Limited edition sports cars | Six of the Best

From special paint jobs to fully overhauled road racers, the appeal of a limited edition sports car is undeniable. It’s why they keep happening, after all, and why there will probably be dozens more of them as part of Monterey Car Week. Having something that bit cooler to look at, slightly sharper to drive and rarer than hen’s teeth feels good – even if sometimes the premium does not. The Alpine A110 was the perfect sports car to build a host of limited editions from, given both how fabulous it was to drive as standard and with the Alpine motorsport heritage to draw inspiration from. While you might have lost track by now and struggle to tell a Legende GT from a Colour Edition, you’ll likely know about the Tour de Corse 75. Named after the legendary tarmac rally (and a year that saw most of the field not finish), just 150 were produced in a stunning colour scheme that evoked the second-placed Alpine of almost 50  years ago. Of those only five right-hand drive cars came to the UK, making this PH Auctions lot exceptionally rare. A 2023 example with fewer than 5,000 miles makes it basically new, although it has already been treated to brake and suspension upgrades from Life110. The best made even better, basically. 

The formula for making both the Aston Martin Vantage GT8 and GT12 were pretty simple, but hugely effective. Take two much-loved sports cars – the V8 and V12 Vantage – remove some weight, tickle the power outputs of their wonderful engines just so, pump up the bodywork to NSFW levels and, voila, properly desirable special edition sports cars from Aston. There was more to it than that, of course, with carefully wrought suspension and aerodynamic changes, but simply to see or hear either was to love them. There were only 100 GT12s made, all with the Sportshift auto; there were 50 per cent more 8s, with either the auto or manual, the latter of which we have here. And what a beauty it is: Diavolo Red, titanium exhaust, just 2,000 miles. 440hp almost looks tame in a modern context, but never has it looked or sounded better. 

Amazing to think that as recently as 2016 a car like the M4 GTS was a garish, lairy, OTT BMW. While the wheels and the orange cage did ensure the GTS stood wildly out, there was serious substance behind the dubious style. You don’t get to a sub-7:30 Nordschleife lap just by looking fast. For the 700 units of M4 GTS, BMW introduced a water injection system we’ve not seen from them before or since, boosting power to 500hp, plus there was adjustable KW suspension fitted, ceramic brakes, and a whole host of detailed chassis tweaks to make the most of the power uptick. It was a wild ride, for sure, but emphatically demonstrated the potential in the M4 platform. With just 30 allocated for the UK, prices over the £120k list were originally asked, which soon went away with Covid. This one is a little over £80k with 5,000 miles – the perfect thing for some GT3 chasing. 

You’ve got to be a pretty special person to have Lamborghini name a special edition car in your honour. Even more so for said model to ditch the all-wheel drive that is found throughout the Sant’Agata supercar range and bring back the unfiltered thrills of RWD. But Valentino Balboni was that legendary, being chief Lambo test driver for decades and responsible for iconic models like the Murcielago. At his retirement, the Balboni special edition Gallardo was announced, complete with a 550hp version of the 5.2-litre V10, rear-wheel drive and, should buyers want it, a manual gearbox as well. A proper old-school hero… now had a car in his name. Just 250 were made, and the Balboni remains prized even on the eve of the Gallardo replacement’s replacement. This one is an e-gear and has been properly enjoyed by its two owners over the past decade and a half, with more than 20,000 miles recorded. Time to get adding to that tally pronto.

Credit where it’s due to Mercedes-AMG, they gave it their all with the old GT, creating a trio of track-focused special editions during its time on sale. And it wasn’t bad on a circuit as standard. Between the GT R (the green one) and the Black Series (the record-breaking one) was the GT R Pro, arguably the best of the bunch. In a very un-AMG fashion, power was identical to the standard GT R – 585hp from the twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 – with time instead invested in the chassis to really make the most of it. Here was a near-£200k Mercedes-AMG with manually adjustable coilover suspension. Completely barmy, but completely brilliant as well, blessed with all the attitude of the uber GTs alongside some proper sophistication. The Pro looked scary, and was initially quite intimidating, yet its greatness soon shone through. A real AMG hero that probably deserves a bit more recognition. This one looks like new – and is priced accordingly…

Of course, a Porsche 911 had to feature in a special edition sports car list somewhere – but which one? There’s a bewildering array to choose from. What we have here is one of the rarest in the entire 61-year history of the 911, and rarer than any GT2 or GT3, because it’s a Porsche 911 Club Coupe. Launched in 2012 and based on the first 991 Carrera S, it celebrated the original 13 Porsche Club members – with just 13 units. And only 12 for sale, as Porsche kept one for its museum. The most notable feature of the Club (the Power Kit and 20-inch Sport Design wheels were also included) was the paint: originally said to be Brewster Green, it later turned out to be Family Green, a colour previously reserved for Wolfgang Porsche’s own 993 Turbo S. Pretty cool – particularly as one of just two right-hand drive cars. Which would explain the £300k…