Valentino Rossi BMW and other cool motorsport special editions

From the race track to the road

The glamour of racing has always been used to sell road cars. But some car manufacturers go further, with dedicated motorsport special editions to show off their success on the racetrack or rally stage.

BMW is a prime example of this, releasing a special edition of the M4 CS that is dedicated to racing legend Valentino Rossi.

Making this direct link between street and circuit has resulted in some seriously exciting cars. Join us for a look at some of the best.

Gulf McLaren 720S

The Gulf Oil livery is one of the most iconic in motorsport. A comprehensive deal saw McLaren’s F1 team racing in special Gulf colours at the 2021 Monaco Grand Prix – and McLaren Special Operations (MSO) can also hand-paint your 720S supercar to match. It’s a ‘yes’ from us.

2015 Mercedes-AMG A 45 4Matic Petronas Edition

Mercedes-Benz currently has a lot to shout about when it comes to motorsport. This was also true back in 2015, when it revealed this AMG A45 hot hatchback, complete with an F1-inspired silver and turquoise colour scheme. Spot the bright green wheel rims, too.

2014 Mercedes-AMG SL 63 World Championship Collector’s Edition

Possibly sensing the tension that was to come, in 2014 Mercedes let Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg design their own SL 63 roadsters. Hamilton opted for matte black and gold, while Rosberg favoured luxurious white. Only sold in pairs, to specially selected customers, the price for a matching set topped £500,000.

2009 Mercedes-Benz SLR Stirling Moss

Proving that special editions don’t always have to celebrate F1 championship wins, in 2009 Mercedes got extreme with the SLR in honour of Sir Stirling Moss’s Mille Miglia record. Ditching the roof and windscreen created a speedster, capable of a very windy 217mph. You already had to be an SLR customer to be considered, with just 75 examples produced and sold for £660,000 each.

2014 Caterham Seven Kamui Edition

While he might not have won races or titles, Kamui Kobayashi proved popular during his time in F1 with Caterham. Helpfully, Japan is a big market for Caterham, so selling a run of 10 Kamui editions should have been fairly easy. There’s only one seat, an anodised green key and a dashboard with Kamui’s name inscribed into it. Power isn’t quite F1-like though, with just 123hp from a 1.6-litre Ford engine.

2001 Fiat Seicento Sporting Schumacher Edition

How do you celebrate Ferrari’s first F1 World Drivers’ Championship in over 20 years? By sticking the name of your winning driver on the boot of a 54hp hatchback, of course. Michael Schumacher may have gone on to become Ferrari’s favourite son, but things started out with just 1.1 litres and a top speed of 93mph.

2005 Fiat Stilo Schumacher GP Version

Things got slightly better for Schumacher in 2005 when, after clinching his fifth title in a row the year previously, he was rewarded with this. The special ‘GP’ Stilo was produced for the UK, and featured tuning by Prodrive to add 18-inch alloy wheels, uprated suspension and a stainless steel exhaust. Power was unchanged, with the 2.4-litre 5-cylinder engine making 170hp – a slightly more respectable output than the Seicento.

2017 Ferrari 488 GTB ‘The Schumacher’

As part of Ferrari’s 70th anniversary celebrations in 2017, the Italian brand revealed a range of 70 special editions celebrating key models and liveries. Naturally, Michael Schumacher features on Ferrari’s list, and this time his name graced a range of supercars. This livery is specifically inspired by the F2003-GA F1 car, which Schumacher drove to championship victory in 2003.

1993 Renault Clio Williams

In the early 1990s Williams-Renault was a dominant force in Formula 1, with Constructors’ titles in 1992, 1993 and 1994. The first-generation Clio was also enjoying success as the 1991 European Car of the Year. Combining the two, and adding a 150hp 2.0-litre engine and gold Speedline wheels, produced an iconic hot hatch. The Clio Williams now attracts a cult following.

2005 Renault Megane Renaultsport 225 F1 Team

As a contender for the longest name on our list, Renault’s celebration of both 2005 Drivers’ and Constructors’ F1 Championships is a contender. Ultra Blue paintwork, matched with very bold decals and black alloy wheels made the 225 F1 Team visually impressive. Under the bonnet lurked the same 2.0-litre turbo engine as the regular Megane RS.

2006 Renault Megane Renaultsport 230 F1 Team R26

In order to celebrate back-to-back title successes, Renault made the name for the 2006 special edition Megane even longer. But, along with crazier graphics and a wider choice of colours, Renaultsport also added 5hp and a limited-slip differential. The latter made it popular with those fond of track days, and arguing on internet forums about which Megane is best.

