The seventh member of Kia Soul’s family of special editions models for the American market is inspired by the rock formations found in the Southwest United States.

Priced at $20,600, the Soul Red Rock Special Edition comes with a number of unique features, beginning with the Canyon exterior color. Other Red Rock Special Edition exterior features include high-gloss black front fascia and mirror housings. The interior is adorned with exclusive black leather trim and brown cloth seats. Standard amenities include automatic climate control and heated front seats.

Despite all the special features, 20 grand sounds like a lot for a car that has a base price of $13,900 for normal models. But then your Soul will be more special and different than others, and there are people who would happily spent seven grand to be different!

“The wildly popular Soul has been a game-changer for Kia since it arrived in 2009, and our series of special editions over the past three years have added individualism and exclusivity to an already fun and youthful vehicle,” said Michael Sprague, vice president of marketing and communications, KMA.  “Style and flair are key to Soul’s success, and the Red Rock Special Edition, which has plenty of both, will help drive sales into 2012.”

]]> http://www.motorward.com/2012/02/kia-soul-red-rock-special-edition/feed/ 0 http://www.motorward.com/2012/02/mazda-mx-5-spring-2012-special-edition/ http://www.motorward.com/2012/02/mazda-mx-5-spring-2012-special-edition/#comments Mon, 13 Feb 2012 17:35:56 +0000 Arman Barari http://www.motorward.com/?p=31213

Mazda wants to make the best of the current generation MX-5 before letting it go, and they do this by making lots of special editions.

The latest M-5 SE, set for Geneva Motor Show debut, is called Spring 2012 and it’s exclusively for the European market. America gets its own specially limited Miata.

It can be had with soft or hard top four body colors including the Radiant Ebony, Crystal White Pearl, Metropolitan Grey and Brilliant Black. The exclusive ebony color is seen here i these pictures, and it’s super cool.

Mazda MX-5 Spring 2012 edition also gets chrome headlamp inserts, grille surrounds and fog lamp bezels, “Havana Brown” leather upholstery, and a top-notch navigation system as standard.

Opel is treating is European customers with a special “Kaleidoscope” edition of the Corsa hatchback.

Available for both three or five-door Corsa models, this package consists of visual upgrades and extra equipments.

Visually, it gets two upmarket metallic exterior colors: pepperdust and technical grey, plus a glossy black roof, black mirror housings and a black grille bracket. these little details add up to give this version of Corsa a distinctive look.

The Kaleidoscope theme is best seen inside the cabin, where you get silver or aztek gold stitching for the upholstery, and Top Tec material coating which makes the seats easy to clean and maintain. Other features include colored air vent rings with matching door inserts in either curry or matt chrome give bold accents to the interior as well as a new stealth-black colored center console and denim fabric inside the door panels.

As for the equipments, the 15,425 euro Opel Corsa Kaleidoscope is fitted as standard with:

• Aluminum accelerator pedal
• 17” alloy wheels
• Solar Protect tinted heat protection glazing
• Leather steering wheel
• Chrome exhaust pipes
• Stereo-CD-Radio with aux input and steering wheel remote control

]]> http://www.motorward.com/2012/02/opel-corsa-kaleidoscope-special-edition/feed/ 0 http://www.motorward.com/2012/02/smart-fortwo-sharpred-special-edition/ http://www.motorward.com/2012/02/smart-fortwo-sharpred-special-edition/#comments Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:36:24 +0000 Arman Barari http://www.motorward.com/?p=31096

Smart has made so many special editions of the fortwo, it’s hard to keep track. Here’s a new one, called the Sharpred.

This version of the small city car is completely blacked-out, save the tridion safety cell and door mirror which are finished in red. It is also fitted with wide tyres measuring 175/55 R 15 (front) and 195/50 R 15 (rear). The 15″ 3-double-spoke alloy wheels also have a brilliant black finish.

The interior is also black, mostly, apart form the silver plastics, and the red double stitching on the seats and the instrument panel lending coloured accents. The seats come in black leather and the instrument panel and knee pad have a black leather look. The standard equipment includes the audio system basic and exclusive floor mats.

In terms of features, the sharpred comes with softouch automatic gear programme, electric windows, air conditioning with automatic temperature control and a panoramic roof with sunblind. Electric power steering, heated seats, a lockable glove compartment, the smart sound system with five loudspeakers.

