Must-have final editions | Six of the Best

While some final editions are little more than extra kit and perhaps a new colour, others carry some real significance – to say nothing of their desirability. Proper end-of-an-era machines that sign off in style have always been in demand; arguably never more so than now, in fact, when iconic nameplates and engines are dropping by the wayside all too regularly. So it seemed high time to assemble half a dozen of the finest finales we could find, and there seemed no better place to start than a Spirit R RX-7. While Mazda’s rotary would (in)famously return with the RX-8, it was a softer, slower sports car than the twin-turbo FD RX-7. Spirit R was no mere cosmetic refresh, either – though it did look outrageously good – with the benefit of Bilstein suspension and BBS wheels. Little wonder, then, that a minter like this is for sale at £80k…

We’re bending the rules a little here, as there was never a dedicated factory farewell to the Aero 8, but when an example as good as this one comes up it’s hard to ignore.  More than just one of a few farewells, this is the very last Series 5 Aero 8 to leave Pickersleigh Road. If not as long-lived as some Morgan models, the Aero still enjoyed almost 20 years of production, with memorable spin-offs like the AeroMax and SuperSports along the way. This one is said to be the only Aero 8 registered in 2019, the year that CX aluminium architecture was announced – the platform that would go on to transform Morgans. It would mean the end of V8s, however, and you can bet the 4.8 will feel more charming than ever here, especially hooked up to a six-speed manual. The rest of the spec is divine, too, complete with ash veneers inside and a side exit exhaust.  

It’s amazing to think these days, with the very best V8 M3s for sale at almost £50,000, but there wasn’t all that much excitement about the LE500 back when it was announced on March 1st, 2012. You can read the PH news story for proof; not many keen on the plaque, some upset there wasn’t any more power (or any less weight), and others wanting more standard kit. See, back then the LE500 was the final edition bingo full house: some extra equipment for not much more money, a badge, and a few nice colours. So folk weren’t that excited. But now we know it was the end, the final naturally aspirated M car; subsequent M3s and M4s haven’t been loved quite like the V8 now is, and prices have risen with that affection. Helps that it still looks so damn good, too. This LE500 has just 10,000 miles – good luck finding a better one…

We couldn’t do this without mentioning the 997. While the 991 came (very) good in the end, the introduction of electric power steering and direct fuel injection – as well as the significant increase in size – didn’t half scare the purists to begin with. The 997 had already felt like a high watermark for the Porsche 911, even better to drive than a 996 as well as nicer to look at, and the arrival of its successor did that rep no harm at all. Things have calmed down since, but 997s remain a much-loved modern classic – especially in run-out guises. The Speedster returned after a long time away, and the Sport Classic went all retro road racer with its Fuchs-style wheels, ducktail and Espresso leather. Never mind that it was ultimately a Carrera S with a Powerkit and the Sport chassis – there were just 250, and they looked brilliant. This one is a UK-supplied manual, too…

With so much happening so fast at Mercedes-Benz (as with just about every car company in the world right now) it’s amazing to think that a car like this AMG C63 Final Edition could have been registered as recently as 2022. What seemed pretty tech-laden when new – this ‘205 era of C63 was launched in 2025, then updated in 2018 – now looks resolutely old school without any mild hybridisation, four-wheel drive or suchlike.  And while the engine soldiers on to this day, the Final Edition marked the end of V8 C-Classes, and that really was very sad. Because all the way back to the C43 of the ’90s, through C55s plus both 6.2- and 4.0-litre C63s, a walloping AMG eight-cylinder in Mercedes’ smallest rear-drive saloon made for some unforgettable cars. We live in hope that they might return in one form or another; until then, this one is new A45 money…

We finish with a big one. The V12 Vanquish Ultimate didn’t mark the end of the badge, which would return after the DBS, nor the engine – the 5.9-litre V12 forging on for another decade – but instead the very factory that had become synonymous with its maker. The V12 Vanquish was the last Aston Martin assembled at Newport Pagnell, the place that had seen so many DBs and V8s built over half a century. In all, 13,300 Aston Martins were made at Newport Pagnell, and a V12 Vanquish S Ultimate Edition like this marked the end of new car production there. Only 50 were ever made, and 30 of those were left-hand drive, so this RHD example – number 13 – is a very special car. Particularly with just one owner from new and 12,000 miles. The Gaydon Aston Martins have been fantastic, no doubt at all, but very few, if any, can claim quite the significance of the Ultimate. Who wouldn’t want to drive a piece of Aston history like this?