is simply reeling. GM threw the brand's future under the bus into limbo back in June when it announced a strategic review was underway, and the latest round of news has a sketchy Russian billionaire sniffing around, looking to acquire the marque. Happy times.

So, while the backdrop is grim, business continues, and GM has released photos of its annual H2 special edition for '09. The 2009 H2 "Black Chrome" Limited Edition is pretty self explanatory: it gets darkened "black chrome" applied to all the usual blingifiable surfaces, from the 21-inch wheels to the fuel filler door. Three paint colors are available, but the Sedona Metallic finish you see here is exclusive to the "Black Chrome" rig, and is coupled with a matching leather interior. A total of 1,300 "Black Chrome" editions will be offered worldwide, with an undetermined mix of H2 SUVs and SUTs making up that number. At the very least, they should be a big hit in Russia.


[Source: GM]

Click above image for a gallery of the Corvette S-Limited

In celebration of GM's 100th Anniversary, GM Asia-Pacific has unveiled the Corvette S-Limited, a 30-car special for the Japanese market. priced at ¥7,980,000. The allotment is split evenly by color -- 15 in Arctic White and 15 in Black. All the cars get the full leather-wrapped interior package; a rear spoiler, mesh grillework , and screened inserts for the side coves and the plate between the exhaust outlets. 'Vettes in Japan are probably scarce enough that they still draw plenty of attention. Hey, in the land where the best-selling car's engine displaces 660cc's, a thundering, 430-horsepower American pushrod that displaces 6.2 liters is always gonna make people look. Appropriately, the Corvette S-Limited officially goes on sale on the Fourth of July.


[Source: GMAP]

Click for hi-res gallery of the Bugatti Veyron Sang Noir

If you're thinking about dropping $1.5 million on a set of wheels, would a special edition really tip the scales one way or another? Well, Bugatti evidently thinks so. After having produced the Pur Sang and the Fbg par Hermès editions, the ultra-premium auto marque revealed the Sang Noir last month.

Now, after disgruntled U.S. buyers lost out on the opportunity to buy the Pur Sang when it sold out to an invited group of European customers in Paris, Bugatti has announced that its American clientele will get first crack at the limited run of 15 Sang Noir Veyrons before they're offered elsewhere in the world. And who said holding American citizenship isn't worth what it used to be?

[Source: Evo]

Click above for high-res gallery of the Holden W427

They are having a different conversation in Australia than we are having up here, and we want in on it. Holden has just announced that the limited-edition Holden W427 will have 500 hp and 471 ft-lb of twisty motion. Sure, we have the Corvette Z06 -- which donated its engine for the W427 -- but Australia's only got 20 million peeps. And a bunch of them don't live in places where you could give this Holden a proper whipping.

The car will be held to just 427 units, and these units and their screaming red interiors will be arriving at dealerships with an MSRP of $AUD 150,000... plus taxes. Dealer allocation will be based on sales figures from last year. The W427's limited run will help it, to be sure, but the price is more than double the price of the Ford FPV F6, which goes for $AUD 65,990. The Falcon is down about 80 horsepower vs. the Holden, but it's also down on weight. We think it might be time for Holden to invite Autoblog Down Under to settle this once and for all.


[Source: Car Advice]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Suzuki Wagon R and Stingray Limited

In Japan, Suzuki expects the Wagon R to eclipse the 3,000,000 units sold milestone this month. To commemorate, it has launched Limited versions of both the Wagon R and its Stingray variant (whose front-end styling looks very similar to the old Toyota bB). The new limited edition variants give Japanese drivers slightly flashier boxes in which to transport themselves. Among the features included in the cars' special packages are new grilles and foglamps, Alcantara-covered seats, leather-wrapped steering wheels with silver contrast stitching, and rearview mirrors with LED turn indicators. The 660cc kei-spec engine is untouched, and the cars can be ordered beginning today. Prices range from ¥1,115,000 for the 2WD Wagon R to ¥1,314,600 for the 4WD Stingray. Needless to say, we want both.