Available as both coupe and cabrio, this special fotwo hits the dealerships from May, priced from €14,49. You can have it with either a 52 kW mhd petrol engine or a 62 kW petrol engine.

The current generation of Range Rover celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, and on this occasion the classiest SUV brand of them all releases a number of special edition models.

These special editions include TDV8 Westminster, TDV8 Autobiography and Supercharged Autobiography. The new Westminster edition sits above Vogue and Vogue SE models, but below the Autobiography.

The new addition to the lineup comes with bright ‘Noble’ finish to the front grille and side vents, ‘Titan’ silver lower splitter bar and fog lamp bezels, 20-inch, 10-spoke alloy wheels and ‘Westminster’ badging to be distinguished from other models. Inside the cabin it features luxury carpets and Grand Black lacquer trim elements, plus bright-finished pedal finishers, as well as illuminated treadplates and a 19-speaker, 1,200W harman/kardon LOGIC7 surround sound system.

This version gets the 4.4-litre TDV8 diesel engine with eight-speed automatic transmission, widely regarded as the best engine for the mighty Range Rover. All the usual luxury and convenience features you get with normal Range Rovers are obvious fitted as standard.

Then there’s the Autobiography model, which is available in both TDV8 and Supercharged guises. They both come with the Range Rover Design Pack, which adds more bling bling to the exterior. Not so good.

On the outside the 2012 Autobiography features new front and rear bumpers, ‘Titan’ silver front grille and side vent treatments and fog lamp surrounds, integrated stainless steel exhaust finishers and side skirts, plus 20-inch alloy wheels in Shadow Chrome. Inside the cabin it benefits from rear seats with recline and lumbar adjustment, heating and cooling functions and multi-adjustable aircraft-style headrests with wings for added support. There’s also a “front seat away” function that provides more legroom to the rear passengers.

The Autobio version is, again, fully loaded and does come with the 19-speaker, 1,200W harman/kardon LOGIC7 surround sound system.

As for the pricing, the TDV8 Westminster Edition is £69,995, while the TDV8 Autobiography and Supercharged Autobiography cost £84,295 and £86,895 respectively. Sales begin from March.

Highgate is a new special edition of the MINI Convertible which, according to MINI comes with “an essential dose of Brit-cool,” whatever that is.

This soft-top four-seater MINI comes with specially-designed exterior and interior design features. It’s not a limited edition, but will be produced for a limited period of time, which amounts to the same thing. Sales begin from Spring 2012.

The Highgate-special features on the outside include unique paint finishes, soft-top colours and wheel designs, in addition to details such as body-colored mirror caps, and bonnet stripes. It can be had a chocolaty combination with Iced Chocolate metallic finish for the body, brown soft-top, and brown/black bonnet stripes.

It also features “Highgate” lettering on the side indicator surrounds, door sills and seat tag.

Inside the cabin you get Lounge Leather seats and leather Colour Line elements come in Dark Truffle. Light blue piping on the seats and Dark Truffle contrast stitching on the gearshift/selector lever and handbrake gaiters are further highlights, in addition to stainless steel pedals, Suntouched Brushed Alloy interior trim elements, the Chrome Line Interior package and floor mats with Dark Truffle edging.

This style-obsessed MINI can be had as MINI Cooper (90 kW/122 hp), MINI Cooper S (135 kW/184 hp), MINI Cooper D (82 kW/112 hp) and MINI Cooper SD (105 kW/143 hp).

At the 2012 Chicago Autoshow Mazda will unveil a limited and special edition of its MX-5 Miata for the American market.

The main feature of this limited edition of just 450 units, is a black retractable hardtop. It also gets 17-inch gunmetal wheels and black exterior accents to be distinguished. Inside the cabin heated black leather seats and piano black interior trims can be mentioned as the highlights.

The car is based on the MX-5 Miata Grand Touring model, and can be had with either a six-speed manual or a six-speed sport automatic with paddle shifters. As for the equipments, it comes as standard with Premium and Suspension packages, which offers features like Bluetooth, SIRIUS Satellite Radio, Bilstein shocks and a sport-tuned suspension.

