Autoblog

The first word that came to mind when we saw the Knight XV was this: warthog. Sure, there are other words you could use, but consider this: it's not attractive, it's ridiculously tough, it's called in to deal with nasty situations and it kills things, all of which tend to be the traits of vehicles that earn the moniker "warthog." Based on the Gurkha military vehicle, the 10,000-pound, Ford F-350 Super Duty-based Knight XV is armored to an unspecified degree, but looks like it will stop more than a pea-shooter. It's got a 6.8-liter V10 that packs 400 hp and 500 lb-ft to keep you moving, and inboard ABS brakes to get you stopped. Those tires are 40-inchers wrapped around 20-inch aircraft-grade wheels. Oh, and it also runs on E85, which means it's more environmentally friendly than any other warthog. Except the hairy one. Check out the specs after the jump, and the gallery of high-res photos below featuring details shots and images of the interior, as well.

If the song is true that "to everything, turn turn turn, there is a season, turn turn turn," then we're going to need a lot more seasons for the Fiat 500. In addition to versions by StudioTorino, Diesel and Abarth, not to mention a convertible and an F1-themed run of 12, Fiat is making a special edition 500 to celebrate the car's appearance in the movie Lupin III: Green vs Red.

The Japanese anime film itself celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Lupin III series of movies, which began in 1979 when gentleman thief Lupin III used a yellow Fiat 500. While the film is out now on DVD, the special edition Fiat 500 in yellow livery and graced with Lupin's image won't come around until the latter half of 2009, and probably only in Japan. If Fiat keeps this up, it might just challenge the Ford Mustang for the title of Most Gratuitous Special Editions Differentiated by Inconsequential Details. Thanks for the tip, catgirlshyla!

[Source: Fiat 500 News]

Click to view the VW Golf Collectors Edition in hi-res

Remember when the Volkswagen Golf was meant to be an economy car? Well those days may be long gone, if they weren't already, as customers in Europe have demonstrated a willingness to shell out extra for luxury options even on less-than-premium automobiles. To cash in on that demand, European automakers have been scrambling to launch luxury option packages, complete with leather and all the trimmings, like Volkswagen has done with the first special edition of the new sixth-generation Golf.

Called, quite simply, the Collectors Edition, the exclusive new Golf tops the range of trim levels. The exterior is sprayed in an especially dark shade of blue which Volkswagen calls "Moonlight blue pearl effect" with matching grille. The 18-inch "Vancouver" wheels have been given a special high-gloss finish. But it's the interior that has been given the really special treatment, swathed in "Iowa" natural leather with piano-lacquer dash inserts and aluminum kick-plates. The special edition, supervised specifically by design chief Walter de Silva – whose initials adorn the vehicle – is being launched in its German market specification; we wouldn't expect it to make it to the US market any time soon, but you can still check out the press release after the jump and the trio of images in the gallery below.

[Source: Volkswagen]

Ford sponsored the Toronto Raptors back in 2006, and one of the promotional ties in the deal was a special Ford Fusion Raptors Edition (here is the promo video). The car is replete with a magical selection of colors and images on the outside, and basketball-themed colors and textures inside. Check out that b-ball steering wheel, and those seats, and the TV in the trunk that would allow you to both ruin your eyes and watch games at a truly awful angle. If nothing else, we're impressed that it took two and a half years to show up on the used car sales floor. Less surprising is the fact that it's only done 5,900 kilometers in that time. It can be all yours for $25,000 Canadian... or you can just check out the high res pictures below. Thanks for the tip, Lance!


[Source: Autotrader Canada]

Click the image above for more shots of the Becker/STRUT Cadillac ESV limo

If you're buying an Escalade, there's a good chance that even the Platinum Edition ESV won't be enough for you. That's why companies like Becker and STRUT exist, so that you can shine like one of the brightest stars in the multiverse. When these two companies get together on something... well, you'll probably need tinted goggles to behold it. So it's with a bang that they introduced a special edition Cadillac ESV limo.

How do you top platinum? With a floor-to-ceiling leather interior, where you'll enjoy a home -- or is that limo? -- theater system, broadband Internet, a wall-mounted computer screen... and the company of your statuesque personal assistant with the Eastern European accent. Check out the full press release after the jump, and the hi-res photos below. Now where did that recession go again... ?

[Source: Becker]

At its unveiling at this past March's Geneva show, it was immediately apparent that Abarth had carried off a transformation of the Fiat 500 from a demure retro-hatch into a veritable pocket rocket. But for those for whom the 135 hp turbo four is just not enough, the performance division has unveiled a new limited edition "500 Abarth Opening Edition".

Although the name might suggest a convertible, the 500 Opening Edition is a fixed-roof hot-hatch distinguished by a 160hp engine, dropping a half-second off the conventional 500 Abarth's 0-60 time, now down to a sprightly 7.4 seconds. The Opening Edition also gets red brake calipers behind special 17" alloys in white or titanium finish, tinted glass and a revised interior with red leather and special badging with a serial number plate. Available in either pearl white or Campovolo gray (the latter available with a red-and-white checkered roof), only 100 examples of the 500 Abarth Opening Edition will be offered, complete with a special car cover to keep the exclusive vehicle protected from the elements.

Check out the big gallery of high-resolution images by clicking the thumbnails below.

[Source: CarScoop]

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 for hi-res gallery of the Ford Fiesta Zetec S Red edition

The Ford Fiesta is one of the best-selling vehicles in the UK. But before it's replaced by the new model, the Blue Oval's British subsidiary isn't about to let it go out without a... well, we'd hardly call it a bang, but at least a last desperate plea for attention before it's retired.

The imaginatively named "Red" edition comes in any color, as long as it's – you guessed it – red. Colorado Red, to be specific, with a black-and-white checker-board roof and black accents on the mirror caps, door handles, moldings and roof spoiler. The special edition is based on the Fiesta Zetec S, powered by a "zesty yet thrifty" 1.6-liter four pushing out 100hp. Leather seats, 16" alloys, air-con and heated electric side-view mirrors round out the package, of which only 400 will be offered at a price of £13,000 to British customers who really should be waiting for the new Fiesta.

[Source: Ford]

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]