[Source: Suzuki]

Click above for a gallery of the Opel Corsa Limited Edition.

In celebration of the 10-millionth Opel Corsa, Russelheim has unveiled the Corsa Limited Edition to the public at the Leipzig Motor Show. Carrying Ecotec power displacing 1.2- or 1.4-liters and pushing 80 and 90 horsepower, respectively, the Corsa Limited Edition sits on a sport-tuned suspension with 17-inch rims that conceal red brake calipers. Production will be capped at 1,000 units, all of which will be Casablanca White with contrast provided by black on the roof and wheels, along with dark-tinted rear glass.

The exterior color scheme is mirrored inside, where the three-door carries standard air conditioning and an MP3-capable audio system with an auxiliary input. The design of the Limited Edition Corsa was a joint effort, specifically employing the input of 120 trainees to help the car appeal to youthful customers. It certainly appeals to us looks-wise. If you're fortunate enough to be where you can purchase one of these cars, wad up €16,000 in your hot little fist and head on down to your Opel store. Translated official press release after the jump.


[Source: Autoblog Spanish]

New England is Volvo Country. It's also home territory for the loved and loathed Red Sox. There's plenty of cars plastered with "B" stickers, license plates and trinkum. Long a sponsor of Red Sox baseball, Volvo's rolled out a special edition of its stubby C30. The Kammback hatch comes with a factory-fitted Team logo stuck to the glass of the rear hatch, fender badges and a distinctive shade of red. This regionally pimped Volvo is a limited edition, with only 107 examples being produced.

If baseball (or just the Red Sox) isn't your thing, Volvo's got an Ocean Race Edition that spans the V70, XC70 and XC90 models. Ocean Race cars have been available a couple of times before, sporting Ocean Blue paint and nautical detailing, and the new Ocean Race themed cars continue to tie in with the actual sailing event. New this time around is the availability of Ocean Race models in Electric Silver as well as Ocean Blue. Interior details are more evocative of sailing, and new wheels draw inspiration from the undulation of the ocean. Volvo expects to shift 9,000 of these maritime units, which should make it easy enough to find a limited production Volvo, even if you miss out on the baseball themed C30. Ocean Race press release after the jump


[Source: Volvo]

Click image for photo galleriy

HUMMER has a pair of special edition trucks on the way, in the same vein as last year's H2 Victory Red Limited Edition. So, without further ado, we'll start with the one that sends Sierra Club do-gooders into fits of Tourette's, the H2. The H2 Silver Ice Limited Edition takes factory blingtacularization to new heights of brightness, starting with the rig's exclusive Silver Ice monochrome paint scheme. The grille, hood vents, and side extractors all get coated in the stuff, and the chrome appearance package dresses up the 20" wheels and other trim elements. Inside, it's pretty well loaded, right down to the rear-seat entertainment system. The package can be had for both the SUT ($65,230) and SUV ($67,595) body styles, and a total of 750 will be built (500 in the US, 250 in other markets).

Click image for a gallery of the FJ Cruiser Trail Teams in Detroit

While walking around the Toyota display during the last day of the NAIAS press preview, we encountered an FJ Cruiser we'd never seen before tucked iaway in the corner. Finished in white with a white roof along with black wheels and accents, it featured "Trail Teams" badging on the IP and bodywork and "PROTOTYPE" lettering on the rear window. We rang up Toyota to get the skinny, and found out that this vehicle is coming in February.

A limited edition truck in the vein of the all-black FJ Cruiser TRD Special Edition that was offered last year, 3,200 FJ Trail Teams will be built, each with the white-and-black motif you see here. In addition to the exclusive color combo, the FJ Trail Teams' standard equipment list includes 16" TRD wheels, a TRD exhaust, rock rails, skid plates, auxiliary lamps, all-weather floormats, and the contents the Off Road Package that's optional on regular FJs. Inside, white body-color inserts can be found in the door panels and on the stereo surround, and the knobs for the shifter and transfer case are metallic. Pricing for this spiffy-looking new FJ variant hasn't been announced yet, but we should know more before its launch next month.

[Source: Toyota]