This special edition Miata celebrates the car’s title as the world’s best-selling roadster. Since 1989 Mazda has sold produced over 900,000 Mx-5s. It will be on display at the Chicago show alongside Mazda’s Turbo2, Dempsey Racing No. 40 GRAND-AM Road Racing Race Car, 1990 Miata and the Star Mazda Championship Open-Wheel Race Car.

At the Houston Auto Show today, Jeep revealed an awesome new concept car based on the Jeep Grand Cherokee. It doesn’t have a name though.

That’s because Jeep has come up with this online contest for consumers to name the new production-intent Grand Cherokee concept. The person who chooses the winning name will have an opportunity to win a new 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Given the all-black theme of the car, the first name that springs to mind is, of course, Darth Vader. But that’s kinda lame, isn’t it. I’d call it the Cherokee SAS, or RQ-170, definitely something military!

Distinctive features of this production-intent concept car include grille surround in Black, mesh grille texture in Platinum Chrome, Platinum Chrome lower fascia applique, Black headlamp bezels and a Black liftgate light-bar, and 20-inch Black-gloss aluminum wheels.

Based on the Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo X package, the production-intent concept model includes standard leather-trimmed seats, heated front seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter, a 9-speaker 506 watt amp sound system with subwoofer, iPod/MP3 connectivity, Parkview™ rear back-up camera, ParkSense® rear-park assist system, Keyless Enter-N-Go, Chrysler Group’s Uconnect hands-free communications system, and more than 50 advanced safety and security features.

To enter Jeep “Name My Ride” Contest visit: Jeep.com/namemyride or m.jeep.com/namemyride (mobile site).

On the occasion of winning ‘Executive Car of the Year’ award by BusinessCar, Jaguar releases two new editions of its XF saloon.

The first one is the XF SE Business, powered by the entry-level 163PS 2.2 liter diesel engine. The car gets more standard equipment though, such as satellite navigation complete with a seven inch touchscreen and HDD mapping, intelligent start stop, a 400W sound system with DAB digital radio, leather and suedecloth seats and bi-Xenon headlights.

The Sport XF is much more interesting, powered by the full-fat version of that 2.2 liter diesel, developing 190PS. It is distinguished by a sporty aero pack, including a revised front bumper, a black grille element, side sill extensions, a subtle rear boot lid spoiler and a black rear valance.

In terms of features and equipments, the Sport gets half leather suedecloth seats, bond grain trim and dove contrast stitch as well as electric driver and passenger adjustment, Piano black trim with ‘Sport’ decals on the centre console, stainless steel foot pedals, a heated front windscreen and front seats, a front parking aid plus a reversing camera and 60/40 folding rear seats.

Pricing for the SE Business model starts at £31,500, while the Sport, which is the one you want, costs £34,950.

Baker Street and Bayswater are two new special editions MINI has come up with to celebrate 2012 Olympics and London.

They are not just for UK though, and will be offered for sale around the world from Spring 2012, but they will be produced for only a limited period. The MINI Baker Street can be ordered in MINI One, MINI Cooper, MINI One D and MINI Cooper D guise, while the MINI Bayswater is available as a MINI Cooper, MINI Cooper S, MINI Cooper D and MINI Cooper SD.

MINI Baker Street: This one gets Rooftop Grey metallic exterior paint shade with very special bonnet stripes, whose basic colour black is given extra character by a subtle V-shape design.  Other features include 16-inch alloys combined with matching gloss black side mirrors, and “Baker Street” lettering on the side scuttles.

Inside the cabin you get new seat variant in Cross Check Rooftop Grey light feature a diamond pattern. Cross Check Rooftop Grey light is also used for the surfaces of the cockpit and door trim and is combined with a Rooftop Grey light Colour Line. Light grey contrast stitching for the floor mats, gearshift/selector lever as well as the handbrake gaiters and seat tags which, like the door sills, bear “Baker Street” lettering are also included.

MINI Bayswater: The second special MINI features a striking a Kite Blue metallic exterior color, 17-inch light-alloy Sandblast wheels with high-gloss black surfaces and bright machined rim and spoke edges. Midnight Black metallic and Eclipse Grey metallic paint shades can be ordered for the MINI Cooper S and MINI Cooper SD. It also gets contrasting roof and the likewise newly created Sport Stripes for the bonnet, which are also found on the side mirror caps.

