Many car manufacturers celebrate important manufacturing milestones and vehicle heritage by creating special, one-of-a-kind anniversary editions of their most popular models. The masterminds behind limited edition cars and notably more expensive vehicles are granted the opportunity to up their artistic game and create unique vehicles that stand out in terms of performance, style, and equipment.
While some anniversary cars are not worth the price or the hype, others garner high favor with car enthusiasts and industry experts alike. These seven anniversary cars, created in the last 20 years, remain well appreciated by car aficionados everywhere.
Subaru Impreza 22B STi (1998) was sold out within 48 hours
Photo by Stephen Hynds on Flickr / CC BY 2.0
Manufactured in 1998, the Subaru Impreza 22B STi was created to celebrate two important occasions: Subaru’s 40th anniversary and the country’s third consecutive win in the FIFA World Rally championships. Subaru only manufactured 400 of these unique, special edition rally design cars. All their anniversary cars sold within 48 hours of being made available to the public.
Given its upscale, classy good looks and sleek, streamlined exterior, the Impreza 22B STi continues to appeal to car fans who appreciate pinnacle automobile designs. Retailing around $43,000, it features suede upholstery and comfortable bucket seats as well as blue painted panels in its exterior. Its Flat 4, 16 valve engine comes with specs of a five-speed manual transmission and 268 lbs/ft torque. It can go from 0 to 100 mph in 13 seconds.
20th Anniversary Nissan Maxima SE (2001) has taken the public with its functionality and exceptional handling
Nissan marked the 20th anniversary of its mid-sized sedan by releasing a limited edition sporty version of its Maxima SE. This unique anniversary version of the Maxima SE quickly garnered rave reviews from car aficionados with its spacious, comfortable, and functional design as well as its ride comfort and exceptional handling ability.
Retailing at a little over $27,000, this remarkably affordable anniversary edition Maxima SE comes with interiors that feature black on silver gauges, perforated leather upholstery, ample rear seat space, and a roomy trunk for storage. It also comes with 3.0 227 horsepower V6 engine, a five-speed manual transmission, and a fuel economy that gets a 25 MPG highway rating, which was impressive at the time. Standard features in the Maxima SE include a sunroof/moonroof, air conditioning, driver’s side power seats, and power windows.
Jaguar XKR175 75th Anniversary Edition (2010) offers absolutely everything you can dream of
Jaguar is famous in the auto industry for its highly collectible, personalized, limited edition car models. As such, few were surprised when the company celebrated its 75th anniversary with its limited edition and stunningly powerful 2011 XKR175 coupe. With its streamlined, sophisticated design, the XKR175 is renowned for handling better than any of its counterparts on the market. With its $104,000 price tag, it is light and agile, making it a favorite of fans who love fast and sporty cars.
Aside from its obvious good looks, the XKR175 features bespoke interiors that range from luxurious soft-grain leather upholstery and three-color contrast stitching. The supercharged V8, 5.0 liter engine comes with specs like a five-speed automatic transmission, rear wheel drive train, EFI fuel system, and 510 SAE Net horsepower.
Porsche 911 50th Anniversary Coupe is admired for its agile handling and the best of Porsche tradition (2013)
Photo by KarleHorn on Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
Porsche first introduced its rear-engine sports car in 1963. Still going strong 50 years later, the brand celebrated this milestone by releasing its special 50th anniversary edition 911 coupe. This limited Porsche coupe version quickly gained attention from car enthusiasts with its outstanding damping, body control, and agility. Fans of the brand and of classic cars rave how the anniversary edition successfully combines the best of tradition with modern car innovation and technology.
It stands apart from its competition with its smart and sporty interiors. It comes standard with combination black lacquer and fabric upholstery, white-trimmed instruments and needles and Fuchs wheels. It features a 430 HP engine and the ability to go from 0 to 60 in 4.2 seconds. The starting price for this limited edition Porsche 911 50th anniversary couple starts at $125,000.
Lamborghini Veneno Coupe: Only Nine were manufactured (2013)
Photo by Clément Bucco-Lechat on Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
Lamborghini celebrated its 50th anniversary in the car making business with its 2013 Veneno coupe. This car was designed to be an open racing prototype. The company only released nine of these Veneno coupes to the public by the end of 2014.
This special edition coupe comes with some of the most noteworthy designs in the industry, as well as exceptional performance unmatched by its modern counterparts. It comes with two lightweight bucket seats and carbon fiber monocoque placed around the car’s central tunnel and sills. It also features a powerful V12, 60 degree MPI engine as well as 690 Nm maximum torque, and four-wheel drive with Haldex generation IV transmission. The price for one of these very limited and highly valuable Lamborghini Veneno coupes starts at $4.5 million.
Aston Martin CC100 for centuries to come (2013)
Aston Martin is one of the few car brands ever to reach its 100th anniversary. To commemorate this momentous occasion, it released its CC 100 Speedster in 2013. Valued at more than $700,000, this car combines a century of car manufacturing with the company’s vision for its future. Car aficionados are drawn to the CC100 Speedster’s unique proportions and well-crafted details that include a unique fiber body and a sequential manual transmission with paddle shifters.
The CC100 comes with a powerful V12 engine and unique mountings to guarantee that the powerhouse sits low in the chassis. The car can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in close to four seconds. The interior of the car features custom leather upholstery and classic control buttons.
25th Anniversary Mazda MX-5 highlights what makes it the top two-seater (2014)
Photo by Ominae on Wikimedia Common / CC BY-SA 4.0
Mazda celebrated its 25th anniversary and its ranking as the maker of the world’s best two-seat sports car by releasing its 25th anniversary Mazda Miata MX-5. Although the company did not make any mechanical changes to this limited edition car, it did upgrade the vehicle’s cosmetics.
This anniversary edition features accessible performance and beautifully precise steering. Priced at $49,000, the Miata MX-5 features slick black interiors, leather seating, and extras like door mirror caps. It comes with 2.0 liter engine, 188 Nm torque, a six-speed manual transmission, and a compression ratio of 10.8.
These Special Edition Cars Commemorate Anniversaries the Right Way
Car makers love to commemorate manufacturing anniversaries and brand heritage with special anniversary cars that enhance the looks and performance of their best models. These seven celebratory creations rank high in those anniversary car editions that retain their popularity and value even now.
The post Special Edition Cars that Have Conquered the Automotive World with Great Looks, Outstanding Performance and Brilliant Handling appeared first on Proctor Cars Magazine.