Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Ferrari, Porsche and Mercedes, are some of the brands that have exotic models in their fleet. Although in the past, owning a regular Ferrari or Bentley spoke volumes, it is slightly different nowadays. We could blame more and more people who get rich, but the fact is that stock models lost its shine due to special editions galore.
For example, the newest Rolls Royce collection, i.e., lines Wraith Luminary, Black Badge Adams Collection and Silver Ghost Collection consists of 35-50 car models each! The vehicles come with unique and modified interior, lighting, special effects without which these would be nothing but regular versions.
Hear it from the pros
Matthew Danton, the Rolls-Royce lead designer said: “We design cars with more unique details in mind. We wish to create something our buyers can brag with in front of their peers. It all comes to the fact that the cars need to be transferred on another level comparing to the standard vehicles. We believe that this is even necessary even if our standard models cannot be characterized like that. We are well aware that our clients live in a different world, far away from normal and we need to adjust to them and their wishes.”
The tech enhancements help the company achieve everything it aims for, points out Danton, putting special attention to lighting in cars. “The industry moves further away from the idea that leather and wood are the best materials,” says Danton.
Everyone’s doing it
However, Rolls-Royce isn’t the only carmaker launching special edition models. Some other examples are Porsche 911 R, Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato, McLaren 675LT Spider, and the newest Audi R8 to name a few.
What you should know is that limited editions are a part of the PR strategy of any brand. For instance, Bentley announced the new Mulsanne W.O. that will be made in 100 examples and mark the 100th anniversary of the brand. In just several days, the likes on Instagram exceeded 300,000!
The adjustments of the already-existing models give the manufacturers the opportunity to offer something new to their demanding clients especially in the niche in which price and complexity of the design are connected directly. Omar Sheikh, Bentley Project Leader says: “The development of a new car can span for years. The auto industry perceives the limited edition models as a chance to offer something new to the customers.”
Some luxury automakers decided to up their game and produce more cars. Ferrari is one of them, raising the number of 7,000 units per year to 9,000 units annually. The more vehicles one brand has on the road, they become more available to the general public and the need for special models that are different increases.
New ideas
Sheikh explains that limited editions are perfect for brands to experiment. They can showcase new ideas and get feedback and later use that option in mainstream cars. He goes on to say that with limited editions, people have a chance to experience something for the first time in their lives. And that cannot be done with regular models.
Profit Matters
Besides the excitement and innovativeness, the financial aspect needs to be considered as well. These cars can be a great investment because their value could jump in the upcoming years. However, some limited edition models struggled to keep their worth such as the Lamborghini Gallard LP570-P Performante or Jaguar XKR-S.
In a nutshell
According to some analysts, the prices of these supercars will go down after an incredible growth in the past. The figures could go down up to 20% for some models with only the remarkable vehicles will retain their value, and it will even keep going up! The bottom line is that the limited edition car has a specific character to it, something you love, and that is the reason people buy them.
“Each luxury car manufacturer looks for the opportunity to make their models different, because mostly the same people are their buyers. There is a lot of creativity in these companies and the number of ideas to create unique cars is limitless,” Danton concludes.