The interior is garnished with Piano Black cockpit trim strips, which continue the path set by the Sport Stripes over the bonnet, and the leather Colour Line elements in Rocklite Anthracite, whose classy character is emphasised by black stitching. Other features include stainless steel pedals and the Chrome Line Interior package.

Pricing for these vibrant and trendy MINIs is yet to be revealed.

At Audi Club North America meeting German car maker revealed a special edition 4.2 liter V8 version of the S5 for the American market.

This limited edition of just 125 units is the last of V8-powered S5s and will be getting a 3.0 TFSI supercharged V6 for its new model, as the V8 job will be given to the RS5.

Visually, the car benefits from the RS-only Daytona Grey paint job, and a set of 19-inch 5-spoke Rotor design wheels from Audi Exclusive. Inside the cabin it comes with Bi-color Polar Silver and Black sport seats, silver contrast stitching on the seats, armrests, shifter and steering wheel, special floor mats with silver leather border, and aluminum Audi Exclusive badges, as well as piano black instrument cluster surround.

This special edition S5 is priced at $68,700 for the manual and $69,900 for the tiptronic version.

via: Fourtitude

Citroen DS3 Ultra Prestige was introduced last year at IAA. It’s now going on sale in the UK, starting from £20,700.

The Ultra Prestige is a trendy and luxurious version of the French hatchback designed mainly for fashion-obsessed women. It is the exact opposite of the Citron DS3 Racing which is a fun toy for cool boys.

The car is offered with two great engines, a THP 155 petrol and a fuel and CO₂ efficient e-HDi 110 diesel with Stop & Start. The diesel version does 74.4mpg on a combined cycle and emits just 99g of CO₂/km. At £20,900, the diesel is 200 quid more expensive than the petrol.

The Ultra Prestige DS3 is generously equipped with automatic digital air conditioning and a Bluetooth enabled Hi-Fi system, plus MyWay colour satellite navigation system, rear parking sensors, automatic headlamps and windscreen wipers, electrically heated and folding door mirrors and an electrochrome rear view mirror.

As for the unique features that set this DS3 apart from normal models, it comes with ‘watchstrap’ design seat upholstery in ‘Club’ leather. The front seats also sport a ‘crescendo’ colour effect that is entirely new to the automotive sector, inspired y the world of fashion. It also has ‘Alpine’ white leather dashboard, embossed with the DS signature, and ultra-thick protective mats, braided with double top-stitching in contrasting colours.

On the outside, DS3 Ultra Prestige is available with a choice of two striking body colours – Polar White and Thorium Grey – and feature a sports spoiler, dark-tinted side and rear windows and 17” charcoal-grey alloy wheels. It main feature however, is the black roof covered with DS insignia, shifting from matt to gloss as the light changes.

There is also a ‘Dark Chrome Signature’ option, including black door mirrors with dark chrome base, dark chrome side rubbing strips, front grille surround, front fog light surrounds and an insert on the rear number plate moulding.

Not all of Opel’s 150-year history is about cars, but still, it’s a cause for celebration. And what better way to celebrate than a couple of special editions.

The entire range including Corsa, Meriva, Astra and Insignia will benefit from this treatment, entitled “150 years Opel”. They get special design and comfort features and up to 2,100 Euros worth of extra equipments. There’s also a higher-spec jubilee trim.

So, what exactly will be in the package? The Corsa and Meriva jubilee editions come complete with 16 inch alloy wheels and tinted Solar Protect heat insulation glazing at the rear, in addition to heated steering wheels with multi-functional keys, fog lamps and cruise control as well as an MP3-CD Radio, plus an on-board computer. What’s more, the Corsa will get chrome exhaust pipe as standard.

The Insignia as the flagship model will be fitted with 18-inch wheels, Tinted Solar Protect heat insulation glazing at the rear, Heated leather steering wheel with multi-function keys, Automatic air conditioning,  Heating in the front seats, Fog lamps and a headlamp cleaning system, and New Navi 900 Europa infotainment system.

