The Wall Street Journal-20080117-Reinventing the Wheel- Putting Pizzazz in Market Stalwarts
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Reinventing the Wheel: Putting Pizzazz in Market Stalwarts
[The latest car technology]
What It Is: As auto sales sag, car makers are looking for more ways to spark consumers' interest in buying new vehicles. One tactic that seems to be gaining favor among auto companies is to roll out special editions of certain models that have been on the market for awhile and appear to have lost their new-model luster. The special editions offer more luxury, bigger engines, or flashier wheels and trim than the standard version. Usually the models have special paint colors, stripes, chrome and other trim that help freshen what are often aging designs. Companies also build these vehicles in limited numbers and often use the models' supposed rarity to help convince customers that they are worth more than run-of-the-mill models. Inside, the vehicles are often more posh and sometimes include extra equipment that costs extra or isn't available at all on regular models.
How to Get It: Several auto companies have new special-edition cars and trucks in their lineups for 2008 from Toyota's off-road-oriented FJ Cruiser Trail Teams SUV with special wheels, tires and shock absorbers designed for rugged use, to the ultra-luxurious Cadillac STS Platinum, which has chrome wheels, wood-trimmed interior and hand- stitched leather upholstery around the instrument panel. Honda offers new, racier versions of two of its sports cars for 2008. The Civic Mugen Si and S2000 CR have racetrack-tuned suspensions, lightweight wheels and huge wing-style rear spoilers that would look at home on the set of "The Fast and the Furious" movie. Ford just keeps adding to its list of special-edition Mustangs. New models include the Cal Special, which has two-tone seats, special wheels and other decorative features, and the Bullitt, named for the late-1960s car-chase movie starring Steve McQueen.
Upside: Exclusive models appeal to people who want their cars to stand out among the tens of thousands of similar models on the road. Car makers also often use them to introduce new technology and other features that aren't yet available in other vehicles.
Downside: Makers often give the "special" label to aging designs that are on the way out. Buyers may be stung the following year when the sleeker, redesigned and better-equipped new model arrives.
Cost: This brand of exclusivity typically ranges in cost from a couple thousand dollars to tens of thousands. Honda's winged S2000 CR costs $36,300, compared with $34,300 for the standard version. At more than $42,000, Ford's GT 500 Mustang coupe is more than twice as expensive as the most basic Mustang. Toyota hasn't yet released the price of the FJ Cruiser Trail Teams.
Comment: While special editions are often a good way to get the latest equipment on a tried-and-true vehicle, they can also signal that the manufacturer is trying to squeeze more profit out of yesterday's machinery. Often it's best to just wait for a newer model that may be only months away.