2013 Renault Sport Megane Red Bull Racing RB8

Ah, how fondly Renault must look back on 2013. As the V8 engine in Red Bull Racing’s hugely successful F1 cars, in 2013 Renault could claim to have played a part in four continuous Constructors’ and Drivers’ titles. Enter the Megane RB8, with Twilight Blue paint, Recaro seats and Red Bull logos everywhere. Just maybe don’t mention what happened in 2014 when new F1 engine regulations were introduced…

2013 Infiniti FX50 Sebastian Vettel Edition

Much like Renault, Sebastian Vettel was riding the crest of a wave in 2013. He was racking up wins on track with consummate ease, thanks to his Red Bull Racing F1 car. For 2013, RBR’s title sponsor was Infiniti – somewhat confusing when Renault was the engine supplier. Matte white paintwork, an F1-inspired bodykit and a 420hp 5.0-litre V8 made for a tenuous motorsport link when applied to a luxury SUV. A retail price of over £100,000 in the UK meant you really had to be a Vettel fan to want one.

2015 McLaren P1 Alain Prost Edition

Alain Prost is a figure who courts controversy amongst F1 fans, due to his infamous rivalry with Ayrton Senna. Created for the 2015 Goodwood Festival of Speed, the Prost Edition McLaren P1 featured a unique red, white and blue livery based on the Frenchman’s helmet design. Prost won three F1 titles with the Woking-based team, hence garnering the attention of the McLaren Special Operations (MSO) custom division.

1989 BMW E30 M3 Cecotto and Ravaglia Editions

BMW went to town with the success of the E30 M3 in Touring Car racing. Venezuelan Johnny Cecotto took many of those victories, so was honoured with a limited edition of the M3 road car. The UK market received an even rarer version, named after Italian driver Roberto Ravaglia. He had claimed four championships with the M3.

1991 BMW E34 M5 Cecotto and Winkelhock Editions

Johnny Cecotto proved to be a lucrative marketing device for BMW as, in 1991, his name was also added to a special version of the E34 M5. Cecotto picked his own colour combinations and interior trim for a limited-run super saloon. Joachim Winkelhock, winner of the 1990 and 1991 Nürburgring 24 Hours for BMW, also got to specify his dream lightweight M5. It came with reduced sound deadening and Recaro seats.

2016 BMW M4 DTM Champion Edition

Marco Wittman’s victory in the 2016 DTM series gave BMW a chance to bust out the stickers again. Although you might not have heard of Wittman, this DTM special is a actually a thinly disguised version of the sold-out M4 GTS. With 500hp and a giant rear wing to boot, you’ll probably not care about having to try and explain who your car is meant to be honouring.

2013 Audi A5 DTM Champion Edition

The DTM series has a track record for producing celebratory limited editions. Back in 2013, Audi used Mike Rockenfeller’s championship win to produce 300 special examples of the A5. Sadly, there was no thumping race car-derived V8 engine beneath the bonnet, but a 2.0-litre diesel. It didn’t come to the UK, but we’re not too sad about that.

2007 Citroen C2 by Loeb

When a height-adjustable driver’s seat counts as a feature in a press release, expectations are set low. That was a key feature for Citroen’s special edition of the C2 supermini in honour of Sebastien Loeb’s four WRC titles from 2003 to 2006. A choice of red or black paintwork, plus the option of a SensoDrive robotised manual gearbox, were as good as it got for the C2.

2007 Citroen C4 by Loeb

While Loeb would use a Citroen C4 in his (successful) assault on the 2007 World Rally Championship, the road car was not a flame-spitting replica. There’s no four-wheel drive or big turbo engine to be found here. A 180hp 2.0-litre 16v petrol was the quickest engine on offer, but then we’re pretty sure Loeb’s work machine didn’t come with a leather trimmed armrest or cruise control as standard. Swings and roundabouts, as they say.

1999 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI Tommi Makinen Edition

Before Sebastien Loeb there was Tommi Makinen, a Finn who dominated rallying with four WRC championships for Mitsubishi between 1996 and 1999. Thankfully the Lancer Evo was a genuine rally replica, so the addition of a bespoke bodykit, uprated turbocharger and lowered suspension only made it even quicker and cooler.

