5 Of The Worst Special Edition Cars Ever Sold
It's virtually impossible to keep track of every special edition car that's come to production. Whether they're special high-performance variants or appearance packages, there's a limitless number of variants that span nearly every single make and model. The worst offenders, though, are the ones that are an extremely weird reach of a marketing campaign for things that have absolutely nothing to do with the car or brand itself.
So, while the Volkswagen Harlequin Golf may have been a bizarre (yet oddly attractive) choice for a factory car, things like the Eddie Bauer lineup of Ford vehicles are what we're talking about here. It extends much further than the Eddie Bauer Fords, though. Ford does make this list, but Jeep, Nissan, and especially Hyundai have some pretty bizarre entries. Let's take a look at some of the worst and/or weirdest special edition cars that have come to fruition thanks to equally as weird brand partnerships.
Hyundai Tuscon 'The Walking Dead' Special Edition Tuscon
When you think about the rugged landscape of a post-zombie-apocalyptic world and what type of vehicle you'll need to traverse it, the first thing that comes to mind is a 2014 Hyundai Tuscon, right? No? Fair enough.
Still, that didn't stop Hyundai from partnering up with AMC's "The Walking Dead" to produce the 2014 Hyundai Tuscon "The Walking Dead" Special Edition. It includes a badge identifying it as such on the back, edition-specific floor mats and cargo mats, and, our personal favorite, a backpack containing a full Zombie survival kit. Of course, you can't ignore the graphics with the hands of the undead protruding from behind the front wheel well.
"The Walking Dead" is an extremely popular show with a hardcore, dedicated fan base. However, it seems like even the most dedicated fans would see right through this transparent cash grab. Still, we suppose it's a better alternative to an AMC "Breaking Bad" special edition. Who knows what that might come with?
Nissan Rogue: Rogue One Star Wars Limited Edition
Like the Tuscon, The Nissan Rogue is a standard regular traffic type crossover. So, it's a bit of a weird choice for a special edition. However, the namesake makes a lot of sense for this particular partnership. Nissan partnered with Lucasfilms, Inc. to create the 2017 Nissan Rogue: "Rogue One Star Wars" Limited Edition. Nissan says it served to bring attention to the 2017 re-design of the Rogue model. Still, it seems like a pretty obvious attempt to exploit Star Wars fans who happened to be looking for a new Crossover.
Nissan also unveiled the "Rogue One Star Wars" Limited Edition with some fanfare. The auto giant hosted a press conference in which a group of stormtroopers escorted the car out onto the stage. Nissan only built 5,400 of these, with only 5,000 coming to the United States. The purchase also got you a numbered full-size replica of a Death Trooper helmet. That begs the question: did any hardcore "Star Wars" fans buy the car just to get the helmet?
Ford Expedition Funkmaster Flex Limited Edition
Admittedly, this one lands on this list as a sort of in-between feature. It rides the divisive line between "so weird it's cool" and the "why does this exist" lines of thought, mainly because of the missed opportunity of waiting just one more model year for the release of the Ford Flex. That would have been far more appropriate. We'll knock a couple more points off for not going with "Flexpedition."
Still, as far as limited edition cars go, at least this one wasn't so much of a cash grab with a big brand. Instead, it was born of Funkmaster Flex's TV show "Ride with Funkmaster Flex", where he dove into the vehicles popular in hip-hop culture. The Flex Expedition came with 20-inch chrome wheels, low-profile tires, factory-smoked headlights, and a two-tone red and black paint job with a model-specific body kit. Inside, it's got red accent stitching, red trim, and Funkmaster Flex logos on the headrest.
It's a little out there, but it is admittedly pretty cool. However, the most offensive part is the Triton 5.4-liter V8 under the hood.
Jeep Wrangler Call of Duty MW3 Special Edition
In 2011, Stellantis announced that Jeep became the exclusive automotive partner of "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3". To mark this deal, Jeep announced the 2012 Jeep Wrangler "Call of Duty: MW3" Special Edition. This again marks another weird cash-grabby special edition born of a partnership between two big companies, Jeep and Activision. However, at least in this case, the vehicle in question meets the rugged off-road demands of warfare.
The "MW3" edition consisted of exterior badging and graphics, 32-inch tires, and winch-ready bumpers. It also came with essential off-road accessories like taillamp guards and rock rails. It sports a set of Rubicon wheels in semi-gloss black and was available in either two-door or four-door format. The gauge cluster also had model-specific graphics, and the interior featured the "Call of Duty" logo stitched into the upholstery, Mopar Slush Mats, and an available rear cargo mat with the "Call of Duty" logo.
Hyundai IONIQ 5 Disney100 Platinum Edition
In January 2024, Hyundai announced its most recent addition to the bizarre special edition vehicle lineup: the Hyundai IONIQ 5 Disney100 Platinum Edition. It was built in partnership with Disney to celebrate the legendary entertainment conglomerate's 100th anniversary.
The Disney100 Platinum Edition features special badging and graphics. The model has an exclusive interior blend of terra brown and mud gray with the Disney100 logo debossed on the front headrests and center console. The logo also appears on the floor mats, and the startup sequence reveals a Disney-themed intro with iconic music and pixie dust.
However, the outstanding feature of this particular special edition is not something that buyers will receive. Instead, it's a road trip with Josh Peck and John Stamos. The two stars will embark on a road trip with stops at historic milestone locations for The Walt Disney Company. The trip will be documented under the name "Platinum Road Trip Social Series," with Peck and Stamos discussing the importance of each location they stop at