All jubilee editions get a unique “150 Adam Opel” emblem, aluminum car door step embossed with the word “OPEL” as well as the premium quality, black upholstery. The Corsa and the Meriva are fitted with an adjustable panoramic roof or sunroof with separate air conditioning. The Insignia jubilee trim package includes an electric sunroof and a glazed panoramic roof as well as separate air conditioning.

The jubilee trim packages start at 450 euro in Germany, but it offers a saving of 876 euro.

With the new generation of 1-Series now available, BMW needs to sell wrap up produciton of the old ones and sell whatever they got left. Introducing new spiced-up editions is a way to speed things up.

So please welcome the new Edition Exclusive and Edition Sport versions of the BMW 1 Series Coupe and Convertible.

The Exclusive treatment for the coupe and convertible adds visual tweaks including window cavity covers and side frame strips in Chrome Line or the optional BMW Individual high-gloss Shadow Line, light alloy wheels available in 16, 17 and 18-inch format (depending on engine type), and exclusive body finish including the Mineral Grey metallic, as well as exhaust covers and longitudinal kidney grille bars in chrome.

Interior upgrades include upholstery in pearl Grey with grey contrast stitching or in black with white contrast stitching, door sills with special lettering, interior strips in aluminium accentuation polish or in the optional fine wood finish Fineline Anthracite, an anthracite-coloured BMW Individual roof liner for the 1 Series Coupé and floor mats with welt in matching colour.

Meanwhile the Edition Sport introduces new M elements to the 1er, with M aerodynamic package, exclusive paint finish Carbon Black metallic as well as 17 and 18-inch M light alloy wheels in double spoke design. It comes with gloss black accents and chrome exhausts.

Inside you get M leather steering wheel (including multifunction), stainless steel pedals and the M footrest in aluminium, plus M gearshift lever and handbrake handle including gaiter.

UK market absolutely loves special editions, even if it’s just a commercial vehicle like VW Caddy.

So the first special edition of the car called the Caddy Match has been prepared for British customers, featuring many improvments over the standard model, including Air conditioning, Bluetooth connectivity, Trip computer, Electric windows, Electrically heated and adjustable door mirrors, Cruise control,Body-coloured bumpers and wing mirrors and Wheel trims.

Available with a range of 1.6 and 2.0-litre TDI engines plus BlueMotion Technology, the Match treatment is available for both the standard Caddy and the long wheelbase Caddy Maxi (except 4MOTION and EcoFuel models). Prices start at £14,110 and £16,060 respectively (VAT not included).

The Caddy Match is available for a limited period only, until 30 April 2012.

VW also offers competitive finance with the Caddy range from £199 a month (plus VAT and Initial Rental) and fixed-price servicing and maintenance contracts from £250 (plus VAT).

Suzuki UK decided the aging Grand Vitara desperately needs a quick freshen up, so they came up with the SZ-T special edition.

To be sold only in the old country from this week on, the SZ-T is based on the five door 1.9DDiS model, the most popular Vitara, and is limited to 500 units garnished with visual tweaks and enhanced specification.

The 1.9-litre DDiS engine in this car is good for 129PS with torque of 300Nm. Not particularly impressive numbers fro a heavy 4×4, but then you get 41.5mpg with emissions of 179g/km to balance things out.

As for the special features, the SZ-T comes with new design front grille, new design 18-inch alloy wheels, unique contrasting seat fabric, Silver coloured roof rails and bonnet side vents, built in turn signal lamps for the door mirrors and, for this Special Edition, a tailgate mounted spare wheel. Cruise Control and keyless entry and start are also included.

Priced at £22,315, the car is available in Quasar Grey, Silky Silver, Blueish Black Pearl,  Phoenix Red Pearl and Nocturne Blue Pearl.

Bose Edition of Renault Koleos crossover is a limited version of the car featuring a tailor-made audio system, and specific exterior styling and interior appointments.

Renault and their audio partner Bose have collaborated on special editions before with Megane and Laguna. This Koleos too benefits from specifically tuned high-end sound system based on its interior space to provide all occupants with the best possible sound, whatever the volume.

It has with seven loudspeakers and woofer, CD player with MP3 playback and Plug&Music digital connectivity with USB and AUX.

We are more interested in what they’ve done to the exterior. This limited edition comes with aluminium-coloured door mirror housings, extra-tinted rear glass, coloured 17-inch alloy wheels, Bose side badging, Aluminium-coloured door mirror housings, and extra-tinted rear glass.