1995 Subaru Impreza Turbo 2000 Series McRae

Subaru has produced many special motorsport editions of the first-generation Impreza, but the ‘Series McRae’ cars from 1995 are particularly special. In honour of the late McRae’s impressive rallying ability, 200 cars received Rally Blue paint with complementary gold 16-inch Speedline alloy wheels. Recaro seats and an individually numbered plaque completed the transformation.

2004 Subaru Impreza WRX STI WR1

Norwegian Petter Solberg took the 2003 WRC title fight down to the wire, and emerged victorious over the pesky Sebastien Loeb by one point. To celebrate, Subaru produced 1,000 examples of the WRX STI in a special Ice Blue colour scheme. With power increased to 320hp, and lowered suspension springs provided by Prodrive, the WR1 had bark to match its visual bite.

2007 Subaru Impreza WRX STI RB320

Richard Burns is the only Englishman to be a World Rally Champion, and he did it with Subaru in 2001. Tragically, he died from a brain tumour in 2005 at the age of only 32. To commemorate his championship victory and WRC legacy, Subaru built the RB320 – available only in Obsidian Black. The first car produced was auctioned off, with proceeds going to the Richard Burns Foundation.

2002 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS Dale Earnhardt Signature Edition

Dale Earnhardt was a giant of NASCAR racing, taking seven Winston Cup titles and earning the nickname of ‘The Intimidator’ for his aggressive driving style. This made his death, in a final lap accident during the 2001 Daytona 500, even more shocking to the NASCAR community. In his memory, 3,333 Monte Carlo SS models, featuring a colour scheme based on his iconic NASCAR, were built. Today they prove to be desirable collectors items for fans.

1994 Ducati 916 Senna and 2014 Ducati 1199 Panigale S Senna

Ayrton Senna is widely revered as being one of the most talented drivers to grace the F1 stage. His tragic death in 1994 created a shockwave through the sport and beyond. Senna had signed off on a special edition Ducati 916 shortly before his untimely death, with production completed in his honour. Twenty years later, Ducati recreated a Senna version of the 1199 superbike, with net proceeds from the sale of the 161 examples being donated to the Senna Foundation.

2019 Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR

Volkswagen Motorsport created a version of the Golf GTI for the global TCR touring car class in 2015. By 2019, this led to a road version, inspired by the success of the racer.

Changes included a redesigned front bumper, boosting the output of the 2.0-litre engine to 290hp, plus a limited-slip front differential. Volkswagen’s DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission was standard, as were new wheels and upgraded brakes.

A set of special TCR decals were optional, as was a package to increase the GTI TCR’s top speed from 155mph to 164mph.

2020 BMW M2 CS

Although the first-generation version of BMW’s M2 coupe came in several special editions, the CS model has a genuine link to motorsport. Initially launched to support the DTM championship, the M2 CS Racing has evolved to compete in a number of other race series.

For the road-going M2 CS, BMW boosted the 3.0-litre turbocharged engine to 450hp and made Adaptive M suspension standard. Buyers could pick between a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

A carbon fibre roof, forged alloy wheels and fresh exterior styling were part of the package.

2021 Aston Martin Vantage F1 Edition

Returning to Formula 1 was a major move for Aston Martin. To celebrate, the British marque released a special edition of the Vantage sports car. It had true motorsport credentials, also being used as an official Formula 1 safety car.

For the F1 Edition, Aston Martin gave the Vantage a new front splitter, a large fixed rear wing and a set of 21-inch alloy wheels.

Aston Martin also gently massaged the Vantage’s 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine, resulting in a total output of 535hp.

2023 Mercedes-AMG C63 S E Performance F1 Edition

Mercedes-Benz may have not emulated its former F1 success in recent years, but this hasn’t stopped it from celebrating the technology used in motorsport.

The C63 S E Performance F1 Edition combined a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine with a plug-in hybrid system. A total of 680hp and 752lb ft of torque makes for epic performance, including a top speed of 174mph.

For the F1 Edition, Mercedes-AMG added grey paint, red exterior trim and a set of forged 20-inch alloy wheels. On the inside, special AMG floor mats came with the F1 logo stitched into them.

2023 Mercedes-AMG SL63 Motorsport Collectors Edition

More Mercedes-Benz racing references can be found in the – appropriately named – SL63 Motorsport Collectors Edition.

Inspired by the Mercedes-AMG W12 Formula 1 car, a two-tone livery of silver and black matches the colours found on the racing car.

‘Petronas’ green detailing also makes an appearance, being used on the splitter, side sills and outer rims of the 21-inch alloy wheels.

2024 Audi RS6 Avant GT

The 1989 Audi 90 Quattro IMSA GTO was one of the German marque’s most dominant motorsport competitors. When the conditions suited the GTO’s all-wheel-drive setup, it could leave its rivals for dust in the North American IMSA championship.

To celebrate one of its most beloved race cars, Audi launched a special-edition version of the RS6 estate. The RS6 Avant GT makes extensive use of carbon fibre body parts, features coilover suspension and comes with 22-inch alloy wheels.

Widened wheelarches, a bi-plane rear spoiler and Audi Sport graphics all make the link to the original IMSA GTO.

2024 Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport

Unlike the previous-generation Golf GTI TCR, Volkswagen’s motorsport link with the latest GTI Clubsport is rather more tenuous.

Volkswagen made use of the fearsome Nurburgring circuit to develop the new Golf GTI Clubsport, and chose to launch its new model during the 2024 Nurburgring 24 Hours race weekend.

Key changes include a downforce-producing rear spoiler, a bespoke front bumper and a special Nurburgring driving mode. Adding some credibility, a racing version of the Clubsport won its class at the N24 event.

2024 Maserati MC20 Icona and MC20 Leggenda

To mark the 20th anniversary of Maserati’s return to motorsport in 2004, the Italian marque created two special editions of the mid-engined MC20. Each wears a colour scheme inspired by the Maserati MC12.

The MC20 Icona pays tribute to the Maserati MC12 Stradale, with a blue and white colour scheme, plus silver alloy wheels and a blue trident badge.

For the MC20 Leggenda, Maserati used the MC12 GT1 racer as its starting point. A black and mint green livery was used by the Vitaphone Racing team, which claimed three wins and two podiums at the 24 Hours of Spa.

2025 Mercedes-AMG GT63 Motorsport Collectors Edition

Announced just before the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix, Mercedes-Benz added another chapter to its Motorsport Collectors Edition story with the 612hp AMG GT63 Pro.

Obsidian Black paint with hand-painted silver stars is a direct tribute to the livery of the Mercedes-AMG F1 car. ‘Petronas’ green highlights, as seen on the racing car, feature on the alloy wheels, brake calipers and bodykit.

Mercedes-Benz plans to produce just 200 examples of the GT63 Pro Motorsport Collectors Edition, which is aimed at ‘car enthusiasts and collectors who are looking for a particularly sporty driving experience’.

2025 McLaren MCL38 Celebration Editions

McLaren Racing claimed its ninth Formula One World Constructors’ Championship in 2024 – and the team’s first title since 1998.

Suitably pleased with itself, McLaren has created two special models to commemorate the win. Only 18 Celebration Editions will be made, split equally between the 750S and Artura supercars.

McLaren Special Operations has created a bespoke Papaya Orange and Anthracite exterior colour scheme. Exposed carbon fibre sills are signed by F1 drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and there is even a piece of bodywork from the MCL38 F1 car affixed to the dashboard.

2025 BMW M4 CS VR46 Edition

Valentino Rossi is one of the greatest motorcycle racers of all time, claiming nine individual Grand Prix World Championships between 1996 and 2021.

After retiring from MotoGP, the Italian made the switch from two to four wheels, entering into sports car racing with Team WRT. Initially driving an Audi R8, a switch in manufacturers by the team saw Rossi become an official BMW works racing driver.

To celebrate Rossi’s 46th birthday, which matches his famed #46 racing number, BMW revealed a limited edition version of the 550hp M4 CS coupe.

2025 BMW M4 CS VR46 Edition

Two flavours of the VR46 Edition will be available, with enthusiasts able to choose between Sport or Style designs.

The Sport version is painted in Marina Bay Blue, with large ‘46’ graphics in Tanzanite Blue.

For the Style model the colours are reversed, with matte Frozen Tanzanite Blue metallic used for the bodywork, and the ‘46’ logo picked-out in matte Frozen Marina Bay Blue metallic.

Rossi’s trademark bright yellow colour can be found on the car’s front grille inserts, alloy wheels and brake calipers.

2025 BMW M4 CS VR46 Edition

More Rossi yellow accents are inside the BMW, contrasting with the Night Blue M carbon bucket seats. Yellow ‘VR46’ logos are found on the headrests and side sills, plus there is a numbered plaque on the arm rest.

Perhaps the best part of the VR46 Edition is an invitation to meet ‘The Doctor’ himself. Buyers of this special BMW are invited to a barbeque at his VR46 Motor Ranch in Tavullia, Italy.