Available colors include Glacier White, Perle White, Mars Grey, Mineral Beige, and Metallic Black. You can also opt for 18-inch “Australe” aluminium alloy wheels.

Inside the cabin you get Black Lacquer interior trim details, plus mixed black fabric upholstery, and features like 60/40-split rear bench seat without “Easy Estate” system, “Bose”-badged aluminium sills, and mixed black fabric upholstery with visible grey stitching.

The C3 Picasso Code is the latest special edition of this trendy Citroen model for the British market.

The car has such a busy and complicated design that Davinchi Code would have been more suitable name for it. Citroen has always been brave in design of their car and you have to respect that, whether you like the result or not.

Features of the C3 Code on the outside include a ‘Look Pack’ styling package with Polar White or Cherry Red 17” ‘Clover’ alloy wheels (depending on body colour), Chrome lower bumper inserts, Shiny black painted door handles with chrome inserts, Obsidian Black painted front & rear bumpers, Obsidian Black door mirrors with shiny black surround & base plate, Longitudinal roof bars.

For the interior it adds Shiny black vent surrounds and Carpet mats. The exterior can be had in four colors of Polar White, Cherry Red, Belle Ile Blue and Thorium Grey. But we’re not sure red wheels work with any of them.

Based on the HDi 90 model with 61.4 mpg and CO2 of just 119g/km, Citroen C3 Picasso Code is priced at £15,695.

The good old Mitsubishi Shogun, or Pajero if you are outside UK, has been given a fresh new look with the UK-only Black special edition.

The main feature of the Black treatment is the satin black styling kit which includes striking black 20” alloy wheels, roof, spoiler, wing mirrors, grille and headlamp bezels, fog lamp surrounds, door handles and side steps.

They’re cool, but the Shogun has a very old design and it’s hard to conceal it with some mascara.

The car is based on the 3.2 Di-D LWB version with 197bhp and 441Nm of torque, a choice of five colors including Frost White (Solid), Cool Silver (Metallic), Diamond Black (Pearlescent), Orient Red (Metallic), Granite Brown (Metallic), and a range of standard features.

Shogun Black comes with New high-quality material leather upholstery, enhanced illumination for instruments, brushed silver finish for power window control panels, as well as new up-to-date equipments such as satellite navigation, reversing camera, and iPod connection.

The Mitsubishi Shogun Black is priced £1,000 above the SG4 model at £41,999. If you want the metallic color that adds another £540.

Other features include:

• Mitsubishi Active Stability and Traction Control (M-ASTC)
• Auto lights, auto wipers and privacy glass
• A colour coded spare wheel cover as standard
• Brake override system – in case the driver accidentally hits the brake and accelerator at the same time (the car automatically opts for the safer braking option)
• Rear under-cover, thus reducing aerodynamic drag
• Electric power steering

Celebrating the 75th anniversary of the 4/4 sports car, the Malvern Hills-based manufacturer released a special, limited edition.

This version of the Morgan 4/4, which after 75 years still looks like the first one ever produced, comes with the 2.0 liter engine lifted from the Morgan Plus 4. Don’t worry if you are confused by Morgan’s range, many are!

The reason why they called this one 4/4 is, apparently, because it was the first car they made that wasn’t a three-wheeler. 4/4 simply means it has four wheels and is powered by a four-cylinder engine. Neat.

Back to the car, its exterior features include matt black stripe with ‘4/4 75th’ graphic, black painted 15 inch wire wheels (and matching spare wheel), narrow 4/4 wings, black stone guard
9 stud windscreen with black PVC hood, and round door mirrors and matching polished door handles. It comes in three exterior colors of old English white, sport red and sport black.

The interior is as retro as the exterior, featuring black leather with perforated leather centre pleats on seats, tawny ash polished dashboard with cargo-net storage area, wood rim Moto lita steering wheel and black carpets.

That 2.0 liter engine mentioned above makes 145 hp and 187nm (140lb/ft), enough for a 0 to 60mph time of 7.2 seconds and top speed of 118 mph.

And the price for this exquisite machine is £38,750 plus VAT.

Morgan via Motorauthurity